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DyeStat 2000 Outdoor
Colonial Relays
Results were not available at the meet and for many days later. Here are some impressions of people who were there.
Running in the Gloaming - A PA runner's viewpoint - New York Coach Won't be Back -
Partial results are on DyeStatPA
a s-l-o-w first day
by Don Rich
The Colonial Relays timing and seeding system was messed up all day. No results except some field,but nothing on disk. Then,running an hour behind,they ran the high school boys 4x 800 and college 10000 IN THE DARK. Here is a brief report.
In the darkness of a cool Virginia night� Pennsylvania's West Chester Henderson and Archbishop Ryan finished one-two in the 4 x 800 meters. Unbelievably, it was the next to last race of the night at the Colonial Relays on the campus of William & Mary in Williamsburg,. The college men and women ran 10,000's invisible to only those within ten feet.
Coaches and athletes were anything but impressed, as a day of ever-later starts turned into a stampede of high school boys pushing., shoving, and struggling just to see their place in the race. The girls 4 x 800, won by Villa Maria Academy (I think, but it was too dark to tell), had two other PA schools finish second and third, Archbishop Prendergast and Upper Darby, both unofficially in 9:35.
The race started with Rich Anderson of Cardinal O'Hara doing a 360
and nearly being trampled within the first 25 meters of the race. As
the pack pulled away, so did the starter, missing the fall, and
allowing the race to continue. Among a growing chorus of rather vivid
complaints of coaches and athletes, the race continued, with Ryan
gaining a 30 meter advantage by the end of the second leg. But
somewhere in the darkness, West Chester Henderson caught Ryan at the
line, winning in a time to be determined, as the results were not
available Friday night.
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"This isn't the JFK Assassination"
by Joe Plevelich of Pennsylvania
Dear Mr. Dye,
First of all, I would like to thank you for considering my point of view and responding in such a timely fashion. I am honored to be asked to have my comments published on your impressive and informative website. I hope that my description will further inform people who are still confused about this extraordinary race and shed additional light on this situation in which many fellow athletes are very distraught over.
Thanks once again,
Joe Plevelich
Dear Mr. Dye,
I do not know whether or not you are aware yet of what happened last Friday night at the Colonial Relays in the 4x800M Relay. Besides the fact that it was completely pitch black, the judges seriously botched the results of this race.
As most of the spectators crowding around the ACTUAL finish line observed, Henderson clearly crossed the finish line in first place. What really disturbs me is the fact that they placed a light well before the actual finish line, which tricked some other runners about the ending point of the race. I was pretty confident that I had crossed the line first after passing three teams in the last straight-away. My coach was confident that I had won, former alumnae were confident that I had won, and even a few of the befuddled judges believed that I had won.
However, after three days of indecision and incompetence, they decided to change the results and declare Ryan the winner. I can accept this change as a result of human error, but I am very disturbed that it took them three days to make such a decision. This isn't the JFK assassination, it is just a race. Even in absolute darkness, attentive and prepared judges should be able to resonably confer upon a winner within five minutes after the completion of a race.
I can accept losing, just not when I think that the winner was rather arbitrarily determined without my input or consideration of other observers in such an unusual race as this was.
Thank you,
Joe Plevelich
Henderson HS
4x800M relay anchor
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Won't Be Back
Dear Mr. Dye,
My name is Lenny Diaz, Head track coach at Mount Saint Michael Academy H.S. (Bronx, NY) I am writing to you in reference to the Colonial relays.
We have been going to the Colonial relays for the past 8 years. I also ran there in the late 80's when I was in high school and college. The meet use to be a good meet. Since the latest meet directors took it over, it has gone downhill. Two years ago they canceled all the races on Saturday due to rain. There were a lot of out of state teams that went home angry. There was no letter sent that year or the following year apologizing or thanking teams for being understanding.
My team placed 5th in that 4x800 in the dark. (8:09.3) It was a disaster and people could have been seriously hurt. Needless to say this is our final trip to Colonial. I have spoken to other coaches that came a long way and they feel the same way.
By the way Henderson clearly won the race. Does anyone know who placed 3rd and 4th?
Coach Diaz
