Topic: SECTION XI FAN

I am a pretty regular visitor to sites like Dyestat, tullyrunners, armoryfoundation, flotrack, letsrun, etc. and I can confidently say that no body has run 4:00 this year. It would be national news because that would be a 4:01 full mile. That was definitely a typo. Jon is a great runner, very talented and he is a great kid, but I don't think it would be doubting his abilities by suggesting that is a typo.

Newsday previews are out for the season. 

      I think it is a complete 100 percent turn around from newsday on what they have been doing since the very end of cross country and the track season.   I do however feel there could have been more on track but on all sports even the big ones like baseball and lacrosse.  We can't complain because we did have 2 pages when the majority of spring sports weren't even listed.  I also can't complain since I have 2 family members in those high school athletes to watch pages. Congrats to you the both of you(very proud of you two) and everyone else thats on there.   I think Newsday is making changes and is definitely moving in the right direction.  I also think that is because of us, all of our calls and emails to Newsday and all the blogs we posted and boycotting we mentioned.  We had a big hand in the changes I believe and it also could be with Newsday changing hands with new owners and some of the top sports writers leaving but We need to continue to push for the sports we love and for all High School sports.   We need to continue to work hard at everything schools, sports, family, and pushing for respect. 

     We got about the same as the big sports of baseball, softball, and lacrosse so we can't complain about Sunday's paper. I was looking yesterday and was going to send a blog on here but didn't want to start trouble.lol  But Brooke Johnson is a talented Junior not soph.

       There was a few good meets yesterday. Great job to anyone who ran in them.  Great job as well to anyone at the Bayshore Invitational.  It was a tad bit cold and windy but a good meet. Runners from all over the island and NYC.  Another meet that is always organized and well run.   The best thing about this meet is that they give out medals to 1st and 2nd for all the heats.  It is good for the younger athletes or the athletes who are not the best of the best to get GOLD once and awhile.   It always helps to show all the kids their hard work pays off even if they aren't the counties best.   Bayshore families were everywhere selling clothing, at the foodstand, giving out medals, keeping times and making everything run smooth.  Great job to them as well. They were also there cheering on their runners as well.

       Like I have said great teams have great coaches but when I see a full turn out from familes all the time I know first hand that makes a different for the kids.  SWR is another team that always has a whole cheering section.  Way to go to the whole Bayshore Fam for your invitational yesterday. 

It turns out they zoned the issues...The Suffolk edition of Newsday got the Suffolk track preview and Nassau got just the Nassau teams.  

 According to http://sectionviiixctf.com Baldwin is AAA. Unless Baldwin's enrollment dropped dramatically, I don't see why they would be an AA team...

  I had been wondering about the AA and AAA as I mentioned in my earlier blog and was corrected. I went back and deleted it out just in case I was wrong.  If it is that easy for me to correct all of my mistakes that are typed online then it can easily be changed the next day for writers such as Newsday.  I thought that Nassau did it in confererences and suffolk in leagues and when the class AA, A, B, C, and D came in that it was the same as cross country.  Thanks for the assistance.       

         MC FAN, Thanks again for your support and compliments all the time and hey your team did get some print and a 3rd ranking isn't exactly what I would call horrible.  Longwood and Brentwood are two very good track teams.  2 pages is a great start and everyone will do fine but I think it is going to be tough offsetting the throws, and distance races that Longwood has and throws and sprints of Brentwood but thats another reason why we compete to find out and have fun.

          Good Luck to Your Team and You in 08 and everyone else in 08 for that matter but always remember opinions are that, a person's belief, view, or judgement and rankings are just another way a person states their opinion.  So ultimately it proves nothing and that is just another reason we compete.  You could use it as a match to light the fire and look at it with your teammates before practices everyday.  So just make sure everyone leaves it all out on the field and you do the very best that you can do.

  Your right but Kyle does deserve his own page. NYS XC County Champ, Class A state champ, 2nd at FEDS, one of top Footlockers Northeast runners. NYS, Fed, and national 1600 champ and could have won the 2 mile of the 1000 I believe.   You are right though about the other page in saying its the same stuff. I am sure you runners could have written just as much.  Thing is You all did get 2 pages and they tried to put in as many runners and teams in that page as possible.  I think thats a great thing and I am glad we received two pages.  Keep posting everyday posts and running great and things will change like they already are changing now.....

FYI: 3/25   mc 80-brentwood 37      3/31  mc96-patmed36   I figured that just maybe MC scores should show up somewhere in Newsday since they refuse to print them. I e-mailed the editor about this last year and wasted my time. I guess it's up to me to post these scores. MC vs Floyd on 5/13 at Newfield should be a war. Be there!!

       For some reason they only post maybe a few dual meets a week. I have emailed numerous people myself about that.  They will first tell you that thats not their sports, gender, or area, then when you find the right people the supposedely don't get the information fast enough and then when the information is sent right away there is no response and they say they weren't around and onto other things.  I am not going to say it is just Newsday because I know sometimes the results are not called in and/or called in days later.  Only thing you can do is keep trying.

                I have seen some of the blogs we typed on here have bits and pieces show up in their articles and papers the very next day.  Maybe it is just a coincidence but either way its worth a shot and its still listed somewhere.  

                Thats a big win over Brentwood!!!!!! Congrats to you guys from MC.   I told you that MC, Floyd, and Brentwood would suprise some people but not me but keep it up because every team is good and on any day a good team can be great, so no let ups. Goodluck the rest of the season. Should be a great meet on the 13th and its going to be a fight for the League 1 title for the boys. 

                For the girls I have to say it is between Longwood, Sachem East, and Ward Melville, this year in League 1.  Longwood girls won leagues last two years and Counties last year. They beat Ward Melville in the first dual meet of the spring track season 80-61, this year so they are up right now with Sachem East who is 2-0. 

      MCFAN I do feel for you as well, especially when a page of the sports section is devoted to a convicted felon.  Last year when the NCAA basketball went off there was a player from the Florida Gators by the name of Corey Brewer, now playing professionally whose father could not see his son play live because of his health and the loss of both of his legs. Corey had a great career and a major game in the win over the Ohio State Buckeyes for the National Championship and dedicated it to his father and there was barely a line about it from Newsday. 

      So this year Newsday does an article on a father and son.  I am not naming names it is easy to find out who if you want.  If you play sports, read the paper, or watch TV you most likely know who.  The problem I have is giving this man a full page when there are a million other people who should be on that page before him.  This man was a coach and gym teacher at a school in suffolk county (town that he lives in) and was arrested for conspiracy to distribute hundreds of kilos of cocaine all across this country as part of a major drug ring.  I think first it is a disgrace that he was involved in any type of drug dealing being a man, father, teacher, and coach. It is even more of a disgrace that this article was written by Newsday like readers should feel for this man.  Disgusting and Unacceptable. Also a disgrace that he is still not incarcerated.   Good example for the kids Newsday.

        IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE.  IT STARTS WITH EVERYONE OF YOU ATHLETES.

           One of my biggest complaints when it comes to cross country and track is the discipline.  In all other sports, you do not miss practice and never a meet unless for major family type disturbances/deaths and things of that nature.   I see runners miss races or heats because they werent paying attention, disrespecting coaches, missing practices, and meets with no repercussions.  If your hurt and you go to school then you should be going to practice and helping your team and coach or icing, elevating, and streteching, or studying.   Coming to meets on your own or Leaving meets before they are over, whats that about?  Last I heard XC and Track were team sports.  Ride the bus like a team and be there for your teammates because you may be the only one cheering for them since we don't draw the biggest crowds.    

           I respect this sport more than most people but ask the football players, wrestlers, or basketball players what happens when they miss practice or if they missed a match or quarter of play, or leave the game or meet before its over and see what the coach does to them, if they are even still on the team.

    Things must change and everyone must change.  BE PROUD AND TAKE PRIDE IN ALL YOU DO. GIVE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME.

      Once again. Congratulations to anyone and all of you that made Newsday All Long Island. Thats two seasons in a row the did it. Newsday has made a major turn around from the past few seasons.  Seems all sports are finally getting some recognition.  Wish we could add more athletes for all sports since track has more than a few events and a lot more runners than other sports but have to say Newsday did a great job and hopefully will continue to grow. 

      I know theres a few we could ask why they aren't on it but I think that Newsday did a good job. I know Turek, Mellor, Garden City girls, Lipari's, Tassone, Kellenberg bros, 8th grade long jumper Caryll from sachem, a few SWR girls, Bobby Andrews, Bloomburg, Kearns, Nilsson, Holland, Signoretti and a few others all could argue for it as well. So That will be Second team All Long Island. 

      Most of the ones above are underclassman so you have plenty more seasons and for the Seniors you have one left, so give it your all, work hard, do your best, and be proud.

        Very proud of all of you.  For the one that texted me(Family) Two weeks ago great job. When I received that text I was so proud and that was the best text I have received in the last month.  I told you in the summer it would all pay off. You started out rough in xc too and look how great that turned out.    Great job.   You started out slow and when we talked I told you stay cool and relax and give your all and it worked out for you. 

        Ive been to many races since I last blogged and I would have to say the best two performances I have seen were today at the Derrick Adkins Invitational. 

    In the Girls 1500 Emily Lipari ran away from the field early and then blew it wide open at the end like she was doing a 100 Meter race. She ran an unbelieveable time of 4:37.  Based on the Armory that puts Emily in first in NYS by more than 11 seconds to the nearest competitor. It also would put her No 1 in the USA based on Dyestats top rankings posted on todays date by a second.

     The best boys race was definitely the 3000 steeple chase by Barry Franklin of Longwood.  He ran away from the field early as well and lapped everyone but the number 2 and 3 runners.  He was hurdling like, he was Mr. Adkins himself and almost completely cleared the water pit on every lap.  Mr. Franklin's time was 9:40 which puts him, based on the Armory rankings,  1st in the state by more than 12 seconds to the closest male from ( Grady HS NYC).  The top time in the country for this event is 9:37.87.  Mr. Franklin would have done even better with someone on his back during the race and may have the best time in the US as well if he had someone pushing him at all during the race.

     Great job to all runners and field events during the day, plenty of great races, times, heights, and distances all day long. Great meet everyone coaches organizers and all. Once again great races to Barry and Emily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!