After a performance at Parochial States that left all involved a bit unsatisfied, three seniors made the trek up to Sunken Meadows for the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Meet. For those unaware, the Eagles finished 4th at States with no one qualifiying for Meet of Champions. A sure disappointment but definitely a lesson learned.
So the trio of seniors had unfinished business in going to New York. The results? Impressive!
Mike Rankin and Brian Walter toed the line in the Seeded Race, one comprised of the best high school harriers in the Northeast, and both gave it all they had. Mike finished in 24th place, grabbing All-Northeast honors, something Paul VI hasn’t seen in a long time. He ran arguably the toughest course on the East Coast (possibly even in the nation) in 16:37, showing that his State performance was well behind him. He was the 6th fastest from New Jersey, narrowly missing the All-NJ team. Brian finished a respectable 82nd after taking a stab at the top 30 early on. An end to a great season for both. They’ll take this momentum into the winter and spring seasons, both of which are shaping up to be very promising.
Go here for video of the race in which you get more than a couple glimpses for Brian and Mike in action.
Rich McKean then toed the line a couple hours later for the Senior Race. Five-thousand meters later, Rich had himself All-Northeast honors as well, finishing 23rd in a large, competitive field. A fitting end to a strong year for a runner that has done everything he could for Paul VI XC each time out.
Please join me in congratulating all three on wonderful XC careers. We certainly, as coaches, couldn’t be more proud. We only hope that they will continue on in college!
ON TO TRACK!
Please join me in saying congratulations to Mike, Brian, and Rich.
