If you want to know what Coach Z and Coach Infa were like in high school, here you go. The best part about this week's Take 3 with Z is that Maggie Vessey turns the tables and makes them blush for once.

 Boston College will host its first ever ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the world renowned Reggie Lewis Center in Boston from Thursday, Feb. 23 to Saturday, Feb. 25. The meet, which is open to the public, kicks off on Thursday at 12 p.m. with the pentathlon and heptathlon. Events start at 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Hibernation is over and the best athletes in the region have awoken from their mid-season performance slumber to post some amazing marks in last week’s state championships. Topping the list again is Precious Holmes of Hillhouse High School (CT) who posted a US#1 time of 1:31.23 in the 600m and a US#2 time of 38.56 in the 300m at the Connecticut State Open Championships.

Precious Holmes of Hillhouse High School absolutely scorched the field and crushed the meet record with a US#1 time of 1:31.23.  The old record was 1:35.06 set back in 2008 by Annelies Gamble of Amity High School, and Holmes was previously ranked US#1 when she ran 1:32.61 at the SCC Coaches Invitational last month.  Holmes set another meet record when she crossed the line in the 300m.  Her 38.56 surpassed the 1996 record of 39.17 set by Shayla Wallace of Northwest Catholic. Holmes’ 300m time is currently US#2.

NEW HAVEN -- The Staples High School boys track and field team rode "the horse" to the CIAC State Open Championship on Saturday afternoon at the Floyd Little Athletic Center, according to head coach Laddie Lawrence. Junior Henry Wynne is that horse, and he won the 1,000 meters, and was part of two first-place relays to lead the Wreckers to their first State Open title in more than 20 years. (via www.thehour.com)

Behind record-setting performances from Precious Holmes in the 300 meters and the 600 meters, the Academics captured their first State Open title since 2008 by scoring 74 points to beat Windsor (34) and Glastonbury (34 3/4). It was the sixth State Open title for Hillhouse. (via Courant.com)

Live results will be available for all of the CIAC Open Championships scheduled for this weekend thanks to the tremendous efforts of Northeast Sports Timing. 

The Sheehan track program has a strong history and has produced state champions and Division I athletes at quite a good clip lately. The Titans added another pair of each on Tuesday night as Tara Lee nabbed the indoor track Class M shot put championship and Tommy Lupoli took home the Class M crown in the 1,000 meters. (via MyRecordJournal.com)

Coach Z breaks all the rules in this installment of Take 3-with-Z featuring professional runner Anna Pierce.  For once, he actually asks serious questions, and then he sneaks in a fourth question that clearly jinxed the Patriots and should be blamed for their demise.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former Connecticut high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Connor Rog has been garnering a massive amount of headlines this year, and with good reason.  The Fairfield Prep senior earned a trip to the Foot Locker National Championships in December, was named the Gatorade Runner of the Year for Connecticut in January, and was recently invited to compete in the prestigious Millrose Games Mile. Life is rapidly changing for Connor as the milestones of his senior year begin to accumulate in the rearview mirror.   Despite the hectic schedule required to be a top tier student-athlete, Connor has agreed to chronicle his experiences for MileSplit CT in a series we are calling the “Rog Blog”.    

Hillhouse won the Class M boys championship with 46 points overEast Lyme (38) and New Fairfield (31). It was the Academics third Class M title since 2008. (via Courant.com)

Buoyed by two second-place finishes by senior Joya Helander, the Tigers placed sixth overall with 22 points. Darien (72.5) edged Windsor (71) for the title.  (via Connecticut weekly Newspaper)

  The class and division meets highlighted a relatively stable week in the New England rankings.  The field events took center stage this week as Dakota Dailey-Harris continues to improve on her Rhode Island state record in the high jump, and Jake Scinto begins his post-season push in the long jump.

Northwest Catholic boys head coach Pat Williamson darted back and forth between the scorer's table and his team, wanting to deliver good news. His team was in the lead, but knew they could be caught. (via Courant.com)

A 'team effort' can be used as a cliché but the words ring true for the Staples High boys indoor track team.  Veteran head coach Laddie Lawrence received input from his assistant coaches and athletes on who to use in certain events and the strategy paid off tenfold with the 2011-2012 Class LL state championship Thursday night at the Floyd Little Athletic Center. (via www.thehour.com)

McKenzie Hollenbaugh is not a fan of the 300 meters.She's doesn't enjoy it and she's not going to start anytime soon. It's just not her race.But Thursday, with Glastonbury battling Greenwich for the... (via Hartford Courant)

he Simsbury indoor track and field team wasn’t going to capture any Class LL state championships on Thursday evening at the Floyd Little Athletic Center, but Trojan head coach Mike Cohen got plenty of effort out of his athletes.  (via www.foothillsmediagroup.com)

Conference track and field stars Abby Markowitz of Greenwich and Henry Wynne of Staples have been named the latest MSG Varsity’s FCIAC Players of the Week. (via www.fciac.net)

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former Connecticut high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Two of New England’s best distance runners were invited to participate in the prestigious Millrose Games Mile on Saturday at 9:14pm.  Mike Marsella (Chariho, RI) and Connor Rog (Fairfield Prep, CT) will battle ten other athletes from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for regional bragging rights. 

It was a high profile week in New England, with New Balance sponsoring two elite events geared towards assembling some of the fastest fields on the East Coast.  Thankfully for track fans, both events delivered as promised.

Dan Cardin led the Norwich Free Academy boys to their third straight ECC Large Indoor Track Championship on Saturday at Coast Guard Academy in New London. The Wildcats girls team won their fifth straight title. (via http://www.norwichbulletin.com)

After 12 of the 15 events had been completed at the South-West Conference indoor track and field championships on Saturday night, the Immaculate High girls held a slim one-point lead over Newtown at the top of the team scores. (via NewsTimes)

  Thanks to the hard work of Steve Infascelli, James Rooney, and Greg Zopatti, MileSplitMass will be bringing fans a series of candid videos from the meet.  This lighthearted look at life beyond the lines of the oval truly shows the passion and enthusiasm these three coaches have for the sport they love.  In this first set of videos we learn what proper wam-up attire is, get Super Bowl picks from the pros, and find out what position David Oliver would play if he was on the Patriots roster. 

The energy was palpable Saturday night at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts as a handpicked field of elite athletes from all levels of the sport thrilled the capacity crowd with photo finishes and mid-race drama.  But, you are bound to get some amazing races when you take a group of high school athletes, put them in a room with their idols, pack a building full of over 4,000 fans, and then turn on the TV cameras.

With such standouts as Kellie Davis, Precious Holmes and Brianna Sims, it would be easy for the Hillhouse girls’ indoor track team to focus on those individual performers. But both players and coaches know that it takes a team effort to win championships. (via New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, CT)

INDOOR TRACk & FIELD: Staples snaps Danbury's five-year run as FCIACchamps The Staples High School boys indoor track & field team won the FCIAC Championship, snapping a string of five consecutive league titles by the Danbury High boys. (via NewsTimes)

A stacked field has been assembled for both mile races, and the addition of the boys 4x800m and girls 4x400m has given high school track fans even more to cheer for.  The Reggie Lewis Center track is considered a relatively fast surface, and if athletes get after it early, we may see some jaw dropping times.

Veteran Windsor High School track coach Ron Wilson has a fresh group of determined young women making 2012 the year Warrior indoor track and field burns up the records books. (via ReminderNews)

WILTON, Conn. – Wilton's Brynn Parsons and Kafesha Thomas saved the best for last in the Colgate Women's Games series by finishing third and fifth respe ... (via The Daily Wilton)

One of the deepest and most talented recruiting classes in program history is set to join the Penn men's track and field team for the 2012-13 campaign. (via PennAthletics.com)

Wynne got a lot of mileage on his sneakers Saturday and had a stronger hegemony over middle to long distance events than Henry VIII had over Great Britain in leading the Wreckers to the FCIAC Western Division title at the Staples fieldhouse. Senior captain Max Hoberman, classmate Dean Hefnawy, junior Walker Marsh and senior captain Jon Heil carried the 4x400 meter relay team to victory (3:35.48).   (via Westport News)

Chariho High School set a lofty standard for the week when their 4x800m relay team cruised past the Rhode Island state record of 8:04.09 set in 2009 by South Kingstown.  The team of Drew Turner (2:02.4), Dan Kilcoyne (15:58.7), Bryce Kelley (1:58.6), and Mike Marsella (1:54.6) combined for a US#2 time of 7:54.3 to win the Charles Sweeney Last Chance meet.  They are the only team in New England to break the 8 minute barrier this season, but a slew of teams from the region have already run under 8:10.

Redman, who guided the Manchester boys track and field team to its first state title since World War II, will be honored at the 71st annual Gold Key Dinner on April 29 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.'  (via Manchester Patch')

David Oliver trains at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World in Orlando with famed coach Brooks Johnson. He focuses on the fundamentals while looking toward the London Olympic Games. (via MileSplit United States)

New  York NY - The mile is a classic distance.  About 8 meters longer than the now standard 1600m, the mile recently has seen a movement encouraging its' return.  There is even a website dedicated to this very thing, petitioning high school sports to return to the classic distance.  And if there ever was any indication that the mile was still alive, the fields for the mile at the upcoming US Open and Millrose would be it.  See if your favorite made the cut. (via MileSplit New York)

Meet directors of the New Balance Grand Prix announced the high school fields on Wednesday afternoon, with the boys and girls mile races highlighting the prep action.  In years past, the race has focused on athletes from New England and the New York Metro area, but this year’s field has expanded to include athletes from as far away as North Carolina. 

Bloomfield boys indoor track and field coach Garfield White doesn't like taking anybody from the sport they love.That's not his job.  But the championship winning track coach does make sure to remind those athletes of one thing......(via Courant.com)

Show stopping relays were the order of the week with the Yale Track Classic and the Massachusetts Division meets providing ample competition to tear apart the rankings.  Some teams, like Marshfield (MA), had the luxury of doing both.  They participated in the MSTCA Division 2 Relays last weekend, and then traveled to Yale Friday where they unleashed a US#1 DMR time of 10:17.40.  That group was anchored by Joel Hubbard who split 4:14 for his mile leg.

CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade  Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Connor Rog of Fairfield College Preparatory School as its  2011-12 Gatorade Connecticut Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Rog is the first Gatorade Connecticut Boys  Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Fairfield College Preparatory School.  

  Connor Rog of Fairfield Prep was recognized as one of the best distance runners on the East Coast today when it was announced today that he has qualified for the Millrose Mile.  The prestigious event will take place on February 11th at the Armory in New York and MileSplit will have full coverage of all the action.

The Mile holds a special place in Track & Field and beyond. No running distance, or field event for that matter, has the history, the appeal, the “magic” of the Mile. The first sub-4 minute mile by Great Britain’s Roger Bannister in 1954 is regarded as the greatest individual athletic achievement of the 20th century, and no other event has produced an equivalent of the sub-4 minute mile standard in the sport, in the media and in the public’s mind.

The DMR was king on Friday with eight teams entering the US top ten.  The Tatnall (DE) girls posted a US#2 time of 11:44.02 to lead a very talented field of challengers, and the Marshfield boys are now US#1 with their winning time of 10:17.40.

Women's track and field freshman Lindsay Crevoiserat (Glastonbury, Conn.) has been named the BIG EAST Track Athlete of the Week as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon. (via www.uconnhuskies.com)

 It was a self-proclaimed breakout year for Amity senior Clark Shurtleff during the 2010-11 indoor track season. Shurtleff placed second in the 1,600 meters at both the Class LL state championship meet and at the State Open, earning him Register All-Area honors in the process.  (via Connecticut weekly)

  Jake Feinstein burst onto the scene last spring when he posted a 4:18.79 at the Danbury Dream Mile.  The time catapulted the Newton sophomore into the national rankings, and by the end of the year, he would rank 20th in the country for his class.  2012 appears to be just as promising.  Feinstein opened the season with a solid showing at the Millrose Games Trials and then posted an impressive double at the SCC Coaches Invitational. 

If it seems like Precious Holmes is mentioned in the New England rankings each week, you are right.  The Hillhouse (CT) junior continued her increasingly impressive streak with a US#2 time in the 300m (39.09), and a US#1 time in the 600m (1:32.61) at the SCC Coaches Invitational.  Both marks are also new state records.

BOSTON (Jan 17) – Distance star Galen Rupp and high hurdler David Oliver, both American Record-Holders, have confirmed their participation in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 4th, organizers announced today.

77 MileSplit National Elite marks were established at the very competitive SCC Coaches Invitational on Saturday.  Sarah Gillespie, Precious Holmes, and the Bloomfield 4x400 meter relay team continued their assault on the national rankings, posting top ten marks.

Joseph Velez of Classical High School continues his national dominance in the weight throw.  He was joined in the national rankings by fellow Rhode Island star Dakota Daily-Harrris of La Salle Academy who cleard 5'8" in the high jump for the second time this season.

Ryan Bak, a Suffield native and 2003 Trinity College graduate who lives in Bend, Oregon, will run in the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials Saturday (8 a.m.) in Houston. He is one of three runners from Connecticut to compete — Shannon McHale, 40, of Simsbury will run in the women's race; and Lucas Meyer, 28, of Ridgefield, will line up with Bak. (via Courant.com)  

CHICAGO (January 12, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN HS, today announced Reid Watson of Glastonbury High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Watson is the first Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Glastonbury High School. 

Florida’s men and Oregon’s women, both two-time defending NCAA Division I indoor track & field national champions, begin the 2012 season in familiar territory – as the nation’s No. 1 teams. The preseason national team computer rankings as calculated by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) projects the Gators and Ducks as the early paper favorites based largely on performance bests from returners. (via USTFCCCA)

When Carla Forbes enters the New England rankings she does it with a splash.  The Newton North junior was launching huge jumps at the Dartmouth Relays this past weekend, and her stellar performances that day resulted in a NE#1 ranking in both the long jump (19’4”) and the triple jump (40’10”).  Nationally, she is now ranked US#1 in the triple jump and US#3 in the long jump.  A key component to her success is runway speed, and Forbes demonstrated her aptitude with a NE#3 time of 7.31; finishing as the top American at Dartmouth.

For sixteen years, New England track fans have come to expect the world’s best middle distance and distance runners to go head-to-head on the oval at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.  This year those same fans will get an added treat.  On Feb. 4, the world’s top long sprinter, Kirani James, will take to the track at 400m at the 2012New Balance Indoor Grand Prix , organizers announced today.

Defending State Open and Class S champion in the 300 meters. … Ran 40.85 in the 300 meters as a junior after running track for just two seasons. … Ran anchor leg for Bloomfield's State Open winning 4x400 relay team last season. Team also earned All-America status after finishing fourth at Nationals, where it set a Connecticut record.  (via Courant.com)  

Jacob Edwards, originally of North Stonington, competed in the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 20 and finished 38th of 10,315 finishers in 2 hours, 38 minutes, 10 seconds. Edwards is the grandson of late former Boston Marathon champ Johnny Kelley of Mystic.

  The Dartmouth Relays is traditionally the first major invitational with regional implications. Teams from all six New England states are slated to participate, in addition to teams from New York and Canada.  MileSplit will follow all the action from the two day event, updating this page with the most recent performances.

Peter Rufo has made another impressive contribution to MileSplitMass and uploaded hundreds of photos from the MSTCA Holiday Challenge.  The photos from the meet can be found on the meet page, and you can purchase prints without the watermark at photos.peterrufo.com. They make great presents.

Two weeks ago we launched a New England rankings feature that allows fans to consolidate the stats from all six regional states.  Now, the same can be done for the meet calendar.  Both features are part of our expanded coverage of the region and can be accessed from any of the New England state sites. 

It was a big week for athletes from New England as an elevated level of competition at several major invitationals catapulted many to the top of the national rankings. 

Although there are exceptions, collegiate athletes generally have five years to get in four seasons of cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Stretching an athlete's college career to five years can be beneficial for both the program and the runner--no matter if it's an NCAA contender or a hardworking up-and-comer--but there are plenty of variables to consider, including age, history of wellness, finances and even gender. (via Running Times)

Cheverus senior distance standout Emily Durgin has decided to continue her running career at the University of Connecticut. Durgin who is one of the finest high school distance runner ever to run in the state, had a great 4 career that saw her finish as the Class A state runner-up 3x in XC, as well as winning 2 New England XC titles, and never finishing lower than 3rd. Emily was also a 2009 Footlocker National finalist. (via MaineTrackXC)

  A personal best in the 25-pound weigh throw with the nation’s No. 1 distance, a near state mark in the 55-meter dash and a back-and-forth duel for first place in the long jump.  There was a select group of Rhode Island athletes that made their way to the victory stand at the annual R.I. Classic Track & Field Invitational on Dec. 28. And the few that did certainly made their presence known inside the confines of the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house.

It was a record breaking day on Tuesday at the Boston Holiday Challenge, with more to come on Thursday when the Holiday Qualifier takes over the Reggie Lewis Center.  

The 25th Annual New England Interscholastic Boys' and Girls' Indoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Roxbury Community College, MA.  Included are coach, athlete, and spectator instructions from the meet management.

Dual meet season is underway, and several large invitationals took place last weekend.  Although there will be a lull in the action over the holiday weekend, the rankings will most likely be upended when the Boston Holiday Challenge and Rhode Island Classic take place early next week. 

Rick Mitton had a successful eight-year tenure coaching track and field at Lyman Memorial High School. In his first year, he had 20 runners, compared with 80 by the time he left Lyman this year to take over as girls indoor track coach at Bacon Academy. (via http://www.norwichbulletin.com)

WILTON, Conn. - Brynn Parsons and Kafesha Thomas of the Connecticut Elite Track and Field Club opened the Colgate Women's Games in Brooklyn, N.Y. with a couple of outstanding performances.  (via www.thedailywilton.com)

Griswold's Alyssa Brehler earned All-New England honors by finishing 12th in the regional championship in 18 minutes, 51 seconds, the top Connecticut finisher. She is The Day's 2011 All-Area Girls' Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

In this second episode of The Fit Runner our host is Tara Gidus, aka the "Diet Diva" and nutritionist to the Orlando Magic. She gives us some solid meal and hydration ideas for before, after, and during a run. This is the latest episode in our series on being a fit runner. (via MileSplit United States)

The 10th Annual New Haven Invitational signaled the start of major invitational action in Connecticut, and several prominent athletes from last year picked up right where they left off.  It was record breaking first day at the Floyd Little Athletic Center as the Varsity athletes were on center stage Friday evening.

Old Lyme senior Nick Walker won the Shoreline Conference championship for the first time and made a name for himself, finishing 13th in the State Open to qualify for the New England meet. He's The Day's 2011 Boys' Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Griswold sophomore Alyssa Brehler was born with athletic ability. Growing up, Brehler was a standout  in soccer, basketball, and softball. She had never tried track and field until the seventh grade.  It was when her friends had told her about their enjoyment with the sport  that she decided to test it out herself. She quickly found out how good she was and says she then had a decision to make.

Runner of the Year Connor Rog (Fairfield Prep) won the State Open (15:22), Class LL (15:51) and SCC (15:59) championships ... Helped the Jesuits win the State Open, Class LL and SCC Quinnipiac division titles and finish third at the SCC championships ... Was runner-up at the New England championship (15:27) and 18th at the national championship in San Diego (15:35) ... All-Northeast, All-New England, All-State, All-SCC ... Will run at North Carolina.  (via Connecticut Post)

Runner of the Year Caroline Koenig (Staples High School) was fifth in Class LL (19:52) .... Finished 10th at the FCIAC championships (15:30) ... Placed 21st at the State Open (19:33) ... Was the top regional finisher at the New England meet (19:42) ... All-FCIAC first team.  Coach of the Year Ed Lucas (Oxford High School) led the Wolverines to the Class SS championship and 11th place at the State Open ... Posted an 11-win season, the most wins in a single season for any Oxford varsity sport. (via Connecticut Post)

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting any of the track and field greats you will notice that they all exhibit one common trait; a compulsive desire to be successful.  The same can be said about the greats of any industry, but in sports it plays-out in the public eye. 

After back-to-back second place finishes in the Class S championship in indoor and outdoor track, Northwest Catholic feels it has the personnel and talent to bring home its first indoor track title. (via Hartford Courant)

 Michelle Grecni (Danbury, Conn.) of the Southern Connecticut State University women's indoor track and field team was named Field Rookie of the Week by the Northeast-10 Conference for the second week in a row.  (via www.southernctowls.com)

For 25 years, men's cross countryhead coach Jim Butler has looked forward to 4:30 p.m. as his favorite time of day.Butler, who thrives in his full-time position as director of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments in nearby Norwich, knows that late afternoon hour signifies the start of cross country practice and the opportunity to work with his extended family, the talented harriers of Connecticut College.  (via www.conncoll.edu)

Cheserek held off a late charge by Zeinasellassie after a back and forth battle nearly the whole way.  Seidel was able to make a break with 300 to go after Finn led the race for close to 2.5 miles.  Great races all around from all the athletes!  (Photo by Don Rich)

The girls race at Foot Locker Nationals is a little more wide open than the boys race, but there are still a handful of girls at the top who will be difficult to beat.  The top 3 returners from last year have all had great seasons and have proven they can race well under the pressure at Balboa Park.  (via MileSplit United States)

One of Connecticuts' top distance runners Connor Rog talks about his high school career, preparation for Foot Locker Nationals this weekend, and his plans to run collegiately at the University of North Carolina.

The boys race at Foot Locker Nationals has the potential to be a very special event.  The course record of 14:36 at Balboa Park has been held by Reuben Reina since 1985.  This record is in serious jeopardy as both Edward Cheserek (NJ) and Futsum Zenasellassie (IN) have been consistently under 15 minutes this year.  Photos by Victah Sailor/Photorun.net.  Center Photo by Don Rich.

The holidays bring cold weather, friends, and best of all….. eggnog.  It's a frightening combination for the members of the BYU cross country team.  For some unknown reason, the annual tradition is practiced all over the country, but the one that takes place in Provo, Utah, is one of the best. Many have tried and failed, as gastrointestinal fortitude trumps running ability in this disgusting display of “talent”.

SIMSBURY — Indoor track is not always taken seriously by runners, parents or even coaches. Tell that to Simsbury’s Mike Cohen.The longtime boys cross country and boys outdoor track at Simsbury High School, Cohen took over the reigns of the indoor track team when it was formed at SHS six years ago.He lives and breathes Trojan running, and it’s growing on the school’s student-athletes as the winter season approaches. (via Northwestern Connecticut Newspapers)

Even by the lofty standards by which it has set for itself, the Guilford girls' cross-country team had another banner season in 2011. The Indians continued to show why for nearly the last two decades they have been a staple in postseason championships and the measuring stick surely almost all other programs compare themselves to. (via www.theday.com)  

It all starts Saturday with Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker West Regionals. (via MileSplit United States)

Foot Locker Regionals take place in the North, Southeast and Midwest.  NXN Regionals in the Northeast, New York and Southeast. (Photo by Don Rich) (via MileSplit United States)

Inset photo by Errol Anderdon.  NEW YORK - Track & Field will return to the country's premier sports and entertainment venue for the 99th year on Saturday, January 28, when the U.S. Open Track & Field at Madison Square Garden kicks off USA Track & Field's 2012 Visa Championship Series, USATF announced Thursday. 

Alyssa Brehler played all kinds of sports when she was younger – soccer, softball, basketball. But when she hit the track for the first time in seventh grade, something magical happened. (via ReminderNews)

Elle Purrier of Richford, VT led from the gun, and never looked back as she broke the course record on the Ponaganset covered bridge trial 5k course. Purrier covered the layout in 18:01. The time was 13 seconds better than the course record held by former RI state champion Jeanne Mack of LaSalle. On the boys side, Mike Marsella of Chariho used his home course advantage to hold off a strong effort from Conor Rog of Fairfield Prep, CT to claim the title with a 15:26 clocking with Rog just one second back. US #22 Champlain Valley, VT repeated as champions by tallying 112 points to defeat runner-up LaSalle Academy by 43. On the Boys side US #39 Bishop Hendricken claimed the NE title once again with 4 in the top 50. Hendricken tallied 116, 56 points in front of runner-up Fairfield Prep, CT.

US#1 Julie Macedo and US#8 Haley Pierce battled each other relentlessly in Delaware this past weekend, with Haley collapsing and Julie finishing 2nd after staggering close to the finish.  US#4 Grace Tinkey is back and won a state title with the only sub-18 time on the day.  US#6 Erin Finn won her state title in MI and looks poised for a great championship season ahead.  US#7 Katie Knight blasted a 17:10 5k in WA to win a state title and run the fastest time in the state by far.  Full updates on each athletes recent accomplishments are below.  Be sure to click on each athletes name to see times, articles, photos and interviews of each athlete if available.  

New England has weathered a freak early season storm, but its disruptive nature has created lasting implications for the New England Championships.  Power outages and muddy conditions across the region wreaked havoc on the post season in many of the participating states. As a result, getting a true sense of the race depth is difficult because of the modifications made to many of the traditional qualifying courses, and the postponement of the Connecticut State Open Championships to November 8th.  But it’s the unknown that makes this sport so exciting.

The 77th New England Championships will feature the top female harriers from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, & Connecticut battling it out for regional supremacy. With several All-NE selection returning the quality up front will be top notch will a handful of girls with a real shot to run away with the NE championship. Look for RI state champ Molly Keating (LaSalle Academy, RI) , 2009 NE champ & 2x runner-up Emily Durgin (Cheverus, ME), Courtney Hawkins (Milford, NH) the NH MOC champion, Elle Purrier (Richford, VT) the D3 State champion & 4th place finisher from 2011, & Reid Watson (Glastonbury, CT) the CT State Open champion & 2x All-NE selection to be a few to contend for the top spot. Teamwise, (US #22) Champlain Valley, VT the defending champions will be the team to beat as they shoot to repeat, expect strong challenges from two team from Rhode Island, Barrington & LaSalle Academy, along with Maine champs Cheverus, NH Champs Coe-Brown Academy & CT Champs Ridgefield.

Check out Milesplit's coverage of the 77th New England HS XC Championships

I am not the truly gifted.  In fact, I might be the complete opposite.  My gangly frame and choppy stride are stark contrasts to idealistic vision the sport places on a pedestal.  I was not created in a lab; rather, I was forged on the road by the scorching summer sun and the hammer of the endless asphalt.  The genetic lottery ticket I hold is the product of two equally unathletic parents, and any perceived talent I may display is the most certainly the product of hard work.  But don’t feel sorry for me, because I know that my team’s success often rests in my hands.