Lesley XC Sweep NECC Championships

As I sit down and try to process the last 12 hours, I realize how much we have really accomplished as a team. No success in life comes easy and, in the past year, coaching this team has not been easy. There have been significant members who have left our team and created a sense of doubt. There have been some who have to make major life decisions that excluded us.

It is all considered adversity and we have to overcome it to be successful. And when the dust settles, there is this strong group of individuals left who are committed to the goal of running fast, being tough, and winning.

Today I looked out there and saw talented runners who pushed themselves. I saw hurt runners run through pain. I saw others not run but do whatever they could to contribute in a meaningful way. I saw 2 assistant coaches who have fallen in love with this team. I saw 5 captains leading by example and keeping the team focused and organized. I saw parents driving from far off places to support us. I saw parents who have hosted pasta parties for us. I saw a family.

Since our sweep this afternoon, I have been contacted by several XC alums. They were so happy for Lesley University. They were excited to hear that their efforts were for something bigger. They ran years ago but their effort carried on and led to something bigger. We have created tradition. Power bar awards, stadiums, ultimate frisbee, the medical bag, Stowe, VT, Nutrition 101, and Murphy are memories that connect generations of runners who come through this program.

This win did one thing. It solidified that what we do everyday is right. Being successful allows to look back and verify that all the little things mean something. Lesley XC is bigger than me and it is bigger than any one runner. Lesley XC has become an experience that people want to be a part of. It has become a way people express themselves and a place students can call home.

Our hard work has paid off, but unfortunately we cannot sit back and relax. We must use our recent success to attract others to join. Stopping now would not be in the spirit of our program. We always push and grow and progress into something bigger. We have lots to prove still and we work harder than anyone to see how far we can go.

If you are reading this, thank you. Thank you for helping support a team that improves lives and achieves the goals it sets for itself. Today we are champions and tomorrow we roll up our sleeves and go for it again. Thanks to all and congrats to those who made this success possible.

NECC Championship Preview

The Lesley University Men's and Women's Cross Country team is entering championship season. The next two races are the reason why we work so hard all summer and through the fall. The work has been done by now. All that is left is to keep loose and hopefully we have a good day when we step up to the starting line.

This upcoming Saturday we compete against the rest of our conference. We get the opportunity to match up against other schools who have similar number of undergraduate students and similar tuition costs. All of these schools are located in the New England states. Some examples are Newbury College, Mitchell College and Daniel Webster College.

The women go into this race ranked #1. They won last year and this year they have beaten every NECC team that they have come across. Noa Kupfer is looking to win the entire race. Jess Arnold is our top rookie and may be the top rookie of the year. These are all exciting awards for the women but nothing has happened yet. Nothing can happen until they execute. Hard work and smart running will be the key to this race if anyone wants to see success.

The men have a tough task as well. They were ranked #3 coming into this year but have beaten both teams ranked ahead of them this season. But it is close. Mitchell College has a strong men's team that is not going to go away or give up without a fight. Daniel Webster is the defending champions and is looking to make a splash. This three way battle will not end until every runner has completed the 5 mile course in Chicopee, MA. It is going to come down to all 7 runners on each team. It may be the closest championship race I have ever witnessed. Of course, the race will be led by Fran Cusick of Lesley and not far behind is Hoffman of Mitchell College. Axelrod of Lesley will have his hands full as he looks to fend off Eric Appleby. Gus Peluso has his eyes set on the tough Mitchell runner named Kodsi. Every Lesley runner has a guy to beat and anything can happen. Like I said, this is going to be exciting.

In my four years as head coach, this year has been the most exciting. There are so many sub plots. Will Fran and Noa break the course record? Will Sarah Chafe make All-Conference? How will Janice Catalano run in her last NECC race? Will Peluso win the coveted Coach's jacket? Who will achieve success under the ultimate pressure?

The weather forecast says rain. Lesley will be ready. Will you?

Friday Night is All Right!

This past Friday evening the Lesley University Cross Country team ran the Saints Invitational at Franklin Park. We had much support from our parents and it turned out to be a good day. Our men were the highlight of this race.

We beat Mitchell College and Daniel Webster College. Both of these teams are NECC teams that we compete against on a regular basis. It was a preview for what it to come on Halloween when these three teams meet again at the NECC Championships. All bets are off since the race is small. This means it is ultra important that every man beat his counterpart on the other teams. It will be a difficult challenge but fun to watch. Congrats to Fran, Dillon, and Gus who ran personal bests. They also ran smart.

Our women's team was not complete since our #2 and #3 did not run. But we saw good performances out of Janice Catalano and Elissa May. Hopefully, everyone works hard in the next 2 weeks to prepare for the first of two championship races in the next month.

Look out for our 2009 NECC Championship Preview which should be posted in the beginning of next week. Until then, run hard, run smart, and just run.

Lesley XC has its biggest challenge.

In just its fourth year, Lesley XC has exceeded all expectations by competing in one of New England's biggest collegiate races ever this past Saturday. Lesley University stood on the starting line with running power houses like Boston College, UCONN, and Brown University. It was quite the scene and something I will never forget as a coach. One day our athletes will be able to look back and say they ran against the best runners in New England.

We competed well and pushed hard. Our whole team ran well, but could have run the first mile easier. Coming out fast was to be expected and they held on for the most part. It was good to see the parent support and it was fun running at Franklin Park. Next week, we are back at Franklin Park competing in the Saints Invitational. This is a much smaller race but still we will see MIT and Wheaton College. We look towards this race as a place where we can improve our personal bests and go after NECC teams like Mitchell College and Newbury College. This upcoming race will tell us a lot as we head into the final weeks of preparation for the NECC Championships. Go LynxCountry!

Rain Can't Stop Us!

It was a bleak day to due to extreme weather this past weekend. Personal records fell almost as fast as the rain. Sarah Chafe, Siobhan Pierce, Dillon Simmons, and Gus Peluso all had career days. It can't be that bad out if these individuals run the fastest times of their lives, right?

We direct our attention to a new race on our schedule. The All-NE's is an inter-divisional race. This means the top runners in the NCAA from Division I, II, and III will be there. Although Lesley will not win this race as a team, it is great to get a chance to run against the best college runners in the country. Imagine Lesley's basketball team playing UCONN or Boston College or our soccer program playing Providence College. This is a chance of a life time and we get to do it at Franklin Park.

The sub-plot to this race is that Coach Flynn gets to compete against his alma mater, Merrimack College, for the first time. Hopefully, we do well!

Women's sub-varsity starts at 12:00, Women's Varsity begins at 12:45, and the Men go at 1:30pm.
See you there and cheer us on!

Personal Bests at Blazer Invitational

WOW! We came out firing this weekend. The women's squad ran some fast times and it might be that they are learning about speed this season. It was personal bests for Noa, Jess, Emay, Keryn, Collopy, Siobhan, and Janice. Hopefully, this good running continues throughout the rest of the season. I was very impressed with the effort and the future holds some success for our women.

As for the men, they also ran strong. Gus ran his personal best. Fran battled the lead runner from JWU. He gave it his best for four miles and just didn't have it at the end. The good news is he will see this guy again soon. Overall, it was a strong showing from our men and 3rd place is something to be proud of.

Our team is seeing improvements every week. This is a sign of hard work and health. We need to continue to make good decisions and good things will come. Next week, look for more records to break as we head to Gordon College. The Pop Crowell Invitational is well attended and always fast. We hope to get out fast and push harder than we have pushed before. This is always a good weekend for us.

The Blazer Invitational Preview

After an impressive performance at UMASS Dartmouth, Lesley XC looks forward towards the Blazer Invitational at Chicopee State Park. I don't imagine records will be broken this week as we are running a difficult and challenging course. There is one major hill that the women will do once and the men will run twice. This race will be about strength and the strongest runner will win. With that being said, Noa and Fran will have their work cutout for them if they have any thoughts about winning this thing. Johnson and Wales will be Lesley University's toughest opponent since they have gotten the best of us for two straight weeks now. But we will face fellow NECC teams such as Newbury College, Elms College, and Bay Path College. We should get a good sense of these teams after this race.

The underlying significance of this race is that we will be running it again in one month for the NECC Championships. So Lesley looks to take this opportunity to study the course and run well. It will be a rare opportunity to measure the team's improvement over a months time and we are excited to do that.

Hopefully, we will see our supporters out there. Bring your bug spray and wish us luck.

Roger Williams

Great day for the men. It was a tune up race for them as they only had to run a 5k as opposed to the normal 8k. The idea was to get out fast and they did. Fran dropped a 5:10 mile for his first mile and held on for a strong finish. This course is slow so his time does not do him justice. Look for him to go after his PR next Saturday at UMASS Dartmouth.

The women did well in their debut. Noa Kupfer came in the top 10 and we had a strong pack in the 23 minute range. Again, it was a slow course so no one was excited about their times. Next week is where we should see significant improvement.

UMASS Dartmouth is an exciting race. This is really the only race for the weekend in New England. So there are plenty of teams competing. Normally, we see the top teams competing for the #1 ranking in Division III Northeast. Please come out and watch us. We always set up our camp between the track and the road. The course is very accessible and you will be able to see Lesley runners in lots of places. Good Luck Lesley!

1st Annual President's Cup

This year, Lesley University and Lasell College have come together to create the President's Cup. This annual event will take place at the beginning of the cross country season and will always be a dual meet at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA.

In its first year, the Lesley women took the cup as did the Lasell men. The individual winners were both from Lesley (Francis Cusick and Noa Kupfer). Noa is our young freshman who has emerged as our lead runner. She ran 16:35 for 2.5 miles and won the race with ease. Franny did the same with 27:33 for the 5 mile race.

Sarah Chafe, Merrie Rothstein, and Brian Axelrod all ran their personal bests at Fresh Pond. They have clearly come into pre-season in shape.

Danielle Kelly and Jess Arnold continue to surprise everyone with their fast times. Whereas, Elissa May is proving why she was one of top runners in our recruiting class this year.

Saturday was a tune up race as both Lesley and Lasell will meet again next weekend at Colt State Park in Bristol, RI.

Being Ranked #1

This week, our women's team was ranked #1 by the NECC Conference for the second year in a row. Our men's team was ranked 3rd. Both rankings were very generous and we are proud to represent our conference. But the message is clear that this ranking does not mean anything unless we win the NECC Championship. Last year, the women responded to the challenge and earned the pre-season ranking. Lots has changed this year, so can this year's team rise to the same challenge?

Our first meet is tomorrow and we run against a tough team in Lasell College. The meet was postponed from last week, so both teams are eager to get out there and run their best. Come watch us at 11 am at Fresh Pond in Cambridge. The starting line is by the Water Building near the parking lots. It should be great weather and fun to watch. Stay tuned for a breakdown post-race.

The Beginning of a New Season

2009 is upon us. Pre-season has begun and the team is coming together. We started our journey with a trip to Stowe, VT (first photo). I traveled to Stowe with my XC team in 1996 (second photo) and not much has changed. It was clean and fresh as ever. We ran along side the river and hiked Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. The heat was a factor but seemed to cool as the week went on.

We had 7 new runners with us in Stowe and any outsider would have thought we had been together all summer. The captains took charge by playing icebreakers and keeping everyone busy with crazy stories from the past seasons. The team seemed to bond with ease as they pulled each other up Mt. Mansfield and encouraged each other through some hot long runs. I could not have been happier.

We returned to campus and people were occupied with moving in to the new dorm rooms as others wait patiently to move into the popular new dorm on Wendell St (under construction until Sept. 10th). For the past week, the Lesley XC team has been running two-a-days and attending info sessions in the afternoon. They do not realize it, but this base building will be the cornerstone to their future success.

These past two weeks have been tough physically, but it has sparked a creative side in the team. Nicknames have always been a tradition on Lesley XC, but this year has gone to a whole new level. We have "EMay", "Bean", "D-Money", "JA" and "MC Collopy" to along with "Z-Money", "Dre", "Jazzy", "Chafe", and "Baxelrod". Some are used more than others. Running fast will come with time, but team-bonding can't happen soon enough. We are excited for the upcoming season, but we are focusing on our a dual meet this weekend with Lasell College at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA. Start time is at 11 am. Come cheer us on!