Paul VI claims 200th straight win
Posted by Breton on September 15, 2007
Thursday, September 14, 2000
Paul VI claims 200th straight win
By Janet Paskin INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF SEWELL -
The boys’ cross-country team mastered yet another dual meet. This race was run at a moderate pace. As they stood on the starting line, the Paul VI boys’ cross-country runners looked like a yearbook picture from the 1970s, in old-fashioned, blue tank tops, each with a big white “P” on the front.
When they crossed the finish line, the runners continued a tradition set by vintage Paul VI boys’ cross-country teams: They won their 200th consecutive dual meet, a streak that extends to 1980.
“This is pretty special,” coach Joe Puleo said. “Very few teams in the country come close to 200 wins.”
The Eagles beat the Pennsauken Tech Tornados handily, 15-50, taking the top 13 places before a Pennsauken Tech runner crossed the finish line. They did not even run their fastest: Puleo kept the team at a six-minute-per-mile pace for the 3.2-mile course.
“It’s like an effort, but it’s not a race-pace effort,” Puleo said. “Realistically, these kids are trying to be one of the better teams in the country, so dual meets just serve as a workout.”
The Paul VI team started out in a pack, and the top runners stayed together throughout the course. As they neared the finish, they straightened out into a pre-ordered single-file line, with team captain Mike Ritchie leading the pack.
“We were excited, so we started out a little fast,” Ritchie said. Before the race, Puleo had told the team to run the six-minute pace, but that if it looked close at the two-mile mark, to pull out and win.
There was no need. Paul VI was cleanly ahead by the half-mile mark. When the Eagles calmly crossed the finish line, the top 11 runners were only three seconds apart.
“They’ve earned it,” Pennsauken Tech coach Maureen Hogan said. “I’m glad to see them getting the notoriety they deserve.”
Her own team, she said, was very young. By way of a pep talk, she told her runners it would be their toughest dual meet and the season would only get better.
Early this summer, Ritchie felt the same way about the Paul VI program. Matt Cieslik, the coach of the team since Ritchie was a freshman, had left Paul VI to work at Rosa International School in the Cherry Hill School District. The program was officially without a coach.
Cross-country runners abhor a vacuum. Ritchie took over. He ran practice through the summer and put together a team camp in the Poconos.
“The guys listened to everything I had to say, and we had everyone out on day one,” Ritchie said.
During the summer, Ritchie talked a lot about the team’s goal, the triple crown of cross-country: victories at the Eastern States meet, the state championships, and the Meet of Champions. The winning streak never crossed his mind.
“The streak was going to happen with or without a coach,” he said.
The results
Top finishers
1, Mike Ritchie, Paul VI, 19:29.21. 2, Francis Tinney, Paul VI, 19:29.47. 3, Kevin Penderghest, Paul VI, 19:29.83. 4, Andrew Rodgers, Paul VI, 19:30.21. 5, Rick Adams, Paul VI, 19:30.58. 6, Sal Maugeri, Paul VI, 19:30.90. 7, Kevin Cranston, Paul VI, 19:31.22. 8, Mike Busarello, Paul VI, 19:31.56. 9, Nick Ritchie, Paul VI, 19:31.85. 10, Joe DeChristy, Paul VI, 19:32.22
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