1999 Foot Locker Northeast
Interviews by Don Rich
Melissa Donais - Molly
Landreth - Dan Coval - Tristan
Colangelo
Melissa Donais - "this is for my
grampy"
She ran the Jr. Olympic race at Van Cortland the week before, and won her age
group race in 18:18. She started thinking she would be competitive at Northeast
Regionals. Melissa was 'not quite confident' though, coming into today. She got
out in 5th at the mile in 5:25, but knew she was a better hill runner than the
flats of the Van Cortland start. She believes her long stride and the fact that
she loves running hills helped her the second mile. She does lots of hill work,
including dynamics. She ran most of the race from the mile point in 6th to 8th
place. When she came off the bridge with about 800 to go, she felt great. At 400
meters, she was in 2nd or 3rd, and as she turned the corner she saw that
Flanagan's form was starting to go. "Her legs were weakening, so I took
off." Over the last mile I gave it everything I had, and felt good the
whole way.
She said all she could think the last 200 meters, once she got the lead, was
"this is for my grampy." She said that her maternal grandfather, Tony
Sapienza, 'is her inspiration.' He set a masters record for the 3000 on March
17, 1987, and died 5 minutes after the race from a heart attack. 'This was
for him.'
"I'm so amazed. I can't believe I did this. This is for my grampy."
Dan Coval
'I decided to stay with the first pack, because I know it usually goes out
faster than it needs to. The first mile was 4:43. That's where I made a move.
One kid went with me for awhile.' Coval extended his 12 second lead to about 15
seconds at 2 miles.
As a PA runner, Coval was banned from national competition by the PIAA his
first three years in high school. 'It would have been nice to run, but this
stuff is more for recognition. My track times got me what I wanted. I'm not real
disappointed not having run in Footlockers before this year. But it's good
experience.'
Coval trained through the Mid East regional championships, in which he
finished second in a cross country race for the first time in two years (25
races). His interval work leading up to Footlockers included 1000 repeats in
under 2:55, with three minutes rest.
Molly Landreth
She went out in 32nd at the first mile, and steadily moved up. She hit the
bridge with about 800 to go and heard someone yell that she was in 10th place.
'I just told myself to go, and tried to pass as many people as I could.' 'My
family is a running family.' Her brother Travis, was on the Junior National Cross Country Team in
1995. He now runs for the NIKE Farm Team. Molly's sister, Susannah, also runs, and recently
qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials coming up in February. Track times are 11:12 for the 2 mile, 2:22 half,
and 5:14 mile.
Tristan Colangelo
'It hurt. I knew from last year that it would be a hard start, so this year I
was prepared for it. I went out last year and was about 70th in the mile, and
finished 14th, so I figured I could do well this year. I started in the back of
the lead pack and came out of the woods with 800 to go in 8th place. A kid
passed me, which was a bad thing, so I went with him. He caught two kids, and so
did I. Then I saw Matt (Emond) fall...and with about 50 yards out I saw three
kids ahead of me and thought 'why not?' I kicked the last 200 and just found
myself in 2nd.'
Track times, 1:57, 4:17 and 9:17. Looking at lots of schools, including
Princeton, Georgetown, Stanford, Duke, Dartmouth and William & Mary.
