News and Announcements

2017 XC Videos and Photos

Posted by Christopher Miceli at Dec 3, 2017 4:56PM PST
image

Hi everyone,
I’ve uploaded the new 2017 cross country season videos and photos, and they can be viewed at http://famfare.org/v/2017+GXC+Videos/
You can find videos and photos from the past 4 seasons here… http://famfare.org
Enjoy!
Chris

image

We invite you to join us at our beautiful and challenging Tawasentha Park for the …
47th GUILDERLAND INTERNATIONAL XC INVITATIONAL
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2017

The prestigious Guilderland Invitational has hosted some of the best teams in Section 2 in NYS and the nation. It provides an exciting preview of the fall season! If you have plans for attending the NYS Federation Meet in November, then our course will prepare your runners, as the two courses are similar in terrain.

See the documents section to download more information!

image

Sarah graduated from Guilderland in 2015. In high school, she posted impressive times such as 18:03 at the Saratoga cross country course and 2:15.99 in the 800 m. Now she is running for Siena College and continues to exceed expectations. She won the 3000 m at the MAAC Championships this year with a time of 9:55.79! Sarah is a prime example of how far hard work can really get you.

What do you find most rewarding about running?
I think that running is very rewarding because it is a team sport as well as an individual sport. Everyone on the team can work hard and be successful no matter what level each runner is at. I love that success in running can be defined in many ways. Also, it is very rewarding to be able to reach both team goals and individual goals.

You have talked before about the mental aspect of racing. What do you do to prepare yourself mentally for a race?
I start mentally preparing for a race many days before. I flood my mind with positive thoughts to make myself more confident. I also try to visualize the race or think about possible outcomes. Thinking about the race before helps to stay calm and trust your training on race day.

What advice would you give someone who wants to take their running to the next level?
I think running at a higher level starts with having the right mental attitude. There’s always something more to work towards, and it’s possible to get there if you have purpose and a process. A good place to start is by setting high goals that seem scary to think about and very hard to achieve. This helps give a purpose to everyday training.

How has your past experience of running for Guilderland affected you?
The running program at Guilderland helped me to keep running at a high level in college. It is so important to have a team and coaches who support you and push you to be your best. I gained a lot of confidence and a good work ethic. That is what The Long Red Line is all about.

image

Maddie is a freshman sprinter who has scored a ton of points for Guilderland this indoor season. Her best times include 7.88 in the 55 meter dash, 26.5 in the 200 meter and 60.1 in the 400 meter. She is running very competitive times and she has a bright future ahead of her.

You ran cross country in 2015 so you know what distance running is like but I know you’ve said before that you prefer the shorter distances. What is it that you like about sprinting?
I like sprinting more because I like running at full speed with very little pacing. When I run more than 400 meters, I get bored easily and it’s not as fun for me because I feel there is more quick, explosive movement and power in a sprinting race. I am not good at pacing myself and I would rather run as fast as I can for a short period of time.

In the sprinting events, every millisecond counts. What little details have you worked on so that you can run as efficiently as possible?
I have worked a lot on my form to improve my times. Working on form will make you a more efficient runner and having the proper technique can increase your speed. Without that, you’re doing more work than you need to and you are tiring yourself out.

You did not participate in an organized sport this fall. How did you keep yourself in shape?
Throughout the summer and fall I would go to the gym to work out. I also had a personal trainer who worked with me on my endurance, my explosive power, my warm ups, my starts and my form to have me ready and well prepared for the indoor season.

Jordon is a sophomore jumper on the indoor team this year who has had a breakthrough season. He has set personal bests of 5-3 in the high jump, 17-4.5 in the long jump and 38-8 in the triple jump.

This season you’ve really had a breakthrough as a jumper. What did you do to get to that next level?
In the off-season, I’ve looked back at some of my previous performances and tried to correct some of my issues. I’ve also been trying to hit the gym as much as I can to get stronger and continuing to practice my technique. I think most importantly, is that I watch some of the better athletes in my event to see what others do differently or mastered to see it for myself. Recently I have also been watching Olympic performances in my events to see the best in the world and how they accomplish such great distances.

What are you most proud of about the season so far?
I think that just being able to go to all the big meets made me particularly happy like the Ithaca Bomber Invitational and the Dartmouth Relays. I never would have though when I started as a freshman that I would attend these large meets the juniors and seniors went to.

What goals do you have for the upcoming championship meets?
I’m really trying to shoot for 40 feet in the triple jump because 40 feet is the qualifying distance for State Qualifiers. I think if everything goes right and I don’t psych myself out, I’ll come close or even break 40 feet.

What makes the indoor team special?
I think our team is unique in the ways that everyone gets along very well and no one has real problems with one another. In practice, everybody is working exceptionally hard to become that much better of an athlete. No one (that I have seen) goofs of or cuts practices. We are a very competitive team that strives to become amazing in each event we do.

You participate in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Do you think this year round commitment has contributed to your success? If yes, in which ways?
I think it has in that cross country developed my stamina and endurance to keep pushing when I’m getting fatigued and exhausted. I think the combination of indoor and outdoor is a great benefit because there isn’t any large breaks if you do one sport or the other. It gives you lots of time to get your technique down and that much longer to improve.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to bring their performance to the next level?
I’d say that you should always work your absolute hardest during your training time and remember what you do outside of practice will carry over to your overall performance, good or bad.