Foundation Cross Country Camps 

As the dirt-racers wash the mud off their Saucony Kilkenny’s… all that is left of this season is for the Crew of B.O.B to sort it all out. A great philosopher once said, “Fun is the best thing to have.” And this season was FUN.

For the runners, what’s more fun than seeing all that hard work you put in since June come to fruition with great performances and personal bests. Making all those nights or mornings of extra miles and thousands of pushups and sit-ups worth the effort; while dreams of being prepared for that one day when the magic is in the air and the perfect race appears for the taking come true. And finally, as you walk away from your parents, coaches and teammates, picking up your sweats with that muddy smile on your face knowing that today everything worked and you were good, even really good, and you WILL continue to get better. Yea, that is FUN.

Fun for coaches is putting a plan in motion and seeing it work. Watching their top kid, as well as the geekiest freshmen, develop over the course of a season into weekly Personal Bests. Seeing that gunslinger’s smile on your runner’s faces and being able to look across the field at “the experts” and know that you and your kids got the best of them. Yep, that is FUN.

The Crew of B.O.B. has warned all year of Hubris and there is no fun in becoming a “fallen idol.” Remember nobody loves hard work and fun more than the God’s who govern our sport. As Socrates learned… stay pure of heart and honor the god’s; otherwise sad things can happen (and that is not FUN).

Fun for the rest of us is watching it all unfold. To quote Flounder, “boy this was great”. Congratulations to all who ran this season. In Section VIII, more kids from more teams ran faster than ever before. Over 40 boys broke 17 minutes on the Bethpage course. That has not been seen since the early 90’s. Knowing that the hopes and dreams of their teams were being carried with their legs, all over Long Island, those gutsy 4^th and 5^th runners battled to the end of each race. Yes, Kahuna, this year we raced hard and fast and but most of all, we had FUN. 

A special Madman and Foundation shout out to Owen Skeete for winning the junior race at Footlocker and being All State… and most of all for taking the state meet race out in 2:09 and surviving. Beware, non-believers, because each week he gets two strides closer to that perfect race. Watching Skeete race is FUN.

Now as the short track racers get ready to fly around in circles, The Madman will look back on this season with great satisfaction. I want to thank the Crew of B.O.B. for taking the time to provide the insight needed to make sense of it all, the editors at Foundation XC who took the time to make sense of The Madman’s Ramblings, the coaches who all over Long Island dared to dream and put the time in to mentor and develop their athletes, to the runners who took the leap of faith and week after week took a chance to be great. Thanks to the officials and Administrators (especially those “Pros from Dover”) who tirelessly provided the forum for races. Because without them the great moments in this sport would never have been started… so please thank them as you jog on by. Thanks to the parents who believe in all of us more than anyone and will always root for you whether you are first or last. Finally thanks to those who took the time to read these Ramblings. While never taking ourselves too seriously, it’s quite obvious that being The MADMAN is FUN.

One closing thought… A few weeks ago the following was heard being muttered as the buses left Plattsburgh for various XC havens upstate, “I can’t believe we lost to a team from Long Island!” Ours is a very cruel sport… it is you, a pair of shoes with some nails in them, a uniform, some luck and the belief that today is going to be great. There is nobody else to blame when the best laid plans don’t work out. But if you run fast, don’t get lost and take a chance to be great then good things will happen. We work too hard to not enjoy what we do so when all is said and done just smile and say “I CHOOSE FUN”.

The Final Rankings and the SAUCONY ALL-MADMAN TEAM will be out next week. Will you be on it?

Last weekend --- as Lions, Tigers, and Cougars roamed the woods --- the chase for glory began to take shape. Now that restaurant week is in full force… go out, enjoy a nice meal and debate who will be left standing once the sun sets on Saturday. The work is in the oven as the master chefs (coaches) added in a pinch of salt and a dash of “El Diablo” sauce to their magicial championship stew. The special chili has already been served and this year’s blend has been awesome. While some teams have gone on a road trip or two to taste e-z success, others now may find themselves too wimpy once the mischief and mayhem of the championship season has begun. Like Quasimodo ringing the bells in the tower, team captains must lead their forces and make them believe that all they have done will take them to the Promised Land.

Kibbles and Bits…

We have the most boys’ under 17 minutes at Bethpage in a generation. There is the possibility in Nassau of three teams putting their top five under 17. Meanwhile, the girl’s teams in both counties are flying around their respective courses. Several team titles will come down to epic duels between the fifth women. It is this drama that makes cross country so special and intense. These fifth men and women have, for the most part, stayed out of the spotlight and now they are the most important member of any cross country team. A team without a strong fifth will find their dreams wiped out as if a tsunami has hit them. Get out those calculators and always have a whiz kid or the mysterious Mr. Ahn at your side doing the math, as those worthy few --- with the stuff legends are made of --- dig into the darkest depths of their souls and break the pain barrier to find a place in their programs folklore.

And so we present to you, The Girl’s Team Rankings as of 11/4/09

1. Northport (previously #1)

The tiger has clawed its way to the top once again. They have feasted on the competition at big meets all season with a consistent assault on their opponents. Never get a big cat in a corner unless you have the ammunition to put it down. As pre-county favorites, these tigers may be looking to the North already. But, beware of hubris ‘cause the gods’ of our sport will leave the woods full of pitfalls and tiger traps.

2. Smithtown (prev. #7)

All year long the Crew of B.O.B. have been warning of the resourcefulness of the ladies of Smithtown. They are ready, willing, and able to take the county and ride the bus to States and beyond. Big time showing last weekend by Lowe, Knott, and Koenig , but the question remains can their fifth runner score low enough. Bring your calculator and count heads because all fifthrunners are on notice to bring their “A” game.

3. St. John the Baptist (prev. #3)

Various merges suggest maybe they don’t belong up this high, but time and time again Coach Wood delivers a winning combination. Their team packed up and won the NSCHSAA once again. There is a lot to be said about knowing how to win and it seems these Cougars like the taste of Victory. Nice job ladies… and to Woody and staff, and if all goes well we will see you at Feds.

4. North Shore (prev. #4)

The questions still remain even after their victory at the Section VIII Divisions.  Coach Levy’s girls look ready and well prepared to make their claim back at the top of our leader board.  But this is a Houdini like team that appears and disappears.  Their armor has taken some hits lately but the Crew of B.O.B. thinks this is the week that the Vikings will wreak havoc on those who have doubted them and find that puppy we all have been looking for.

5. Ward Melville (prev. #2)

Word on the street is that our favorite gunslingers decided to go as dead patriots for Halloween. There was sadness at the Inn, as the girls from Northport and Smithtown danced under the full moon after swiping Coach Young’s candy. The feeling at our meeting is that things may be different on Friday. The gunslingers are looking for big game and are coming loaded for Tiger and if they pick off some Bulls and Cougars along the way… so be it.

6. West Islip (prev. #9)

A great job last week by Foote and the girls from WI. They have emerged as a factor in every race and now the support crew needs to run much faster if they will have a say in which team will go up state. So tighten your spikes girls, run fast, and most of all don’t get lost.

7. Massapequa (prev. #6)

The Chiefs dropped one place due to no fault of their own; Smithtown just ran faster.  The Chiefs won their Conference and hope to go on to State. Emily Marchini continues to cruise and Schmidt and Krug should drop under 20 minutes soon. The big news last week was the finish by  McBrien. Class AA will be a very tight team race and Coach Lisa’s women will need to race smart.

8. Bay Shore (prev. #8)

 “Over? Did we say it was over? Was it over when the German’s bombed Pearl Harbor?” 1941 may have been the last time that Bay Shore did not send some one to the State Meet. The Marauder’s will not go quietly into that good night so don’t be surprised if come Sunday morning  the ski’s instead of the golf clubs will be coming out of Dr. Bombay’s closet.

9. Commack (prev. #5)

We are still trying to figure what happened to Commack. They looked great at the Nassau Coaches meet. Stapleton and company have been running well. Look for them to snap back and find a seat or two on the bus to Plattsburgh.

10. Syosset (prev. unranked)

They  have been flying under the radar all year while wearing their poker face. Last Saturday they finished third in their Conference. So why are they here on the big board?  It is simple… they sat out their number one runner Ngu and their 3, 4 and 5 finished within 12 seconds of each other. Not sold on them yet? Come Saturday evening you may be.

Find room on the Bus cause we want to go!

Wantagh

East Meadow

Miller Place

St Anthony’s

Mt Sinai

Farmingdale

A Madman shout-out to the Girls from Hicksville who have kept their program alive and who have improved each week. To Bob Beer for getting the Section VIII results up before sundown. To Mineola Coach Kristen Degnan Frazer for coaching her team to their first XC championship and then finishing the NY Marathon…what a weekend! Also congrats to Syosset coach Rich Cafiero for his Marathon run… well done Sir! Finally, much love to Delta's everywhere.

A great philosopher once said "You have the rest of your lives to be losers… but today is the one day that you can be champions." Don’t let that opportunity disappear without a fight. Good luck to all this weekend and make all those miles you ran count.

We have been bamboozled. As much as we all believed that Port produced yet another freshman out of thin air who could run sub 17 minutes it has been disclosed that Conor Nickle of Chaminade ran 16:26 at the Nassau Coaches Meet instead of the Port kid. That fact changes everything! Now Chaminade beats Calhoun on the Merge, along with beating The Black Wave in the dual meet and with their previous successes; the Crew of B.O.B. now will make the necessary adjustments and rank Chaminade at the top of the Long Island Boy’s rankings.  

As we go to “press” the results from the SectionXI Divisions were just posted. Thanks again to Tony Toro and the staff of Just in Time Racing.com for getting results posted ASAP.  And it was an awesome meet, lots of mud and drama.  The Sunken Meadow rankings page now has a lot of new names and faster times. The rumors we had heard about some teams turned out to be true and others are falling to the wayside.

We also have heard the distant rumblings of our critics. So we will make an offer of a Seat on The Crew of B.O.B. to the masses that spew their knowledge on dyestat. If anyone --- and we mean anyone --- feels that we have short changed a team or an individual then send us your reasoning and it will be brought to the table with the hot wings at our weekly meeting. It will be kind of “People’s Choice” or “Long Island XC idol”. Remember, your voice counts and while we never take ourselves too seriously... we know some of you do.

Cross Country is a very difficult sport to coach. Every weekend from here on in is sudden death playoffs. A fever, a rain storm, a turned ankle, a cramp, a broken relationship, the SATs, a commercial shoot with Geico any number of what would normally be minor problems can take the best laid training plans from early summer and leave a great season crumbled like a discarded paper bag on the side of the roads that we have trained on with dreams of greatness. The pundits will rally with the naysayers and be quick to trash a coach’s plan as rubbish as they jump on the band wagon of the Champion d’jour. So, as the Sword of Damocles hangs over all of our heads the Crew of B.O.B. will try to make some sense out it. And please be safe in the knowledge that when it is all said and done, there will be another race next week and the week after that. So run fast and don’t get lost.

Boy’s rankings for the Week of 10/26/09

1. Chaminade (previously #3)

Now that we have straighten out last week’s results and placed the Flyers on top, lets go surfing! But be careful and watch out for the Black Waves because we know they can be rough in November. Maybe the Flyers should spend some quality time with the Surfer Girls of West Islip as they hope to Hang Ten on yet another NSCHSAA Championship. They appear to be ready to FLY and seem to be looking forward to a day at the beach.

2. St Anthony’s (prev. #1)

A nice day at the sandy meadow can turn calm waves into a Tsunami and those looking to ride the Black Wave often find themselves in a bone crushing wipeout. The Friars have been running well all season and hopefully their fifth man has gotten closer to 3 and 4. We see this year’s NSCHSAA as a two team race but beware the Firebirds, Cougars, and Titans who roam the woods on The Day of the Dead because they can be vicious when ignored and always have a say on who survives.  But to those young sixth men --- remember --- every point counts and you are the tie breaker. So make sure you bring your pb’s to the park. 

3. Calhoun (prev. #2)

All year the Colts have achieved their goals while racing easy. They are not over raced, they have trained sensibly all year, they tended the melon, and Coach Hendler’s plan appears to be working. This is a very deep competitive team who is having fun and hopefully will continue their season to the Fed meet. They should make easy work of the Conference meet while looking to shore up their top 7.

4. Sachem East (prev. #4)

Section XI Champs… barely.  Their number one man, Saavedra, sets the tone, however he was taken down the straightaway by Denis from Bayport! His teammates stepped up and held onto first. However they won’t have to deal with the charging Phantoms again. So it is time to get their fourth and fifth men closer and set themselves up for a team trip to states.

5. Shoreham Wading River (prev. #4)

If, by chance, you are asking which three coaches you would want to have dinner with, make sure you include our friend Mack the Knife. While some want to tell everyone how to run their programs and stab their colleagues in the back, Mack the Knife never says a negative thing about anyone (and will probably pick up the check). A true class act and we are fans. Chris Pohlot came off the course during the sloppy Division race. His loss dropped them down in the standings but we will leave them ranked fifth. Tradition lives on and SWR should continue their fine season well into November.

6. Bayport Blue Point (prev. unranked)

Our scouts in Suffolk have been warning us about Phantoms around Halloween since last August. We remember the great teams of a few years ago. It was a great team effort lead by the hard charging Dan Denis.  Awesome job and once again our man from the east has picked the right horse. If Pohlot had finished first, SHW, Sachem East and Bayport Blue point would have all been so close that the sixth men might have had to come into play... and that would have given Bayport Blue Point the win. 

7. Walt Whitman (prev. unranked)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep. Never underestimate Coach Conroy’s Dead Poet Society. Class repeat...  “Never underestimate Coach Conroy’s Dead Poet Society”. Like his mentor at Warwick, Coach Conroy always delivers a fine finished product at the end. Great job at Divisions and don’t be surprised if Whitman will follow Frost’s lead and be Stomping through the Woods on a Snowy day in Plattsburgh.

8. Port Washington (prev. #8)

The pieces are coming together. They can put 4 runners under 17 minutes at Bethpage, and if anyone of their other guys can get under 18 they should return to states as a team. But, <in an evil voice> Section VIII is very deep this year and riding your hopes on a freshman and a couple of sophs can be scary as a haunted house on Halloween. And Marco and company... you must watch out for Indians who haunt the woods of Bethpage... this year they seem to be everywhere and they will scalp you if you're not looking.

9. Manhasset (prev. unranked)

These little Indians have been running well all season. At the Frosh/ Soph champs they had two of the top runners. And, like the melon keepers from Calhoun, they appear to be able to put 5 guys under 17 minutes. They have been racing easy and Big Chief Scott knows what it takes to bring a championship home

10. Connetquot (prev. unranked)

The Crew of B.O.B  is a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" organization. The T-Birds squeaked passed a man-down Shoreham team and significantly beat previously ranked Smithtown, Hills West, and Sachem North. Tyler Murtha is one tough runner and Krause has pedigree. Whether they can get up north remains to be seen, but they won’t surprise us again.

Seven in the waiting room on standby hoping for a ticket north

Smithtown

Half Hallow Hills West

Syosset

Sachem North

Massapequa

Kellenberg

Farmingdale

The Girls rankings will be out later this week

…and remember, if you' like to be heard, email the Madman NOW!!!