March 28, 2012
Author: Laura Kinley, Jefferson, Md.

Greetings everyone!

With two full weeks back from spring break under our belts here in D.C., the CUA track and field team is working hard on making this our best season yet!  This post will be a bit of everything - talking about our spring break and our first meet last weekend.

Spring break is a nice time because many of us train year round so we are in need of a rest before the start of outdoor.  While a lot of us took this chance to go home for some needed relaxation, some of us were able to go on great adventures stretching from the streets of the Big Apple (Camelia) to Kingston, Jamaica.

Maddie Hotz and I had the chance to go to Kingston this spring break to work with some of the poor in that area.  This was my second time going to work with the Saint Patrick’s Foundation and Maddie’s first.   It was a completely humbling experience working with the people there and learning so much from them about simplicity and determination.

This year we also had the chance to work with the Missionaries of the Poor which was an eye-opening experience because we had the chance to spend time with some severely disabled children.  In Jamaica there is not much government funding to take care of these children, who are often abandoned by their parents.  It is great that we were able to help for a short time and I know it is our hope to continue helping in whatever way we can from a distance.

Yet just as soon as we all started to get comfortable on break we were thrown right back into our lives at school and on the track.  Our first week back we all got some very tough workouts in but did not have a meet that weekend which, to our team’s delight, St. Patrick’s Day conveniently fell on.

A group of girls from our team took that Saturday morning for a long run and cheer on some of our former teammates in the Rock and Roll Marathon, which was so awesome to see!  Also, with the beautiful weather that day, many of the track team was out at the DuFour center to cheer our men’s lacrosse team to victory.

This past weekend we opened our season at the Mary Washington Battleground Relays which is always one of everyone’s favorite meets.  The action started on Friday when some of our teammates (and assistant coach!) competed in throws, jumps, and extreme distances in the extreme 80 degree March sun!  For the night Kelly Carioto and Camelia Mayfield brought home the coveted glass mugs the meet is known for, winning hammer and the 10k, respectively.

Saturday was quite a change in weather - much cooler and rainy!  As for the women’s team we are thinking of this meet as a nice “warm-up” for the season in our memory.  We all got a chance to wake up our track legs and field arms again.  Kelly and Mary Clark came in second and eighth in the discus throw, while Courtney Doran came in third for the high jump.  Also, our 4x100 relay came in third for the day!

And I didn’t forget the boys!  Joe Quigley came in third for the hurdles while the entirety of the men’s cross country team that was healthy at the meet competed in the 1500m and looked good doing so.  And last but not least Sean Brubaker placed third in his favorite event, the hammer throw.

All in all it was a good opening weekend and we are all looking forward to improvements this weekend at the Jim Taylor Invite hosted by Susquehanna.  The Cardinals will be flying back into action at 9:30 am Saturday morning - look out!!  Ca-Caw!

(Sorry, this blog got quite loopy by the end…-LK)

February 27, 2012
Author: Madeline Hotz, Media, Pa.

Hey Everyone!
This past weekend the Cardinals soared with flying red and black colors at our Landmark Conference Championship Meet, which took place at Susquehanna University.  The occasion started with an overnight on Friday which allowed for everyone to get the rest they needed in order to perform to their best abilities. Of course, we didn’t go to bed without pump-up speeches from both Coach Fisher and Coach Thompson to get everyone into the competitive spirit!  Needless to say, there was also a last minute pit-stop at the grocery store across the street to grab some last minute goodies to snack on throughout the extensive meet. In the morning, the athletes awoke from their slumber and enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast at the hotel and headed onto the bus for the final forty-five minutes until we reached our destination. Once we were at the meet, the tone was set and each athlete was ready to run.

To kick off the events Saturday morning, both the women's and men's teams ran the distance medley relays. This event is especially exciting because it isn’t offered as an event during the outdoors championship!  I had the opportunity to run the first leg of the relay (1200m), and was joined by teammates Maria Docal, Kristen Rayfield, and Camelia Mayfieldin this relay race.  Each member of the team contributed to perform a very strong race and we finished with the gold!

In other events, Kelly Carioto defended her crown and earned another Landmark Conference Championship in the shot put (She’s a champion and team mom!) along with Mary Clark who placed fourth in the shot.  Laura Kinley and Camelia Mayfield both ran especially exciting and competitive races in which they both earned gold medals! Laura was the top finisher in the 1600m and Camelia in the 5k.  On the boy’s side, Shawn Brubaker finished second in the weight throw and earned the boys points from his top performance. Other podium finishes for our team included: Joe Quigley finishing 4th in the 800m, the men’s Distance Medley Relay (George Brewer, Matt Zemba, Joe Quigley, Mike Speilburger) finishing 4th, the men’s 4x800m relay (Ryan Anderson, Nick Pavia, Mike Kennedy, Chris Derks) also finishing, 4th along with the men’s 4x200m relay (Alex Hetzel, Christian Riegel, Christian Hibinski, Mike Kennedy), and George Brewer finishing 7th in the mile.

On the women’s side, Sarah Deitz placed 6th in the 60m dash, Erin Sandlin finished 6th in the pole vault, Laura Kinley placed 3rd in the 800m, the 4x200m relay (Candace Williamson, Hannah Gillis, Tallie Peretti, Melanie Mulkern) finished 4th, the 4x800m relay (Hotz, Docal, Rayfield, Peretti) and the 4x400m relay (Kinley, Deitz, Gillis, Broomfield) both finished 4th as well.

Overall, the Lady Cards finished 3rd in the Landmark Conference Championships and the Men finished 6th. The women’s team worked hard this season to utilize their broad horizon of athletes. Our team is young and full of talent in both the field and the track events. We celebrated our fantastic finishes with a hearty meal at Hoss’ restaurant on our drive back to CUA. There, the team indulged in an exquisite salad bar that offered a plethora of delectable food options.  Each member of the team had a fabulous season and is excited for the challenge of the upcoming outdoor season! 

February 8, 2012
Author: Shawn Brubaker, Lancaster, Pa.

The indoor track season is underway at Catholic University, and the team and I couldn't be more excited. We kicked off the semester in secluded Selinsgrove, Pa., traveling to Susquehanna.

This was the first time a lot of the freshmen got to see their conference rivals, and they handled themselves well. Some highlights included Courtney Doran finishing second in the High Jump, Sarah Deitz finishing third in the 60 meter dash, and Mary Clark's fifth place finish in the weight throw.

The veterans also had a great showing, with team mom Kelly Carioto bringing home first place, as well as Laura Kinley having numerous high finishes.

I'd like to give a big shout out to Mary Clark, who let me use her phone to keep track of the Ravens' game during the meet. I'd also like to express my disappointment in the way Kaila DeFalco and Kerri Hanley expressed themselves after their Patriots won the game. No one likes a poor winner!

The next week, we traveled to Lebanon Valley, which is my personal favorite meet of the season. It's close to home, so my parents always come with food, and it's also small and quiet, so everyone gets a chance to shine.

And shine they did, with Laura Kinley bringing home a first place finish in the 800 and the mile and Courtney Doran winning the high jump.

I'd say the most impressive feat today happened in the throws, where CUA took home first place in every single event, men and women. I got first for the first time in my career, and it happened twice, with me winning shot and weight. On the girls side, Mary Clark won the weight throw, and team mom Kelly Carioto won the shot.

Despite being one of the only guys present at both these meets, it was great getting to know all the girls, and especially spending time with all the new throwers. We have a great group of young prospects here, and I look forward to watching them all grow.

Shawn

Keep an eye out for CUA Track and Field as we quickly approach our Conference Championship February 25!  Go Cards!

December 5, 2011
Author: Kaila DeFalco, Brockton, Mass. 

This past weekend, December 3, the men and women’s track and field teams made our way to Ursinus College for our first track meet of the season. For myself, along with fourteen other freshmen, this was our first college track meet. The day started off very early, with a 6 a.m. departure time. Everyone packed in the bus and fell asleep for the three-hour drive. Right as we arrived, the meet was about to start so everyone took off to prepare themselves for their races. Throughout the day, the freshmen made it a point to get to know the other teammates (the boys). Cheering on all the CUA athletes made for some great bonding time. A few highlight performances were from Joe Quigley who placed 2nd  in the 800 meters and Kelly Carioto who placed 1st in the shot put. Also, there were several qualifiers for the Landmark Conference Championships. We, along with the coaches are all looking forward to a very exciting season ahead of us!

Twas’ the night before our first track meet when all through the dorms
Not an athlete was stirring which was out of the norm.
Our track uniforms were hung on the door with care
In hopes that 5:30 would soon not be there.
Kelly and Melanie snuggled tight in their beds
While images of Coach Fisher were dancing in their heads.
And I in my uniform and Kerri in her red sweats
Had just settled down for a long night’s rest.
When out in CV there arose such a clatter
I sprung from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I sprinted like my dash
Over the hurdles to see such a flash
When what do my wondering eyes should appear
But Talli and Courtney all in their gear.
With all in a rush, I tried lifting all my bags
I knew in one moment I was going to lag
More rapid then cardinals the team all came
As Coach Thompson and Fisher all screamed them by name:
On Quigley, on Puskar,  On Zemba and McKenna
On Tyler, on Candace, on Erin and George
From the sound of the gun to the end of the track
Now run away, dash away, sprint away all
As Dylan and Mike were like eagles that fly
When they meet with a hurdle they mount to the sky
So up to the qualifiers just as they knew
With their medals and spikes and Kim and Kelly too.
And then in from the static I heard from the announcer
Congratulations to all and to all a good fight! 


 

November 28, 2011
Author: Camelia Mayfield, Ashland, Ore.
Hi Everyone! This is my first time writing a blog post, so I’ll try to do my best.

A couple weekends ago, the women’s cross country team flew to San Antonio, Texas for the regional meet. We got in late on Thursday night, after an evening of traveling, complete with an airport pit stop to Dunkin Donuts in Atlanta. The next day, we ran over the cross country course, which was flat, dry, and dusty: just what we expected. The conditions were a welcome respite after the majority of our races this season were very muddy and wet. The rest of the day we enjoyed sightseeing in downtown San Antonio, including the Alamo and the Riverwalk, lined with shops and restaurants.

Overall, there was a great sense of patriotism among us girls as we took in the history of the place. That night we enjoyed a long-awaited meal at the Olive Garden by our hotel, which was of course a popular place for all the cross country teams.

Finally, race day was upon us. Luckily, the girls’ race was at nine in the morning. Although this meant we had to wake up early, we also finished before it got too hot outside. I had a great time while I was racing, finishing in 26th place with a 10-second PR. I was really happy to make All-Region, which was my goal from the beginning of the season back in August. It was an amazing feeling to fulfill the goal I had set, but I knew that it came with the miles and workouts I had put in since the summer. Obviously, it was a great day that I will remember for a long time. It wouldn’t have been the same though without my team there running alongside me.

Camelia

Note:  Next weekend the men and women’s track teams open up their Indoor Track season.  Most of the distance runners will be recovering from the XC season, but look out for the sprinters and throwers to have a great beginning to their season!

October 12, 2011
Author: Kian Olia, Jr., Newton, Mass.
This cross-country season has really been a great time so far. For us guys it has really been fun to get to know our new coach, Kent Thompson, and run some challenging workouts from him. It has also been nice to have two very committed freshmen on the team in Dylan Jones and Michael Spielberger, who have instantly become a part of our XC family. The team is very close this year, from evening Pryz sits, to bicycling on the mean streets of D.C., hiking scenic Maryland trails, and all the way up to the final Prayer before we toe the line, we are inseparable, unbreakable, and always race with the team in mind.

Our last race was at the Paul Short Run on the campus of Leigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Paul Short is probably the biggest cross-country invitational on the east coast, with hundreds of schools competing across all the NCAA divisional levels. Both the men and women competed in the White Race, which featured many DIII schools, and even some of our fellow Landmark Conference teams. On the Men’s side Mike Puskar ran his best time of the season (27:51), despite all the mud and slop on the course. Dylan Jones came next, running a solid 28:25. I came in next, and ran a tough, but so-so race with some loose shoelaces. Chris Derks, who has really grown up as a runner came soon after me, and Michael Spielberger was not close behind. Kyle McKenna, who always runs with the waves by his side, Joe Quigley, the “Hampton Flash,” and George Brewer gutted it out, rounding up our “Cluster of Cardinals” as Coach Thompson would say. Nick Pavia and Michael Kennedy also ran strong races. Kennedy, a virtual unknown coming into the race, will be sure to make an impact come conference time. It was a great race and I would like to give a special shoutout to Kelly Carioto and Ry Ry Anderson for cheering us on extra loud.

On the women’s side, Camelia Mayfield blazed the 6k course in a time of 24:37, and placed 34th out of over 300 girls. Keely Eckberg came in next, not far behind, followed by Katie Sacker, Maddie Hotz, Kristin Rayfield, Jesi Breen(who was running her first race of the season), and Grace Lally.

Afterwards we all enjoyed dinner at the King of Prussia Mall, and headed back to campus. This week the team will head to Gettysburg College, to get one more strong race in before our conference championships. Until then I gotta go, but I’ll be back real soon!

Go Cards!

September 22, 2011
Author: Assistant Coach Kim Stengle
Greetings from Washington, DC!  As you can imagine, it has been a busy time for the XC/Track and Field program over the past four months and we are happy again to update you about our program with our blog!  We had some exciting news over the summer, as Kent Thompson was named the newest addition to our staff as the Head Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach.  He comes to us from American University, which has a great Cross Country/Track and Field reputation and we are excited to have him join our program!

We were also excited to welcome all of our new freshmen cross country and track and field athletes to CUA as well as see all the returners smiles back on campus!

Our cross country runners were busy training all summer and the women were welcomed back with a trip to Williamsburg, Va., where not only did they get a 10-mile run in, but also enjoyed a movie and dinner with Coach Fisher and their teammates as well as some great time team-bonding!

The men also got off to a fast start with them winning the Albright College Invitational.  Mike Puskar led the team with a 2nd place finish while freshman Dylan Jones helped out by placing 4th.  George Brewer, Kian Olia, Chris Derks, Mike Spielberger, and Kyle McKenna also all finished in the top-25.  The women also placed second in the meet with Camelia Mayfield placing 1st.

Last weekend, the team traveled to University of Maryland-Eastern Shore to compete.  Most of the competition was against Division I foes, however the men and women held their own.  The men’s team was led by freshman Dylan Jones, finishing the 8k race in 28:02.  The women’s team was led by Laura Kinley who finished the 5K race in 19:44. 

This weekend, the teams have a much deserved weekend off, but they will be hitting up the trails of DC for training!  Then on Friday, September 30, they look to continue building on their successes at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa.  Go Cards!

Kim

May 25, 2011
Author: Kelly Carioto, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hello again everyone! This past Friday Coach Fisher, Kim, and I headed up to Moravian College for outdoor ECAC championships.  I qualified in both shot put and discus.  The few weeks of training I had leading up to ECACs had been lonely without the team, but I had a few runners visit me to encourage me throughout my training. No one gives better throwing tips than runners…..well at least they’re entertaining and they are trying to learn!

As usual I was pretty nervous for the meet, plus without my teammates by my side I didn’t really have anyone to calm me down.  Even though they couldn’t be by my side many of them were wishing me luck from all across the country.  Camelia Mayfield even told me she was sending her spirit to Moravian from the wilderness where she was camping in Oregon. We left for the meet Thursday night.  Throughout the season when Kim and I drive together we listen to good old Delilah on the radio on the way up to meets.  There is nothing like some good life advice from Delilah to get you ready to throw far!

Friday morning I got a call from my overly excited mother wishing me luck and saying she wished she could be there.  You’ll never meet anyone who gets more excited than her about me throwing!  My first event was shot put. This outdoor season I had not yet thrown near what I would have liked to have been throwing and I knew this was my chance to redeem myself.  Like always I did my best to scare Coach and Kim in prelims with two less than stellar throws.  With my last throw of prelims I knew I needed to calm down and luckily I squeezed my way into finals in seventh place.  During finals I got my act together and threw my best outdoor shot throw ever (40’ 2 3/4”) placing sixth.  I was more than happy to end the season with this outdoor PR, but I still had discus to throw.

Discus and I have a very love-hate relationship.  Rushing over from shot I did not get a lot of time to warm up.  I fouled my first throw; the second might as well have been a foul, and the thirds throw was around 117’ and did not look too promising with the second flight still to go.  Even though the official stated that it would be pure luck if I made it since I was sitting in fourth place in the first flight, we stuck around anyway.  I also wanted to cheer on my friend Brittany from Moravian College through her throws.  After the second flight, out of just that pure luck, I got into finals by the skin of my teeth.  Kim couldn’t help but laugh and tell me I better make use of these extra three throws.  And I sure did!  I ended up throwing near my PR (128’10”) and getting fourth in discus.  No one would have thought I’d place higher in disc than shot.

Once I had finished throwing I pulled out my phone to find numerous texts from my teammates wishing me luck and asking how I threw.  I wish they were all there, but it was so fun to tell them how well everything went.  It was a great way to end the season--but watch out next year…Nationals I’m coming!!!  Overall I had a great indoor and outdoor track season.  I’m going to miss all my teammates this summer, but I can’t wait for next year.  I can’t wait to meet the incoming freshmen and see my old teammates again.  Next fall I’m even helping out with the XC team because I can’t wait for the track season to begin and as my mother says, “you just need one more thing to put on your plate.”

I hope everyone has a fabulous summer.  I have way too much planned for this summer and I’ll be heading to my Grandma’s camp this weekend with my beautiful little cousin Danielle. Keep an eye out because some of the XC runners will be posting blogs about their summer training and they’ll be a few about all the fun stuff everyone is doing this summer. See you during XC season!  Go Cards!

Kelly

May 4, 2011
Author: Shawn Brubaker, So., Lancaster, Pa.
This weekend CUA traveled to scenic Huntingdon, Pa. to compete in the Landmark conference championships at Juniata College. First, I'd like to mention our three seniors who will be leaving us - Maddie Cronan, Rachel Won, and Joe Funk all ran their last meet with Catholic this weekend. While we are very sad to see them go, we wish them all the best for the future and know that they will have great successes!

There were a lot of great performances throughout the weekend. Some that stick out from the women are Camelia Mayfield and Keely Eckberg taking third and seventh, respectively in the 10 k run, Ali Nelson taking fifth in the 400, and the incomparable Laura Kinley taking third in the 800 and seventh in the 1500. The women's team did a great job competing this weekend!

On the men's side, Saturday started off a bit slow, with only myself and my new partner in crime, Pete Schramm getting on to the podium; myself taking seventh place (with a 7 foot PR) and Pete taking sixth place in the discus. While Pete was disappointed with his performance, we expect great things from him in the future, especially when he has a full season to train. On Sunday, things started to heat up a bit. Matt Zemba did what he does best: scare us to high heavens by hanging around with the pack through most of the race, then bolting out to a victory at the end of the 400. Matt ran a scorching 50.39, which, while not his best time, was enough to secure ten points for Catholic. After getting into the finals by the skin of my teeth, I managed to take sixth in the hammer through with a throw of 38.31 meters (also a PR!). However, the performance that sticks out to me the most from this weekend is that of the men's 4x400 meter relay. Before they ran, captain George Brewer (who ran a big PR and got 7th in the 800) rallied the troops to pump up our relay team. The strategy was paying off through our first three men, with Tyler Masi, Matt Zemba, and Joe Funk running strong splits. Our anchor, Joe Quigley, received the baton, and after only a few seconds, we knew something was wrong. Joe was limping badly, and by the time he got to the back stretch, he was running on one leg. But Joe, who had gotten us big points with a second place in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles only a few hours before, would not be denied. In the gutsiest performance I've ever seen on the track, Joe posted a 55 second split severely handicapped. By finishing the race, Joe ensured that Catholic would secure a tie with Goucher for 5th place, with the women finishing in 5th as well.

The real story took place after the meet though. After only about a half hour of driving away from the meet Sunday evening, our bus broke down. While most teams would view this as a negative, our team made the best of a difficult situation. Luckily, we broke down right by a farm of incredibly generous Mennonites, who let us use their barn to keep dry and even tried to fix our bus. They were excellent hosts, and I'm sure we'll be sending them our thanks in the near future. After some soccer, some cards, and some pizza, we finally got moving again, albeit much later than we wanted. This experience only served to make us stronger as a team, and it really showed how tight knit this group is. It's been a great season, I'm proud of everyone who took the track this weekend, and I am already getting excited for next year!

Shawn

P.S. Also keep an eye out as Kelly Carioto and Matt Zemba continue on to post-season track and field, as they gear up for the ECAC Championships May 19-20!

April 27, 2011
Author: Assistant Coach Kim Stengle
Hey All!  I hope that everyone had a great Easter.  The athletes are now back from seeing their families and are working hard this week to prepare for the conference championship this weekend!

Last week, some athletes went to an additional meet at McDaniel to compete.  This was unique as it was a mid-week “twilight” meet that we attended.  We had some great performances, as Kelly Carioto broke my school record in the discus--throwing a 10 feet PR of 128’!  While I was sad to see my record go, I was glad that I was there to coach and share this accomplishment and excitement with Kelly.

Laura Kinley also had a great day, running 2:23.08 in the 800, almost 15 seconds ahead of the second place finisher.  After being bumped around a bit, George Brewer completed the 800 in 2:02 and Nick Pavia, also bumped around, finished in 2:12.  Pete Schramm also made his debut with the men’s track team, throwing 35’ in the shot put and 112’ in the discus--not a bad performance after only two days practicing after coming back from hip surgery.

The men also completed their service project last week, going on a team grocery shopping trip to help with a food donation campaign for seniors in Washington, D.C.  In the photo on the left, you can see the men's team picking up canned items at a local food store to donate to a local food bank.

The athletes are pretty bombarded this week, as classes end, finals start, and we have conference championships, but look forward to hearing from them about their successes up at Juniata!

We hope you’ll be cheering for us this weekend!  Go Cards!

Coach Kim

April 14, 2011
Author: Tyler Masi, So., Stow, Mass.
Hi everyone! This past weekend we went up to Grantham, Pa. to compete in the Messiah College Invitational.  The conditions were cold and wet and as the day went on, the weather did not show any sign of change.  The grass was so wet that while my teammates and I were watching Kelly Carioto, Rachel Won, and Shawn Brubaker compete in their respective throwing events our shoes got soaked from the mud.  It was a lesson learned by all to bring a change of clothes!

This weekend was especially memorable for me since it was my first collegiate outdoor meet.  My parents were able to make the drive down from Massachusetts to see me run for the first time in two years.  Despite the poor weather I was able to get through my open 400 in 56.08.  Before being injured, this time would have left me scratching my head wondering what had gone wrong.  But I am still not yet 100 percent healthy so the only thing I can do is take it in stride and continue working hard with the team in practice.

On the men’s side, some performances to highlight were Matt Zemba winning the men’s 400 m (50.71) and Kian Olia PRing in the 10K (36:27.75).  For the women, Kelly Carioto struggled with a wet circle in the hammer throw but was able to redeem herself in the shot put with a third place toss of 37.25 feet.  Also, Camelia Mayfield ran the steeple chase for the first time and finished in third place (12:23.69).  Not bad for her first go at it!

The week ahead of us holds promising weather so we’ll be hitting our workouts hard.  With only one meet left before the conference championship, everyone will be looking to improve on their achievements of this year’s season.   Let’s Go Cardinals!

Tyler

April 6, 2011
Author: Keely Eckberg, So., Holmdel, N.J.
Hello Everyone!  This past weekend our team headed up to York, Pennsylvania to compete at the Green and White Invitational at York College.   But first, on Friday night, CUA held its annual Relay for Life event to raise money for those fighting cancer.  Father Frank, who assists at our track workout practices and who is also a survivor of cancer, was the girls track team’s captain for this event. 

Relay for Life was held in the Pryz student center, where there was a live band playing, different games and activities to participate in while taking a break from walking laps, and a bunch of candy, cookies, and different treats to eat!  While waiting for the event to kick off, our team played some fun rounds of the card game Spoons.  It was a fun night, but we couldn’t stay awake through the morning and participate because we needed a good rest for our meet in the morning!

I was really looking forward to this meet because this was the first time Camelia Mayfield and I raced the 10k, 25 laps around the track! Fun!  I was worried about making it around the track so many times and the weather was rather chilly, but with my teammates out on the infield cheering Camelia and I on, we had a really fun time and good race! I can’t wait for my next 10k!  Camelia came in first place and I got third place in this event.  Joe Kenney, who also raced the 10k with us, ran a very strong race and got a 3-minute PR! 

As the meet went on, the temperature dropped more and it started to rain intermittently.  Luckily, York College had an indoor athletic complex that we all were able to stay in for shelter, while waiting to race or to watch our teammates’ races.  Despite the cold and rainy weather, we all gave it our all for our events and had a fun time!  Joe Quigley, who normally doesn’t race the 800, had a great race and ran a PR (2:03) and Jesi Breen also ran a PR in her 1500.  Laura Kinley had a strong competitive race in her 800, placing 2nd, and running 2:23.

Rachel Won also had a great meet, earning Landmark Track Athlete of the Week!  She competed in four events, including the 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, 4x400 relay and the javelin.  Rachel began her day with a second place showing in the 100 hurdles (17.79s). She then finished third in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:13.44.  She also threw 25.57 meters in the javelin, which placed her in third place. Lastly, Rachel competed with the 4x400 relay team where she helped them to a second place finish in 4:34.82.

After the meet ended, Coach Fisher and Coach Robinson brought us to Wegmans grocery store to get some dinner!  Wegmans is my favorite place to go because of the large variety of delicious food to choose from.  I got my usual from Wegmans: sushi, a slice of pizza, and a coffee!  We all boarded the bus and watched the Disney movie Ratatouille on the way home!

Overall this was a fun meet and we all raced well!  I can’t wait to race my next 10k on the track.  We are all looking forward to our next meet this weekend at Messiah and are hoping for successful races and warm sunny weather!  Go Cards!! 

Keely

March 29, 2011
Author: Mike Puskar, Sr., Fairfield, Conn.
(at left is a photo of Mike, who won the 3000m this past weekend with a PR, congrats Mike!)
Hey guys! This past weekend the team headed down to Bridgewater College in Virginia for the Jopson Invitational. We all had a little extra-motivation at this meet since tee-shirts were distributed to the top three finishers in each event.  Despite the anomalous cold weather for this time of the year, both the guys and girls teams persevered and had impressive results.

We had some tough workouts this week, but we were confident that they would pay their dividends this weekend. Reluctantly, they did work out. On the guy’s side, Matt Zemba won the 400m with a season best time of 49.91.  Additionally, George Brewer and Kian Olia both achieved PR’s in the 800m (2:02) and 5000m (17:19), respectively. As well, I won the 3000m with a pr of 9:30. It was the first time I placed first at a meet in college so it was an exciting experience for me!

For the girls, Ali Nelson was an impressive third in the 100m, and was also on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 teams. Laura Kinley racked up quite a few tee-shirts as she placed 3rd in the 800m and 1500m and anchored the 4x400 to a first place finish.  Rachel Won picked up four top-three finishes, finishing 3rd in javelin, 2nd in the 400 hurdles, and was also on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 teams.  Additionally, Katie Sacker had a strong meet with a 4th place finish in the 800m and 5th place finish in the 1500m.

Kelly Carioto also continued to have a strong season PRing in the hammer, finishing 2nd, and finishing 3rd in discus and fourth in shot put.  For her efforts, she earned her 2nd straight Landmark Conference Field Athlete of the Week award.

After the meet, we had the choice of either Five Guys or Panera Bread; the food was delectable. We enjoyed each other’s company on the bus as we relaxed and watched Ferris Bueller on the way back.

Overall, the meet was a great success. Numerous PR’s and strong times were posted, which is hopefully a harbinger for Landmark’s, which is coming up in about a month. This week, we head back to the track to face some tough workouts as we look forward to our next meet at York College.

Go Cards!

Mike

March 24, 2011
Author: Meg McElroy, Fr., Haddonfield, N.J.
This past weekend we had our first meet of the spring season at Mary Washington. It was very exciting to have a meet outside in such beautiful weather. The meet started on Friday, however only a few of us went on this day. Coach Stengle took advantage of this small group that was there to quiz me on everybody’s name. I successfully now know six more people on the men’s team than before the meet!  It was nice to spend this time getting to know my teammates and I even PR-ed in the triple jump!

The rest of the meet was on Saturday. One of the most exciting parts of this meet I think was the commentary from Mark Wash.  He made jokes the entire day and made everyone laugh. He even got Coach Fisher to dance on the infield! Everyone did awesome in his or her events.  Two of our athletes, Shawn Brubaker and Kelly Carioto, were even named Athlete of the Week in the Landmark Conference!

This meet was also the first time I ran an event; usually I stick to field events (triple and high jump). Coach Stengle told me I was most likely going to run a 400, however, I really did not want to run this so we made a deal.  If I high jumped 4’ 6” on my first attempt, she would try to get me to run a 200 instead of a 400. Luckily I made the jump and Coach stuck with her deal. I ended up running in the 4x200 and it was really fun to run.

By the end of the meet everyone was sun burnt and hungry!  Coach Fisher and Coach Robinson took us to the best place ever to eat! We picked up dinner at Wegmans. For those of you who do not know what Wegmans is, it is a large grocery store with a café section that has every food type one could imagine. They have hoagies, pizza, salad, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and sushi! The best part is everything is absolutely delicious!

Overall this meet was a great start to the season. Lets hope we have just as much fun and success at our next meet!  Go Cards!!

Meg

March 16, 2011
Author: Alex DaPonte, Freshman, Warwick, R.I.
Last week was Spring Break at CUA.  While some of my teammates headed home to be with family or completed Mission trips (the photo at right is of Laura Kinley, who went on a mission trip to Jamaica), I had the luxury of heading to my roommate’s home in Nassau, Bahamas. I was very excited for a fun filled few days that would include scuba diving, going to beaches and riding the slides at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in Nassau.  But even with all of this fun planned ahead, I still kept in mind that I needed to do some sort of fitness so that I would be able to keep in shape during the break.  I knew that running would be difficult because for one, I had no idea about the lay of the land in the Bahamas, and second being in a foreign country I did not think it would be too smart to go for a run through the streets.  

To compensate, my roommate told me that he would be setting up training workouts with a personal trainer that he had been working with for a while and I agreed.  I honestly had no idea what was in store for the week. The training that we did ranged from everything from suicides to pull-ups to running and doing core on the beach.  The kind of training that I did in the Bahamas was totally different from the kind of training that I was used to, but I think that the cross-training really helped me to adapt and deal with the different circumstances I may face while training or in a race situation.

I am now looking forward to the spring outdoor track and field season.  The first challenge that we will face is at Mary Washington this weekend.  Hopefully, we’ll come back with good results!  Go Cards!

March 9, 2011
Author: Kelly Carioto, Junior, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hello!  This past weekend was fabulous.  I represented Catholic in the ECAC Regional meet at New York Armory.  The meet was a little lonely without my teammates (no signs made by Hillary Donahue and Libby Crane), but Coach Fisher, Coach Kim, and I had a great time.  A nervous wreck as usual, my first two shot put throws at the meet were less than impressive.  Luckily my third throw (of 12.22) was significantly better and it looked like it could get me into the finals.  As I paced around hoping I could make it to the finals, even after the second flight, I made a new friend from Washington and Jefferson.  I have a tendency to make friends with other throwers; it calms me down and keeps me relaxed.

Anyway, I made it into finals, seeded 5th.  With my first throw of finals I went all out.  I knew it was a better throw, but I was not expecting to hear 12.80 come out of the official’s mouth.  42 feet…beating my PR previous to this meet by three feet…clenching the school record…and catapulting me to first in the meet.  My 12.80 throw would stand as the best throw of the meet and provisionally qualified me for nationals.  I couldn’t believe that I won.  Coach, Kim, and I were in a state of shock and excitement.

The icing on the cake was calling my mom, who responded “Kelly you’re lying. Stop lying to me.  That didn’t happen.”  She was so excited and so proud, well after she realized I was telling the truth.  I received so many congratulatory texts and calls from family, friends, and teammates.  My dad even called the gym we lift at to tell everyone I won.  It was an honor to represent Catholic and bring the win back to the team.

I can’t wait for outdoor season and to reunite with my team, but for this week we are all enjoying our spring breaks.  Some of my teammates are taking this time as an opportunity to do service for Habit for Humanity.  Like me, most of us are enjoying our time at home with family and friends.  Thus far my break has been great!  A lot of my friends go to Pitt and they are on break this week also.  Tuesday my friend and I waited in line for over four hours to get Penguins student rush tickets.  It was a great win as the Pens beat the Sabers 3-1.  Friday I’m headed to Columbus with my friend Brian for a Blue Jackets game vs. the LA Kings.  A good break to me involves lots of hockey!

On a side note my fellow thrower Shawn Brubaker now owes me a steak dinner because I threw over 40 feet in the shot before him.  I’m excited to claim that when we get back to DC!  Until then, Go Cards!

Kelly      

March 1, 2011
Author: Laura Kinley, Sophomore, Jefferson, Md.
Hi everyone!  This past weekend both the men's and women's Track and Field teams were at Susquehanna competing at the Landmark Conference Championships - which was an exciting and competitive day for all of us.  Us women came in fourth place while the men finished with a strong sixth.  These results give us a strong base going into the ever anticipated outdoor season stating when we get back from Spring Break!

To kick off the events Saturday morning, both the women's and men's teams ran the distance medley relays.  This event is a true indoor treat because we don't get the chance to have it at outdoors- so we all love the chance to run it!  I had the opportunity to run the first leg of the relay (1200m), and was joined by teammate Maddie Cronan, Melanie Mulkern, and Camelia Mayfield to race this event.  We ran a really strong race, beating last season's time by over 10 seconds(!), but it wasn't quite enough to edge Juanita for the gold.

In other events, Kelly Carioto defended her crown and earned another Landmark Conference Championship in the shot put. She advanced to ECAC's this weekend in New York and we are all so excited and wish her the best of luck!  Some other podium finishes for our team included: Matt Zemba finishing 2nd in the 400m, the mens 4x800 team (Ryan Anderson, Nick Pavia, Chris Derks and Michael Kennedy) placed 5th, men's 4x400 (Joe Funk, Zemba, George Brewer and Cameron Green) 3rd, and Shawn Brubaker finished 6th in the weight throw.  On the women's side, in addition to Kelly and the DMR relay, Katie Sacker placed 4th in the mile, Ali Nelson 5th in the 55 meters, Camelia Mayfiled 4th in the 5000m, the 4x800 team (Rachel Won, Cronan, Sacker and myself) finished 2nd, and I finished the 800m in second place.

Looking back on my personal performance at the meet, while I was initially upset not to defend our indoor titles in the DMR, 4x800, and my title in the open 800m, I realized that in each of those events PR's were broken.  Although it's not the same as a win, breaking times is always a team/personal victory.  And seeing our team come together and support one another at this meet in particular gave feeling that we are going to have a great outdoor season.  Using this meet as a stepping stone, we are bound to be faster and stronger!  Plus celebrating Meg McElroy's birthday on the bus and singing with coach is always a nice wrap up to a season:)

This week we are taking things a bit easier- letting our bodies recover and getting ready to revamp for outdoor season, which starts in two weeks.  On Friday we start our Spring Break, which I will personally be spending in Jamaica on a mission trip!!  I plan to get some runs in around the compound we are staying on down there, but I am sure all the work they have planned for my group will keep us active.  I know two other girls from the team are also doing mission work over the break, Jessica Breen and Maddie Hotz, in Tacoma, Washington with Habitat for Humanity, so we are all keeping busy!  But, rest assured, we will be ready to get back in action when we begin to gear up for our first meet at Mary Washington on March 19th!

Go Cards!!!

Laura

February 22, 2011
Author: Joe Quigley, Sophomore, East Hampton, N.Y.

Hey guys!
This past weekend the Cardinal men and women were back on the road together, headed to Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pa. (At left is a pic of Kristen, Maddie, Meg, Camelia and Jesse taking a little break for some team bonding during the meet)

This was an unusually large meet in that we were one of about 20 teams competing at Dickinson. Normally our meets are smaller and more focused; nonetheless, it was good to get another challenge in before conferences, even if it was hectic! (We have our conference meet this Saturday at Susquehanna University, also in Pa.!)

The week before Dickinson we had some really tough workouts building a strong base to carry through to conferences, so the meet was also a challenge in that we had some tired legs! However, I think we all really benefited from last week and we will make a strong appearance at Susquehanna this weekend.

On a more personal note, the Dickinson meet was really an interesting one for me.  For starters, Saturday was my 21st birthday. Kelly Carioto, the first place finisher for women's shot put, baked me cookies! Reluctantly, I was forced to share them with the rest of the team, though everyone accepted them happily. Also, my cousin jumps for Dickinson College, so my mom, dad, aunt and uncle all showed up for the occasion. My mini family reunion, though embarrassing at first, was nicely complemented by a little family competition in the high jump.

We all had a lot of fun this past weekend; after all that is what this team is all about - that and winning!  This week we are all narrowing in on our specific events, keeping our tempo up but not over exerting ourselves.  We are looking forward to conferences and are expecting great results!  Feel free to check out results on our website and until then, Go Cards!

Joe

February 15, 2011
Welcome to the CUA Track and Field and Cross Country Blog!  The coaches along with the team members decided that it would be both fun and informational for us to use this blog to keep parents, alumni, and recruits updated with what is going on with our team!  We hope to use this to keep you informed about our team and individual successes both on and off the track.

This past weekend was a rare weekend where the men and women split up and went to different meets.  The men went up to MIT, where a few of the athletes are from and got to compete in front of their families!  They had many successes in the meet including victories by Matt Zemba (52.8 in the 400m) and Michael Kennedy (1:30.7 in the 600m).  

The women headed south to Christopher Newport.  It was a challenging meet, as many of the schools were Division I, but the CUA women held their own including sixth place finishes from Kelly Carioto (39’1” in shotput) and Camelia Mayfield (19:12 in the 5,000m) and some major season milestones.  Laura Kinley broke 2:30 in the 800m, running 2:26 and Ali Nelson broke 28 seconds in the 200m running 27.8.

We now are looking forward to a successful meet at Dickinson College this weekend!

Also, keep an eye out for a weekly update from the men and women on our teams!  Have a great week!  GO CUA!

Kim Stengle
Graduate Assistant
Men’s/Women’s Track and Field/XC