Northeast Regionals

Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 16:29:18 -0500

From: "Edward  J. Grant" <[email protected]>

Subject: t-and-f: Footlocker NE Regionals



Netters:

        It was as perfect a day as you might imagine at Van Cortlandt Park

today for the Footlocker Northeast regional meet. Temperature got up to at

least 50 degrees, the skies were a bright blue and, by the time the title

races got under way,. there was litle or no wind.

        The winners were the expected ones: Erin Sullivan of Jericho, Vt.,

took the lead from the start of the girls' race and led all the way to win

by 15 seconds from another Green Mountain girl, Tara Chaplin, in 17:31. The

other qualifiers were Erica Palmer of Gilsum, NH; Jillian Mastroianni of

Sayville, NY; Peggy Melonic of East Aurora, NY; Laura Turner of Portsmouth,

RI; Danielle Jelley of Westbury, NY; and Sheela Agrawal of Swansea, MA. New

Jersey had to settle for an alternate spot for Celeste Sedo of Ridgewood.

        The boys' race was a little different. Andy Powell of North Easton,

Mass., announced before the race that he would set a fast pace. That he

did, hitting the mile mark at 4:32. But when the pack came out of the woods

to cross the bridge, national defender Abdirizak Mohammud of Boston, MA,

was in command and he went on to win by nine seconds from NJ junior Murad

Campbell in 15:18.5. Steve Slattery of Mt. Olive, NJ, who battled with

Mohammud in the back hills, just about made it across and finished 7th in

15:48. Powell was in even worse shape, falling a couple of times in the

homestretch, one just before the finish line, but managing to salvage a

qualifying spot in 8th. The other Florida-bound youngsters are Louis

Luchini of Ellsworth, Me; Ian Hahn of Manchester Twp, NJ; Todd Swenson of

Londonderry, NH; and Eric Reese of Dushore, PA. The alternate is Eric

Meehan of Wyoming, RI.

        Judging by their races today, it is quite within the realm of

possibility that Sullivan and Mohammud could give the NE region a sweep at

the national finals two weeks from now. Certainly I wouldn't want to bet

against them.



                                        BOYS

1. Abdirizak Mohamud, Boston, MA                        Sr.            

15:18.5

2. Murad Campbell, Overbrook HS(Lindenwold, NJ          Jr.            

15:27.7

3. Louis Luchini, Ellsworth, ME                         Jr.            

15:30.1

4. Ian Hahn, Manchester Two (Lakewood), NJ              Sr.            

15:37.5

5. Todd Swnson, Londonderry, NH                 Sr.             15:41.6

6. Eric Reese, Dushore, Pa                              Sr.            

15;42.0

7. Steve Slattery, Mt. Olive, (Flanders), NJ                    Sr.       

15:48.3

8. Andy Powell, North Easton, MA                        Jr.            

15:52.7

9. Eric Meehan, Wyoming, RI                             Sr.            

15:53.3

10. Matt Gioffre, Ridgefield, CT                                Sr.       

15:53.9

11. Nathan Sisco, North Hunterdon(Lebanon), NJ          Jr.            

15:56.4

12. Benjamin Showers, West Chester, PA          Sr.             15:56.7

13. Tim McAteer, New Britain, PA.                       Sr.            

15:57.0

14. Jon Fasulo, Hunterdon central (Whitehouse Stn), NJ  Jr.            

15:57.5

15. Matthew Weiss, Hartsdale, NY                        Sr.            

15:58.6

16. Benjamin Wessenyaleh, Boston, MA                    Jr.            

15:59.3

17. Scott Estabrook, Townsend, MA                       Sr.            

16:00.8

18. Patrick Gildea, Holbrook, NY                        Sr.            

16:04.5

19. Cary Snyder, Demarest, NJ                   Sr.             16;07.0

20. Jay Champi, Cumberland, RI                  Sr.             16:07.4

21. Travis Etters, Altoona, PA                          Sr.            

16:07.7

22. John McGrorey, West Chester, PA                     Sr.            

16:08.0

23. Brian Saliter, Whippand Park, NJ                    Jr.            

16;09.7

24. Dylan Welsh, Saratoga Springs, NY                   Jr.            

16:10.7

25. Jason Meany, Liverpool, NY                  Sr.             16:12.4



                                        GIRLS

1. Erin Sullivan, Jericho, VT                           Jr.            

17:31.5

2. Tara Chapin, Middlesex, VT                           Sr.            

17:46.1

3. Erica Palmer, Gilsum, NH                             Sr.            

17:54.8

4. Jilliam Mastroianni, Sayville, NY                    So.            

17:55.4

5. Peggy Melonic, East Aurora, NY                       So.            

17:55.9

6. Laura Turner, Portsmouth, RI                 Sr.             18:03.6

7. Danielle Jelley, Westbury, NY                        So.            

18;12.7

8. Sheela Agrawal, Swansea, MA                  Jr.             18;16.1

9. Celeste Sedo, Ridgewood                              Sr.            

18:23.5

10. Adeline Azrack, Lincoln, MA                         Sr.            

18:23.9

11. Ellen Dwyer, Walpole, MA                            Sr.            

18:24.6

12. Lauren Matthews, Brookline, MA                      Sr.            

18:33.6

13. Katie Twarog, Albany, NY                            Fr             

18:33.8

14. Kelly Behan, Ridgewood                              So.            

18;34.8

15. Lisa Cappello, Lockport, NY                 So              18:36.0

16. Danielle Coon, Gansevoort, NY                       Fr.            

18:36.7

17. Laura Kearns, Gansevoort, NY                        Sr.            

18:38.9

18. Kristen Cerasi, Eastchester, NY                     Sr.            

18:39.5

19. Rosie Woodford, South Kingston, RI                  Jr.            

18;41.0

20. Ali-May Geiser, New Paltz, NY                       Fr,            

18:41.2

21. K.C. Meehan, Brick Twp, NJ                  Sr.             18:42.3

22. Mildred Crisostomo, Milford, MA                     Sr.            

18:43.1

23. Pamela Meadors, Ocean Twp, NJ                       Jr.            

18;43.4

24. Nicole Boykin, White Plains, NY                     Fr.            

18:43.7

25. Lara Niell, Harvard, MA                             Sr.            

18:44.1



        Notes: There were more than 2,500 runners in he seven-race program.

The opening frosh-soph boys' race had 408 (!) finishers, perhaps the

largest HS race in the venerable history of Van Cortlandt park...The

"sanitized" course is obviously faster than the former rockstrewn one.

Muhammud was within four seconds of the course record which hasn't been

approached in recent years. Sixteen boys broke 16:00, 34 girls were under

19:00, times that qualified some youngsters in recent years...New York won

the girls' team title, New Jersey the boys. The NY team was very young:

four sophs and a frosh and there were three more frosh in the top

25...Pennsyvania managed a 2nd in the boys' meet even though it was limited

to senior entries by the stupid and blatantly illegal  regulation

promulgated by the PIAA (or should that be PUAA).

                                                        Ed Grant