GSTC: The Garden State Track Club

Deer Path Park- The Garden State Track Club women's team dominated the field yesterday at the USATF-NJ 8k Cross Country Championships, racking up a mere 17 points for the win and the $500 club nationals stipend. With the victory, the women clinched the 2012 USATF-NJ Open Women's Title with a year's total of 80 points. RVRR, the three-time defending champ who finished fourth yesterday, finished second overall with 69 points.

Cheyenne Ogletree closed out a very impressive 2012 with a convincing 1:00 win over second place Elena Rozhko, 29:14 - 30:14--a time nearly 3:00 faster than her 32:07 of 2011. Her time was the fastest ever recorded in the event's twelve year history, and it marks the first time any woman in the USATF-NJ has broken 30:00. She broke the event record of Jodie D'Ariano, from Asics Club East, of 30:10 from 2002.

From there, her teammates rolled in: Chelsea Callan (30:53), Alyssa Douma(31:01), Lindsey Lambert (31:26), Meghan DeCarlo (32:50), and Karen Auteri (33:13). Special props go to Lambert, who not only drove from East Stroudsburg (PA) to race....but she ran with a stomach-churning food poisoning.

Higgins Leads "Black Team" to Third Place Finish

The GSTC "Black Team" finished third overall, holding back RVRR and falling just short of Garmin for second. Erin Higgins ran the best race of her season, coming in as the team's top finisher at 33:44. Liz Bissell, in just her second GSTC race, was #2 at 34:10, Courtney Stanton was third in 34:58, Rutgers frosh Courtney Connelly- in her GSTC debut- was 4th in 35:33, and Cathy Stutzman was #5 at 36:16--quite an improvement over last year's 38:58 finish. Rounding out the GSTC finishers were Sara Douma (37:07), Nicole Callghan (38:31), Michelle Tuchol (46:20), and Prudence Jones (50:22).

Men Close Out First Perfect Season in USATF-NJ History
Teams Go 1-2-3-4 as Nihen Wins First USATF-NJ Title

Deer Path Park--In 2002, Fleet Feet almost did it-but they got 2nd at the Our House 5 Miler. The Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon got in the way of the Running Company's flawless season in 2003. Very recently, RVRR was oh-so-close in 2009, but settled for a silver at the Ashenfelter 8k.

Yesterday, the Garden State Track Club once again made USATF-NJ history, this time becoming the first men's team to rack up 84 points--or a perfect season--with six road wins (10pts) and two xc wins (12pts) under their 2012 belt. Not only did they win yesterday, they did it in convincing fashion--sweeping the top four team spots--finalizing their bid as the strongest men's club to ever compete in the USATF-NJ Grand Prix.

This was the 12th straight USATF-NJ Grand Prix team victory for the GSTC men. For their win on Sunday, they picked up a $500 team stipend for the upcoming national championships in Kentucky.

Rob Nihen lead a sweep of the top six spots for the Gold, hitting the tape in 25:46.41--working together with teammates Stephen Mennitt (25:46.65) and Ken Goglas (25:47.00). Kyle Price ran an outstanding race, coming in fourth in 26:03. The Milkman Adin Mickle was 5th in 26:44, and the bearded badboy Mike Anis was sixth in 26:53.

Finishing in the top twenty were Tim Morgan (10th/27:22), Ashwin Anantharaman (11th/27:24), Charlie Koontz (12th/27:46), Chuck Schneekloth (13th/27:51), David dos Santos (14th/27:56), Edsel Flores (16th/28:29), and Zak Martins (20th/28:52). It must be noted: Z-Mart, who hasn't had a TMA Nomination in weeks, shaved off 2:00 from his 2011 performance (30:56), while Flores perhaps ran his best race of his career, dropping a minute from his time last year (29:28). The 18-year-old New Brunswick HS senior would have beaten two Rutgers runners at the Big East 8k Championships this Friday afternoon...just sayin'.

Fett Leads Rutgers Runners; Breaks Teichmann's Record
In his first USATF-NJ race for the GSTC, Rutgers freshmen David Fett was the first RU finisher, rolling through in 29:00--breaking Dan Teichmann's RU record of 29:15 from last year. Fett, a Delaware resident, is a pharmacy student at Rutgers. Overall, the Scarlet Knight contingent ran exceptionally well, includingTyler Foss (29:43), Robert Klink (30:18), Kevin "The Russian Rocket" Ivanov (30:14), Kyle Flyer (30:16), Wilfredo Benitez (30:20), Mark Parisen(31:19), Mohamed "Mo Money, Mo Problems" Bahri (33:14), Sean Cust(34:04), Akhil Sankar (34:32),and Keith "Keith" Anacker (35:24).

Results: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2012/october/xc8k.htm#tm01

GSTC Teams
1st (31pts)- Nihen, Mennitt, Goglas, Mickle, Foss, Benitz
2nd (53pts)- Price, Anis, Anantharaman, Koontz, Klink
3rd (80pts)- Schneekloth, dos Santos, Martins, Jaris Rousseau (29:35), Franco Guevara (29:46), Ivanov
4th (99ps)- Morgan, Flores, Fett, Wismith "Bill Willy Style" Francois (30:25), Mark Parisen (31:13)
5th (119pts)- RVRR
6th (164pts)- Sneaker Factory
7th (189pts)- Flyer, Bahri, Woody Kongsamut (33:31), Cust, Sankar, Anacker
8th (217pts)- Nick Waclawski (33:19), Pete Klapsogeorge (34:26), Norbert Kuter (33:23), Corey Smith (34:09), Kapil Sathyukumar (32:57)
9th (226pts)- Shore AC
10th (267pts)- Clifton RC
11th (292pts)- Do Run Runners
12th (317pts)- Morris County Striders

Masters Finish 5th in XC Debut
The GSTC Mighty Masters 40s team finished 5th out of 11 teams, the club's USATF-NJ cross country debut. Leading the charge was the dynamic trio of Marty Doherty (30:43), Jeremy Stratton (30:49), and Kenny Huryk (31:18), who were the 7th, 8th, and 11th masters finishers, respectively. The Pompton Lakes duo of Francis Beideman (36:46) and Peter Auteri (36:55) rounded out the team's finishers.

GSTC Men Rock CPTC in Elite 5 Miler
Goglas Dominates Field, Scorches Course in Record Time 25:05

New Brunswick- During the 2012 track season, the GSTC sprinters defeated the country's best track club in several relay events, including the Penn Relays, the US Open, and the Millrose Games. However, the distance group has always come up short. Most recently, Central Park Track Club handidly beat the men at both the 2011 Gorilla Elite 8k and the 2011 national championships.

2012, indeed, brought about different results. Not only did the A Team defeat them...so did the B Team. In perhaps the club's greatest team effort and display of depth, CPTC was only able to squeak one runner inside the GSTC's top 5, resulting in an 18-37 win for the Gold; the B team's top five also handed the visiting team a loss, edging them out 54-60 during yesterday's Get the Gorila Elite 5k/5m Championship Race.

Ken Goglas gapped the group after about a mile, and ran the final four uncontested for the huge victory. Rob Nihen, the TCNJ star fresh off an incredible half-marathon two weeks ago, finished second, ahead of CPTC #1 man Carlos Jamieson. The group's next three all ran strong races, as #3 Chris Heibell's 25:34 shaved a full minute off last year's 26:31 effort, #4 Steven Mennitt dropped an incredible 25 second PR, and #5 man Tom Poland, in his first race since April, averaged 5:09 miles for a 25:44. Incredibly, the entire A-Team ecliped the course and club record of 25:57 set by fellow compatriot Jeffrey Perrella in 2011.

The next five GSTC finishers were all ahead of CPTC #4 and #5 men, resulting in the six point win. Anthony Harris's 26:10 was a whopping 2:06 faster than 2011, as #8 man's Adin Mickel's 26:13 shaved off 29 seconds from last year, too. Andrew Capizzi, the #7 man between the these two, finished in 26:13. Rounding out the top five were Mike Anis (26:16) and Tim Morgan(26:34), improvements of 1:58 and 1:47, respectively, from 2011.

The final four finishers for the Gold were Ashwin Anantharaman in 26:58 (27:53 in 2011), Craig Donnelly in 27:16, Peter Bolgert in 27:59, and James Lothian in 29:20; Anantharamanananmanandadmancan and Donnelly both edged out CPTC's #5 man.

CPTC Women Sweep Top 3 Spots in Win Over WIG
Ogletree Blitzes Club 5k XC Record 17:34 as Gold Come Up Short

New Brunswick- Described by Coach Devon Martin as perhaps "the best women's team we've ever had," the Central Park TC put on an impessive show in Buccleuch Park yesterday, handing the Women in Gold a 19-36 loss. But first, the silver lining. Believe it or not, this loss could be an indicator of a top 10 finish at club nationals in December. Let us explain.

Last year, CPTC finished 10th in Seattle's national championships. If you place last year's CPTC times with this year's GSTC times from the Gorilla race, they would have a tied score 28-28. Factor in that last year's race was a month later, so the WIG have another four weeks of developing fitness, and consider that team star Jamie Liberti missed yesterday with a calf still on the mend, you easily have a 2012 GSTC team that is better than a 2011 CPTC....that finished 10th. You dig?

Anyway, Cheyenne Ogletree set the trails on fire yesterday finishing in 17:34, yet only finished fourth behind a very tough CPTC top three. Just behind her was Chelsea Callan, who ran a huge PR of 18:03 and outleaned CPTC's Christina Argueta for 5th. Lindsay Lambert finished 8th, running a season-best time of 18:21, while teammate Alyssa Douma finished 10th in 18:58. The next three all dipped under 20:00 for the first time this year, a big step in the 2012 season for Karen Auteri (19:42), Megan DeCarlo (19:47), and Erika Meling (19:52).

Elizabeth Bissell, in her GSTC debut, was next for the GSTC in 20:02. The final four finishers all ran season bests: Erin Higgins (20:14), Danielle Stanton (20:26), Courtney Stanton (20:56), and Jill Zablocki (21:24). In fact, when comparing them to the USATF-NJ XC 5k race in early September, Danielle ran 58 seconds faster, Courtney ran 48 seconds faster, and Jill shaved off five seconds.

Click here to view elite results

Open 5k: Men Put 14 in Top 20
Koontz, Martins Go 3-4 as Personal Bests Abound in Race Before Elite Dual Meet

New Brunswick- For once, Zak Martins grabs a GSTC headline that isn't in the Tim Morgan Award section.

While finishing fourth overall and just a second behind teammate Charlie Koontz, the scrappy collegiate sophomore broke 17:00 for the first time and dropped a 21 second PR, finishing in 16:45. Also finishing in the top 20 wereKevin Ivanov (16:58), David Fett (17:03), Edsel Flores (17:06), Ricardo Garcia (17:11/PR), Jon Karrlson (17:26), Wismith Francois (17:28), Jaris Rousseau (17:28/PR), Franco Guevara (17:30/PR), Tyler Foss (17:40),Wilfredo Benetiz (17:50/PR), Mark Parisen (18:07/PR), and TJ Zablocki(18:07).

Quite honestly, the GSTC had so many people run in the open 5k, we aren't really sure how to weave it into a cohesive story. So, for lack of a more creative approach, here are the rest of the performances by club members: Scott Miglore (18:23), Kenny Huryk (18:50), Paul Fromholtz (18:51), Marty Doherty (18:53), Norbert Kuter (19:04), Nick Waclawski (19:19/PR), Zach Spiegel (19:27), Mike Obsuth (19:27), Kyle Flyer (19:27), Mike Gurzo (19:31), Alex Pires (19:34), Jason Chee (19:36), Kenny Sorrell (19:51), Peter Klapsogeorge (20:00/D'oh!), Woody Kongsamut (20:09), Kapil Sathyajumar (20:15/SB), Corey Smith (20:26/SB), Rob DeCarlo (20:32/GSTC 5k record carrying boogie board), Sean Cust (20:39), Keith Anacker (21:24), Lauren Haynes (21:32), Cathy Stutzman (21:43), Ken "Gorilla" Walsh (21:43), Sara Douma (22:20), Brian Dennis (23:12), Nicole Callaghan (23:15), Amanda Rolph (24:35), Larry Saparito (25:40), Christian Sylvester (25:51/ran in a suit! and dress shoes!), Shridhar Kamat (26:32), Sara Gursky (26:45), Prudence Jones (30:01), Michele Tuchol (29:57), and Lindsay Capone (30:14).

Click here to view video

Golden Girls Win by 19 Minutes in LWHM
Ogletree Sizzles 6:15 Pace; Top 3 Run Fastest Team Time in Decade

Jersey City- Just a few months ago, the WIG were fighting for a USATF-NJ Open Women's Team Championship. Now, they may be one of the best open women's team in the history of the USATF-NJ.

Today, the women's scoring four (Cheyenne Ogletree, Chelsea Callan, Alyssa Douma, Karen Auteri) had a team time of 5:43:09 at the Liberty Waterfront USATF-NJ Half Marathon Championships. How good is that? Consider past results from this long-contested race: RVRR's scoring four was 6:16 in 2011; before that, only the top three were scored. Comparing GSTC's top three today (4:09), it was the fastest in a decade: RVRR 2010 (4:34), RVRR 2009 (4:30), Running Company 2008 (4:24), Running Company 2007 (4:19), 2006 link broken, 2005 Warren Street Open Women (4:21), 2004 Saucony Runner's High (4:19), 2003 Asics Club East (4:12), and 2002 Asics Club East (4:06). One word: WOW.

History lessons aside, Ogletree (81:57) pocketed the $200 for first, with teammates Callan (84:45), Douma (85:21) and Auteri (91:05) in her wake. All four PR'ed, with fellow "Gold Teamers" Danielle Stanton (96:26), Jill Zablocki (97:56), Erika Meling (99:04), and Nicole Corre (1:20:14) following shortly behind. Thanks to their efforts, the WIG have now opened up a commanding six point lead in the race to the open women's USATF team title.

The Black Team repped just as well, finishing 5th in stacked women's field of twelve teams. Erin Higgins (96:06) and Courtney Stanton (97:03) lead the way in 97:03, as Cathy Stutzman (99:19), Sarah Fairbrook (99:40), and Sara Douma (1:20:18) rounded out the scoring four. Making her GSTC debut was Brianne Teichmann (1:54:53), a PR, as did Prudence "The PR Machine" Jones (2:14:56), and big props to Shawnee Naught, who finished her first half in 2:29:10!!

Now the ladies turn to 10/7, when they will lace up their shoes next at the Get the Gorilla 5k. While some will run the Elite 5k vs. Central Park TC, others will run the open 5k that same morning. They will close out the regular season with the USATF-NJ 8k Cross Country Championships on 10/28 before preparations for the national championships in Kentucky.

Goglas Wins USATF-NJ HM Title
Perrella Gets 2nd; Harris' Surge Lifts Gold to Team Win as "Team Fancypants" Gets Second

Jersey City- Anything can happen in a half marathon. And today, everything seemingly did.

At the eight mile mark, the Gold Team was losing. The usually reliable Adin Mickle and Mike Anis, both members of the 2011 club nationals team, were having off-races. Tony Harris was rolling conservatively through 5:40s, but was well behind. Ken Goglas and Jeff Perrella were fighting it out with a group of four others in the lead pack. Things were not looking good--truly.

But then, perhaps we can say, tradition took over.

Goglas and Perrella soon pulled away, finishing 1-2 overall. "Pacman Polite" Harris also put on a huge surge, running his last three miles in 5:10-5:07-5:08 to gobble up dozens of runners in the final (Editor's note: don't believe us? Wait until you hear what he did at the 5th Ave Mile, below). As the team won by four minutes, it was the final gutsy push of these three that truly put the club into the "w" column in the eleventh hour. And when we say eleventh hour, we mean....this race was won, lierally, in the final mile.

Big Ken ran an 80 second all-time PR of 69:11, the #3 all-time performance for the GSTC behind only Perrella and Tom Poland. DJ Jazzy Jeff ran 69:21, his #2 all-time effort for the distance.

"Team Blold" (a combination of gold and black- this confused some), officially re-named "Team FancyPants" by Andrew Capizzi, squeezed out a well-earned, very impressive second place team finish. Rob Nihen and Stephen Mennitt, both making their half marathon debuts, ran quite wonderfully, as they finished in 71:21 and 72:39 respectively. Really, this whole team just ran out of their minds, as Timmy Morgan (74:05), Ashwin Anantharaman (74:21/ HM debut), andCapizzi (74:59) just absolutely NAILED it, with GSTC-Rutgers captain and #6 man Dan Teichmann also running a 2:00 PR in 78:56. Of course he did. That's how Team FancyPants rolls.

The "Black Team" picked up a fourth place, one place ahead of RVRR's A Team. Shawn D'Andrea made his fall debut in 75:40 to lead the group, withChuck Schneekloth (76:30), Alex Fowlie (77:04), Rich Angelillo (77:36), Ken Walsh (78:57), Edsel Flores (84:05), and Jason Chee (89:49). Highlights from the group: Walsh PR'ed by several minutes, and Chee broke 90:00 for the first time in his career.

Finally, the "Rutgers Team" finished in 7th of 13th teams scoring 2 team points for the club. Leading the charge was our homeboy James "I'll have a chocolate frosty" Lothian, who ran 80:59 as the group's #1 man. Rutgers PhD candidate Jason Gulya rolled in next at 82:42, despite losing to his twin brother (ouch!) with TJ Zablocki, who evidently has a great view of mile 12 from his Jersey City office window, just behind him in 83:55. Steve Bonica was the team's #4 man in 85:02, with just 20 seconds separating the next three: Mark Parisen (86:23), Adam Nalven (86:26), and Rob DeCarlo (86:43). Nick Waclowski (1:31) and Sean Crust (1:42) wrapped up the finishers for the mighty gold and black.

Like the women, now the men begin preparations for the Gorilla 5k on 10/7, which for the elite men will be 8k. From there, the USATF-NJ 8k cross country championships will be on 10/28, one of the final determinants for the national championship team in Kentucky.

Results
Team huddle and chant
The start
Goglas brings it home
Ogletree wins
Wanna see your finish? Peep us here (not all are labeled yet)

Masters Men Make Club History at HM

While the open men and men made plenty of noise, so did one other group: the masters men. For the first time in GSTC history, a complete master's team finished aUSATF-NJ Championship race, as the men finished 5th in the M-40's competition. Spotswood Sensation Kenny Huryk lead the historic finish as the #1 man, rolling home in 88:40, as Jeremy "The Legend" Stratton came in as #2 in 90:21. Just twenty seconds later Eric Davis finished, with team captainMarty Doherty (96:14), Peter Auteri (1:41:30), and Francis Beideman(1:41:50) rounding out the top six finishers. Congratulations to our masters men, and a special thanks to Marty for all his effort in helping with the organization here!

Koontz Leads 1-2-3 Sweep in Wounded Warrior 5k
The GSTC-Rutgers Boys Roll Deep in Campus Race

Piscataway- Not to be out done by the club elders, the Boys on the Banks flexed their muscles yesterday in the 5th Annual Wounded Warrior 5k held on the Piscataway Busch Campus of Rutgers University.

Charlie Koontz, fresh out of Hunterdon Central HS, took gold in his second race in gold, averaging 5:16 for a solid 16:19 victory. David Fett, a second year pharmacy student making his GSTC debut, finished second in 16:53--nearly a 1:00 PR. Half miler Tyler Foss, an ROTC member who organized the team effort, ran a season best of 17:32 for third. Kyle Flyer, the 2011 leadoff for the GSTC 4x800 at club nationals, also ran a SB of 17:47 for 5th. Robert Klink hit 18:42 for 7th, and recent RU grad Woody Kongsamut hammered his first sub-20:00 5k, finishing 9th in 19:31.

Harris Runs 4:15 at 5th Ave Mile

New York City- Just the day before saving the day for the half marathon Gold Team, Tony Harris scorched 5th Avenue in the yearly 5th Ave Mile hosted by NYRR. Hitting the tape at 4:15.5, the #2 road mile in club history, he finished five seconds ahead of road mile club record holder Chris Heibell, who ran 4:20.

GSTC Women Dominate USATF-NJ 5k Championships
Douma, Liberti Debut as Women Take 2-Point Lead in USATF-NJ Open Team Title Race

Livingston, NJ: Half-way through the race, Cheyenne Ogletree was in a very unfamiliar place: she wasn't the GSTC front runner. In fact, thanks to the early, hard-pressing race tactics by newcomers Alyssa Douma and Jamie Liberti, she wasn't even #2. And no- she wasn't running poorly.

In reality, Liberti and Douma both went out in 5:45, setting a blistering pace even Ogletree couldn't match. By mile two, the savvy front-runner took over her front-running duties, pushing hard the final mile to finish in 18:30.55, a new club record. Finishing second overall women, averaging 5:57/mile, she brought home a $200 purse for her efforts.

On her heels were Douma (18:37/4th) and Liberti (18:48/5th), both of whom ran brilliant races despite the overly hot conditions and their hard early pace. They are both similar in time and career: they are currently both educators. Douma is an elementary school teacher and HS coach; Liberti is an instructor at Rutgers as she finishes her PhD.

Kristin Cupido, coming off a minor foot injury, rolled in at 19:34 to seal the win for the Lady GSTC'ers, who averaged 18:52 for their scoring four runners. Second place RVRR, who now falls two points behind GSTC in the open women's team race, averaged 19:45.

In total, ten women competed in the team's best road race showing in team history. They included Karen Auteri (20:25), Meghan DeCarlo (20:45), Nicole Corre (20:54), Erin Higgins (21:17), Cathy Stutzman (22:10), and Michelle Tuchol (27:44).

Check out the video of the finish here.

Big Breakthroughs in the Final Hour
Brito, Harris, Lucas, Heibell Shine at Final Meet, NJ International Invite

Holmdel- Recent St. Peter's graduate Aaron Lucas is fitting into his new team well. Real well, actually.
In just his second meet wearing Gold and Black, not only did he smash two club records, he finished in the top four at the prestigious NJ International Invitational on Sunday. Running back and forth between the long and high jump, first Lucas uncorked a 23'4" long jump in the trials. Ten minutes later, he soared over 6'8". Three jumps later, we was well over 6'10", but clipped the bar with his heel--a clear sign of fatigue after six jumps in twenty minutes. His 6'8" finished second overall, earning him a top-three watch; his long jump finished 4th.

Two of GSTC's most loyal sprinters finished the season with all-time PRs and new club records. Tony Harris, using perfect tactics and energy distribution, won heat two of the Elite 800m in 1:52.69. After sitting on two Central Park TC athletes with an 54.5 opening circuit, he uncorked a furious kick in the final 150m, holding off NYAC/NJ-NY TC's Deon Bascom for the biggest win--and fastest time--of his career.

Mike Brito also saved the best for last, running an all-time PR of 52.97 in the 400IH. A decorated long hurdler in high school (bronze medal, Meet of Champs) and college (Kean), Brito 15-stepped the entire race to take 9th in a stacked elite field. Despite not competing for seven years, this all-time PR highlighted a banner season for him, whereas he ran on the record-breaking GSTC relays at Madison Square Garden, Penn Relays, and the adidas Diamond League Grand Prix. He also broke 49 twice this year- a feat never accomplished in his collegiate glory days.

"These are well-earned breakthroughs for Mike and Tony," GSTC sprint coach Chuck Schneekloth said. "These guys make profound sacrifices three times a week to attend our sprint practices, and they've stayed loyal to the plan. They define the vision of our club: if you're willing to commit, this club will make you faster. I'm proud of everyone who finished the long season, and I'm particularly proud of these two."

Numerous other athletes had notable performances. For the first time in club history, the women won back-to-back races, as Camiesha Pierson, making her GSTC debut, won the first 400m heat, and Haleigh Simon won the second 400m heat, nipping teammate Quanisha Booker in the final 10m. Marquis Cole (49.88) and Ricky Garcia (50.06) went 1-2 in the third elite 400m heat, and Chris Heibell stormed back on strong 1500m elite field to finish at 3:51.01, outkicking CPTC indoor national qualifier Carlos Jamieson. Half miler Tahlief Jackson ran a season best in the 800m elite race (1:54.76), with Mark Parisen shaving off .74 from his old 400IH personal best, as he ran 54.52 to finish 10th in the elite race, with teammate Alan Broussard (54.73) just a step behind.

Hundreds Tear Up NB Streets in College Ave Mile

New Brunswick- In its inaugural year, nearly two hundred runners pounded the streets of New Brunswick--including athletes from New York City, Philadelphia, Maryland, New Foundland, and Delaware. The fastest time of the day, 4:22.15, was from Christian Hesch--a Californian who ran 3:58.68 at Falmouth last year.

In total, 6 runners broke 4:30, 17 broke 4:50, 25 broke 5:00, and 80 broke 6:00.

In the elite women's race, GSTC's Jamie Liberti outran teammate Cheyenne Ogletree by a slim 5:15.23 - 5:16.75 margin, with Alyssa Douma just two steps behind in 5:20.32. In the elite men's race, GSTC legend Jeff Perrella was outleaned by Hesch, 4:22.19 - 4:22.94. Just behind them was a thrilling finish, as one secod separated three GSTC'ers: Chris Heibell (4:25.10), Tony Harris (4:25.18), Ken Goglas (4:25.28). After MIG Tahlief Jackson (4:28.76) and Princeton native Cole Crosby (4:32.28) rolled in, yet another pack of gold were separated by one second: Andrew Capizzi (4:35.35), Tim Morgan (4:35.73), and Adin Mickle (4:35.85).

Several GSTC athletes won their heat, including:
Karen Auteri (5:46)
Nicole Corre (6:04)
Edsel Flores (4:46)
Nick Waclowski (5:36)
Ricardo Garcia (4:56)

A legion of GSTC'ers ran, including Chris Schneider (4:36), Tyler Foss (4:48), Zak Martins (4:52), Norbert Kuter (4:58), James Lothian (5:00/ GSTC debut), Jeremy Stratton (5:15/3rd Master's Elite), Kristin Cupido (5:43/4th Elite Women), Mike Habib (7:54), Megan McGlynn (7:58), Prudence Jones (8:15), Amy Denholtz (8:22), Mike Gurzo (6:02), Pete Klapsogeorge (6:04), Brian Dennis (5:54), Cristella Larosa (6:20), Hedolis Jaquez (5:07), Jaris Rousseau (5:07), Alex Fowlie (5:09), Joe Ambrosio (5:11), Mark Parisen (5:14), Ashwin Anantharaman (5:16), Ken Walsh (5:20), Rob DeCarlo (5:19), Ken Huryk (5:22), Steve Bonica (5:26), Jason Gulya (5:25), Arvid Pansanjan (5:34), Keith Anacker (5:38), Meghan DeCarlo (5:56)

Click here to view pictures
Click here to view results
Click here to view video

4x400 Madness at Swarthmore Last Chance

Swarthmore, PA: Finally, hurdler Mike Brito broke the 54 second barried, running 53.49 and finishing second at the Swarthmore Last Chance Invitational on a drizzling Monday evening. Hours later, he broke 49 for the first time in his career, splitting 48.81 as the 4x400 team of Tony Harris, Ricky Garcia, and Duval Sewer lowered their own club record by several tenths, hitting the tape at 3:17.48. This was followed by the B team (3:25.24), C team (3:26.54), D team (3:30.77), E team (3:39.72), and the F team (3:48.85). Watch the club record here.

Numerous athletes finished high, including Alan Broussard's big PR in the 110HH (14.69/2nd) along with a 5ht in the 400IH (55.35), and Marquis Cole placing 6th in 400m with a PR of 49.87.

Other notable performances were Arvid "The Flying Hawaiiian" Pansanjan winning two races (11.44/22.68), winning his 800m hear (1:53.49), and Garcia in the 400IH (7th/ 56.01). Jaris Rousseau (56.61/7th) and Eric Weber (58.01/14th) ran season-bests in the 400IH. The half mile was particulary strong for the GSTC, as Sam Jenssen (1:54.74/debut), Michael Saparito (1:56.37/ debut), Tahlief Jackson (1:56.68), Tyler Foss (1:57.12/season best/picture), Duval Sewer (1:59.70), Mark Parisen (2:00.71/PR), Norbert Kuter (2:01.40/SB), Zak Martins (2:01.81).

Men, Women Win at 10k, 5 Mile Championships

Auteri Makes the Difference as GSTC Women Squeak Out Team Win by 7 Seconds
Jersey City- Last weekend, at the USATF-NJ 5 Mile Championships, the GSTC women were about 30 seconds short of a win. Despite a significant lead after three finishers, they lost by a slim margin after the fourth and final scoring finisher.
This weekend, enter Karen Auteri.

The GSTC top three, like last week, ran a very solid race up front at the Newport 10k. Cheyenne Ogletree continued to wallop the USATF-NJ, as her 38:50 finish put her 1:15 faster than the next team scorer, Kavitha Manley. For being the top USATF-NJ finisher ($500) and 5th American ($100), Ogletree brought in $600 of total prize money for the day. Kristin Cupido and Meghan DeCarlo rolled in together, averaging 6:43/mile to come in at 41:48.30 and 41:48.63, respectively. After the first three women finished, the GSTC ladies were up by 35 seconds. When the RVRR #4 came in at 42:21, the real clock started. If Auteri came in within the next 35 seconds, they would win and tie up the Grand Prix Open Women score; if not, they would fall four points back at second place. Sure enough, Auteri came in at 42:49...28 seconds later, locking up the GSTC win by a mere seven total seconds: 2:45:16 - 2:45:24. That's 1.7 seconds per woman. And who says every second doesn't count? Other 10k finishers included Erin Higgins (49:36), Cathy Stutzman (49:36), Amy Denholtz (64:46), and Prudence Jones (65:02). We aren't sure what Prudence is drinking, but we'd like to have some. She has PRed in every distance thus far in 2012: 5k, 10k, 15k, and half marathon. Wow.

Perrella Storms Back, Leads GSTC Men to Spring Sweep in Final USATF-NJ Race
It's been a rough stretch for team captain Jeff "Quiet Storm" Perrella. In December, he struggled through the 10k national cross country championships, grimacing in hip pain. Through January and February, he was went from one injury to the next; during the first USATF-NJ Grand Prix Championship race, the 20k, he was working a water station instead of working the competition. Running 40 minutes without pain was a success.All that said, yesterday's 10k showed one thing: The Q-Storm is back. Averaging 5:01.4 a mile, Perrella finished in 31:13 to finally end the half-year of injury-induced frustration. This was 8th overall, top NJ finisher, top USATF-NJ finisher, and 3rd American Elite finisher. $750 in 31 minutes of running...not a bad day at the office.The MIG won the team race by ten minutes over second place Sneaker Factory: 2:47:44 - 2:57:22. Like the women, this first place finish brought in $150 of prize money, which will most likely go to buying Chuck some new Air Jordans for the summer. Finishing second was team ironman Ken "Kenny G" Goglas in 33:13; KG was also 2nd man in the Five Mile Championship just six days earlier. Team legend Timmy Morgan was the #3 man (33:20), workhorse Mike Anis (three races in ten days?!) was the #4 man (34:05), teenage phenom Edsel "The Pretzel" Flores was #5 (35:51), and Germany-bound, Rutgers sehr gut sophomore Dan Teichmann was the #6 man (36:02).

Washington Hits Olympic Trials Mark
Goglas Leads Team Effort with Double Gold & Club Record in 3k Steeplechase

Long Branch- Any veteran of the sport knows two things about track and field: anything can happen, and championship meets usually comes down to the relays.
The 2012 USATF-NJ Track and Field Championships were no different, as the GSTC clung to a delicate 80-72 lead over the Shore AC with just the three relays remaining: 4x100, 4x800, and 4x400. Shore AC, the heavy favorite as the USATF National Champions in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011, would win 89-80 if they won all three.
However, in a major shift in New Jersey club running, the Gold and Black swept all three relays, securing a 95-72 upset team win--the first in club history.
In addition to the relays sweep, the MIG swept the top four spots in the 800, 1500, 3k steeplechase, and 5k-- a huge swing of 44 points. SAC did a similar thing in the throws, as they swept both the shot and discus, along with sweeping the top three in the 400IH and top two in the 110HH.
Jason Staggers (HJ, LJ) and Ken Goglas (10k, steeplechase) were double winners, as Goglas' 9:47 steeple broke the club record by twenty seconds, formerly held by Mike Anis. Speaking of the Bearded Badass, he picked up a gold in perhaps a newly-found love: the 5,000m racewalk. Jason Marti, in his GSTC debut, broke the club record in the hammer throw, while Tony Harris, Chris Schneider, and Chris "Handoff Expert" Heibell picked up five points gold medals.
Ish Robbins picked up a clutch silver in a loaded 100m field in a club-record 10.87, while Harris and Mike Saparito sandwiched 3:52 miler Robbie Andrews for 550m in the 800m.

Click here to view video

GSTC 4x400 Competes in IAAF Diamond League Grand Prix

Icahn Stadium, NYC- Hours before competing in one of the world's most competitive track and field meets, the IAAF Golden League adidas Grand Prix, the Garden State Track Club saw and met numerous American Olympians soon to compete, including 100m American record holder Tyson Gay.

However, the race was marred with controversy, as the eight team field was lined up for an in-lane start until the Shore AC team jumped on the track just minutes before the gun went off. They missed the final call due to only having three athletes, and a SAC coach was asking high school and college coaches for one final athlete to complete their relay. They finally found someone, and jumping on the track without hip numbers, forced race officials to make it a scratch, shoulder-to-shoulder start with nine teams now lining up.

This did not bode well for GSTC lead-off Marquis Cole, as he only mustered a 51.3 lead-off due to the heavy bumping at the start. Once free from the crowd, the MIG ran well: Ricky Garcia (48.5/PR), Mike Brito (49.3), and Tony Harris (48.8/PR). They finished 6th of 9 teams in 3:18.89.

GSTC Wins USATF-NJ Track & Field Team Title

Princeton- At Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational, GSTC superstar hurdler Asia Washington ran an all-time PR of 56.78, placing second and dipping under the USA Olympic Trials "B Standard" of 57.00. Her herculean effort fell just short of the Trials "A Standard" of 56.00, and the actual IAAF "Olympic B" Standard of 56.65. What this means, for Asia, is that the USATF will take the fastest 28 athletes who have run under the "B" standard. However, to ensure a lane at the 2012 Olympic Trials in Eugene, she must hit the "A Standard."

Poland Grabs Silver at UNITE Half

Piscataway- Tom Poland lead a very strong pack of Gold and Black in the Unite Half Marathon, as he finished second in 68:38. Averaging 5:14 a mile in his debut half marathon, Poland pulled in $500 of prize money for his second place effort- a time just off Jeff Perrella's club record of 68:12 from last year's Philly half marathon. Just behind him, in his GSTC debut, was Brandon Smith. A former Rutgers standout and current grad student, Smith finished his first half in 71:59, good for sixth overall (5:29/mile). Finishing 7th overall was Mark Del Monaco, averaging 5:33 a mile for a 72:51 finish.

As part of her Jersey Shore Half Marathon build up, GSTC woman's co-captain Claire Tafelski finished third in the 8k race, running 34:19. Amy Denholtz also ran the 8k, squeaking under 10:00 pace as she ran 49:41, or 9:59/mile.

Men Go 1-2-4 in USATF-NJ Men's 5k Championships

Marlboro- There was plenty of pre-race hype: Gold, Black, and Ugly Teams fighting for a team title. Morgan vs Polite. Bonica vs DeCarlo. When the dust finally settled, all that was left was one big, wet mess of gold charging the finish line. The Men in Gold put 7 in the top 11, and 14 in the top 26, to once again dominate the third of nine USATF-NJ Grand Prix Championship races.

The Black Team edged the Gold Team, averaging 16:29-16:31, respectively, for a narrow victory by just six total seconds. Leading the black team was Jeff Perrella (15:15/2nd), who entered his first race after a long winter of nagging injuries. Filling out the self-proclaimed "Italian Team" was Tim Morgano (15:36), Luis Romero (15:42), Jeremy Stratton (17:53), and Tyler Foss (17:59). Just behind them was the Gold Team, lead by Adin Mickle (15:38), Tony Harris (15:46), Edsel Flores (16:56), Mike Obsuth (17:05), and Zak Martin (17:06). Finishing a disappointing fourth, thus spoiling hopes for a 1-2-3 GSTC sweep, was the Ugly Team of Ashwin Anantharaman (16:08), Chuck Schneekloth (16:16), Dan Teichmann (17:07), Zach Spiegel (17:16), and Mark Parisen (19:06).

Also racing for the Gold were Norber Kutert (18:15), Wilfredo Benitez (18:21/debut), Steve Bonica (18:45), Paul Fromholtz (18:46/debut), Rob DeCarlo (18:47), Woody Kongsamut (20:15/debut), Meghan DeCarlo (20:20), Keith Anacker (20:43/debut), Nick Waclowski (20:43), William Herring (21:43), Michelle Tuchol (27:53), Prudence Jones (27:58/ 1:00 PR)

Click here to view Team Results

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Washington Grabs Two Gold; Men Break 4x400 Club Record

Lawrenceville, NJ: Asia Washington had a huge day on the oval, dominating both the 200m (24.99) and 400m (54.92). While a few tenths slower than yesterday, she dominated the fields, racing the majority of both races alone up front. Read more about the former Hokie below as the selected Athlete of the Week. Meanwhile, watch her crush the 200m field HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxNDIQXD_1k. Shay Warren, Ataysia Ingram, Alexis Mbakwe, and Quanisha Booker added a third place in the 4x100 relay (see picture).

The men had another solid day, as Mike Brito placed second in the 400IH in 54.25. Alan Brussard ran his second fastest time over 110HH, grabbing 2nd in 15.06. Tony Harris finished 3rd in a very hot 800m race in 1:54.12, and teammate Ricky Garcia took 4th in the open 400m in 50.03, a lifetime PR. Others scoring points in the top eight were Mark Parisen (5th, 400IH, 55.30), Simon Vuong (7th, PV, 12-6), and Marquis Cole (8th, 200m, 22.75).

The foursome of Brito (50.5), Garcia (49.6), Duval Sewer (49.7), and Harris (48.9) finished a close 2nd to Monmouth in 3:19.51. Not only is this a new GSTC club record, it marks the first time the club broke 3:20 for the mile relay.

Click here to view video

Washington, Harris Shine at Sam Howell

Princeton, NJ: Asia Washington had a great day at the races, placing 2nd in the 200m (24.18) and 3rd in the 400m (54.71) yesterday at the Sam Howell Invitational hosted by Princeton University. While both races were club records, her 400m race also broke the previous meet record of 54.90.

Tony Harris continues his outstanding season, as he won heat four in a PR and GSTC record 1:53.12. The former record holder of 1:54.15, Chris Heibell, couldn't be reached for comment last evening (sulking maybe?). Harris also anchored the 4x400 relay in 49.7, which won the second heat in 3:22.69; this placed fourth out of nineteen relays. He teamed with Mike Brito (51.2), Ricky Garcia (49.6), and Duval Sewer (51.5).

All four relay members came off a race within 90 minutes of the relay, so the 3:22 was on tired legs. Brito crept closer to the club record of 53.33, as he ran 54.01 and finished third overall. Just behind him was Alan Brussard, who finished fourth in 54.28. Garcia ran 55.45 to place third in the second heat, and Sewer ran 1:58.22 to also grab third in his heat of the 800m.

The B Team of Alan Broussard, Marquis Cole, Mark Parisen, and Ish Robbins ran 3:29.77 for the win in heat three, with the C Team of Antonio Gaines, Tyler Foss, Jaris Rousseau, and Daniel Brathwaite just behind them in 3:31.24. The D team ran 3:35.58, falling just .02 short of outleaning the CPTC A team. Felix Osorio, Norbert Kuter, Zak Martins, and Eric Weber all made their first Princeton University appearance, teaming up for the effort.

Men, Women Win 15k USATF-NJ Team Championships

Middletown- GSTC superstar Tom Poland landed his first career USATF-NJ Championship this morning, as he sizzled to a 48:18 victory and $300 pay day for the win. Running stride for stride with Mike Rolek, Poland actually fell a few strides back at mile 8, only to open up a six second lead in he final mile. His time, a swift 5:12 pace over one of the hilliest and most challenging courses in the state, crushed the course record by a blistering 90 seconds.

Meanwhile, the men's A Team and B Team went 1-2, putting an impressive eight finishers in the top thirteen spots. Running his best race in gold, Mark Del Monaco was the team's #2 man in 50:30 (6th), with the always steady Adin Mickle (7th) just behind him in 50:33. A minute behind was the ever reliable Ken Goglas (51:31/8th), and next was Shawn D'Andrea, a 2:32 marathoner from Philadephia University making his black and gold debut (52:00/9th). Closing out the men's scorers were the Blomfield College upstart Luis Romero (52:08), old man Chuck Schneekloth (52:53), Dan Teichman (54:55), Edsel Flores (56:33), and Zach Speigel (59:37). The top seven GSTC runners would have won the race in 2009 (Luciano De Olivera won in 54:38). The remaining men all ran very solid races, including 51 year old and 2000 and 2005 Indian Trails Champion Jeremy Stratton (59:39), NYC facial hair king Steve "This Course Was Easy, from what I remember, in 2003" Bonica (59:47), Rob DeCarlo averaged 6:36 pace en route to a fine 61:20 finish, and Kenny Huryk finished in 65:31.

The GSTC women also won the 15k team title. Once again, Cheyenne Ogletree lead the way, running yet another big race on the USATF-NJ circuit. Finishing second overall, Ogletree averaged a very impressive 6:26 per mile finshing in 59:48. In second, running her best race for the GSTC, was Erin Higgins, who dipped under 7:00 pace to hit the tape at 64:29, with Meghan DeCarlo right on her heels at 64:55 and Karen Auteri finishing up the scoring four in 66:24. Rounidng out the team was Claire Tafeski (69:27), Cathy Stutzman (76:23), and Prudence Jones (1:42:22). It appears they placed second, but team results have yet to be published.

Hurdlers Hammer at Monmouth

West Long Branch, NJ-- The GSTC opened up their spring track season yesterday at the Monmouth Opener against forty-one teams, and despite windy and colder conditions, came away with some big performances.

Alan Broussard, making his hurdling debut of 2012, had an incredible day. First, he placed fourth overall in the 400IH in 54.59; hours later, he thundered to his first collegiate invitational victory, capturing the 110HH gold while fighting a +2.5 headwind (see attached picture). Check out his win here.

The intermediate hurdle crew had a dominating day, placing 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th overall. Mike Brito (54.50) lead the charge, followed by Broussard, Ricardo Garcia (55.02), and Mark Parisen (56.18). These were all career-best season openers...a great sign for the 2012 season.

Click here to see the crew go 1-2-3-4 in the second of four heats

Other top ten finishes included Matt Sunga (4th/LJ), Jibril Beamon (8th/LJ; 5th/TJ), and Tony Harris (10th/1500).

Harris anchored the 5th place SMR in 1:56.2, teaming with Brito, Broussard, and Marquis Cole to finish in 3:34.81. 3:33.76 was 2nd, with ESU winning in 3:31. Click here to watch Tony Polite go to work in the final 100m, catching and nearly passing the entire field.

Ogletree Wins 20k USATF-NJ Title

Highland Park- GSTC's Cheyenne Ogletree dominated today's 20k USATF-NJ 20k Championship, winning it over Delaware's Sara Rusk by two minutes and thirteen seconds. She averaged an impressive 6:23/mile for the 12.4 miles, which is actually 2:47 marathon pace, the Olympic Trials qualifying standard.

The women were second by 1:42 after the top four scorers finished. However, three key runners weren't able to attend, and after GSTC's top three finishers, the Gold was winning by over a minute. Indeed, things look promising once at full strength, as they should challenge for the 2012 Open Women's Team title.

Ogletree was joined by teammates Kristin Cupido (84:05), Meghan Decarlo (86:23), Lindsey Michaliszyn (94:51), Cathy Stutzman (104:02), and Erin Higgins (104:02).

Men Go 1-2 in 20k Championship

The Black and Gold picked up where they left off in 2011, dominating the USATF-NJ's first championship grand prix race of 2012.

Perhaps what's most impressive, however, is that they did it without several of their top weapons: Jeff Perrella, Nicolai Naranjo, Patrick Lestarnge, Dan Teichmann, Zack Spiegel, Mark DelMonaco, Steve Mennitt, and Alex Fowlie. This group, at full strength, would have given today's "A Team" an honest run for their money.

Regardless, it was a battle of experience vs. youth for the men's individual title, and Mike Dixon (5:15/mile average) prevailed over Tom Poland (5:16/mile) by 14 seconds. Stride for stride for nearly 11 miles, after dropping Fleet Feet's Justin Scheid and Sneaker Factory's Mike Rolek around mile 9, the seasoned marathoner pulled away from the former Columbia star in the final mile stretch. It was Poland's GSTC grand prix debut--and his longest career race to date.

The A and B teams cleaned up, putting 10 in the top 15, all averaging 5:43 pace or faster. These included Ken Goglas (68:30), Adin "Milkman" Mickle (68:59), Mike Anis (69:06), Tony Harris (69:08), Luis Romero (69:35), Ashwin Anantharaman (70:12), Tim Morgan (70:54), and Chuck Schneekloth (71:01).

Numerous other men ran solid races, including Ken Walsh (6:05/mile), Edsel Flores (6:10), Jeremy Stratton (6:24), Steve Bonica (6:41), and master Kenny Huryk (6:59).

Total team times of the top three teams were GSTC A (5:42), GSTC B (5:55), and RVRR (6:00).

Records Fall at Road Relays II

New Brunswick- Myriad meet records fell this weekend, as great weather and big numbers resulted in some fast times all around.

In the open division, it was two GSTC teams of Nicole Corre/Erin Higgins (42:01) and Chris Heibell/Adin Mickle (31:23) winning the women's and men's titles, respectively. The former won by 49 seconds, breaking the meet record by nearly 3:00, while the latter handily defeated the GSTC teams of Mike Dixon/Mike Anis (by 1:00) and Tony Harris/Chuck Schneekloth (by 1:33), lowering the former record by 1:13.

Team Nalven was able to hold onto their Co-Ed Rutgers Alumni title, and Cheyenne Ogletree/Steve Mennitt teamed for an incredible 34:32 to destroy the former meet standard. GSTC'ers Ashwin Anatharamn/Elena Tous and Ken Goglas/Claire Tafelski went 2-3 in that division.

Not to be outdone, our GSTC-Rutgers duo of Zach Spiegel/Dan Teichmann ran away with the college men's title, finishing in 34:54- a bit off from last year's record of 34:07 set by Teichmann/Kyle Flyer. GSTC members actually swept this event, with Rutgers' Keith Flyer/Mike Obsuth taking second, and Kean's Jaris Rousseau/Ricardo Garcia grabbing bronze.

Congrats to GSTC's half miler Tyler Foss, who teamed with his sister Hannah to take gold in the sibling co-ed division.

There has been some Facebook chatter that the course was a hair long, but this is coming mostly from Chris Heibell- who is still upset he had to work so hard for so long to finally catch his nemesis/hero, Chuck, in the second leg of the race. There was similar chatter about Harris coming from way back to snatch up Anis in the third leg, but that is for another time and place.

Men Finish 2nd in Millrose Club Relay Championships

NYC- The GSTC men finished second overall in the nine-team Millrose Games Club Relay Championships, closing out an impressive 2012 indoor season. Zenith Velocity, despite not scoring in the distance medley, picked up two wins (and 20 points) in the 4x200 and sprint medley relays to win the team title. GSTC was second (16 points), followed by Shore AC (12), Central Park TC (10), New Balance- Silicon Valley (10), Westchester TC (8), Greater Philadelphia TC (6), Gotham Spark TC (3), and DC Capitol (0).

In the distance medley, Chris Behre (3:07.4) lead-off, followed by two huge indoor PRs by Mike Brito (49.6) and Tony Harris (1:54.8). Running in third after Harris' leg, NYAC hunted down anchor Chris Heibell (4:18.3) as the Gold settled for fourth overall for four points. In the 4x200, half-miler Duval Sewer started things off in 22.9, followed by three collegiate freshman: Andre Sylvester, Daniel Brathwaite, and Arvid Pansanjan. Despite poor handoffs and lots of traffic, the group was able to muster a third place, with Pansanjan holding off a hard-charging Shore AC by .02. At this point, both GSTC and Zenith were tied at 10-10 going into the final event, the sprint medley relay. Unfortunately, the race had nine teams in it- resulting in a chaotic start in the 400m lead-off leg. Despite being in an early box, Ricky Garcia surged hard in the final stretch and handed off in 50.1, an indoor PR. Alan Brussard (22.4) and Ish Robbins (22.5) hammered the 200m legs, but anchor Harris was left in no-man's land in third place. He finished in 1:55.6, crossing in 3:31.40- resulting in the group falling four points short of the team title.

Washington Shines in Debut @ Millrose Games

NYC--Asia Washington impressed in her Gold and Black debut at the Millrose Games, leading off both sprint relays and setting two club relay records in the process. In the sprint medley, she lead-off in 56.8 and handed off in second place. Teammates Quanisha Booker(26.5) and Shay Warren (26.7) carried the baton for the next two legs, and anchor Cheyenne Ogletree (2:16.9) brought the team across the finish line in 4:08.15, good for sixth place--just .25 away from 4th place. In the 4x200, Washington opened up a huge lead, dominating the field with a 24.2 leg of of blocks. Booker, Warren, and Ataysia Ingram took it from there, finishing in 1:47.37- good for fourth overall.

Click here to view video

RRCA Selects GSTC as "Club Website of the Year"

Arlington, VA--Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) president William Dyson announced that it has selected the Garden State Track Club's website as the "National Running Club Website of the Year." GSTC web designer Nicole Schneekloth received an email from Dyson on Friday, 2/10/12, with the news and $400 stipend offer to attend the 2012 RRCA National Conference in Memphis, TN., where she will be presented with the national award.

Club Records Fall at Millrose Collegiate Invitational

NYC- Several club records fell during the afternoon Millrose Collegiate Invitation prior to the Millrose Games. In the 4x800 relay, Tyler Foss (1:58.8), Reggie James (1:59.6), and Zak Martins (2:01.9) all ran indoor PRs, with Mark Parisen (2:04.2) rounding out the team that ran 8:05.55 to place fourth overall. Luis Romero broke a year-old 3k club record held previously by Mike Obsuth, as Romero ran 8:57.60. Matt Sunga (6.61m) added a 7th place in the long jump, as did the 4x400 relay.

Super Poland Wins Super 4 Miler

Morristown- Wearing the Gold and Black for the first time, Tom Poland crushed the 1,000 person field of the Super 4 Miler last weekend, a race held the day of the Super Bowl. Tuning-up for March 11's USATF-NJ 20k Championship, Poland averaged 5:14/mile, cruising through the finish line at 20:59.02--with second place a full minute behind him.

GOLD IN THE GARDEN!

Men in Gold Hold Off Zenith by .01 at US Open

New York City- Isaac Newton's now-famous adage "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" comes to mind when Tony Harris stood on the starting line on the historic oval at Madison Square Garden at 7:06pm on January 28th. To his left and right were some of America's best, most storied track clubs.

Past accolades disappeared with the starter's pistol firing, and after four laps, Harris handed off in second place with an 80.2 split, just two strides behind Shore AC's Charles Cox.

Duval Sewer, running three laps, immediately got to work. Smelling blood early, the seasoned half miler from New Brunswick seized the lead, and despite a hard push from Zenith in the final turn, he handed off to Ricky Garcia clinging to a one-stride lead.

After two legs, it was now a two-team battle between GSTC's black and gold and Zenith's red and black. Gotham TC, Central Park TC, Greater Philadelpia TC, and Shore AC had fallen out the back; only two legs of two laps each remained, and just a few inches separated the two. Garcia covered his two laps in 35.3, handing off exactly where he got it- a stride ahead- setting the table for anchor Mike Brito to battle with Zenith's anchor, a rematch of last weekend's 4x400 in NYC's Armory.

Brito surged hard in the first stretch to stragetically keep the lead, settling in on the first turn--thus forcing Zenith to settle for the second position. The two ran stride for stride for the next 1.5 laps, until Zenith pulled on Brito's shoulder in the final turn. The final 40 meter straightaway came down to a lean at the finish line, with neither team knowing the outcome. Seconds later, the Garden's famed four-way jumbotron fashed the results indicating GSTC had won by .01: 3:28.04-3:28.05.

Read the article in The Star Ledger here.

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GSTC 4x400 Drops 3:21; Breaks Club Record

NYC- The Gold dropped a bomb on the national club scene Thursday night, upending America's #1 ranked club 4x400 relay, Zenith Velocity TC. This sets the stage for a final showdown in Madison Square Garden this Saturday in Madison Square Garden, where the two teams will do battle with CPTC in the Sprint Medley Relay. Leadoff Ricardo Garcia blasted to the front with a 50.2 split, followed by B Team leadoff Duval Sewer's 50.4. Zenith moved from third to second with a huge leg, but Tony Harris (50.1) held off the the country's top 4x400 team this indoor season. Alan Brussard (50.8) blew the race open in the third leg, surging hard with 150m remaining, giving anchor Mike Brito a comfortable one second cushion. While ZVTC's anchor made this up in the opening 200m, Brito was the superior runner, locking up the win with an all-time indoor PR (50.2) and a dominating final 100m.

In the open 800 at the Armory's Thursday Night at the Races, the Gold won 7 of 9 heats. Heat winners included Duval Sewer, Ky Ross, Arvid Pansanjan, Jaris Rousseau, Norbert Kuter, Mark Parisen, and Luis Romero.

Click here to view video

Harris Leads Tracksters to Nine Wins

West Point, NY- In his 800m debut of 2012, Tony Harris did what he does best- sit patiently- behind Army's Joseph Hannigan and Essex's Elhadji Mbow for 650 meters. With 150m to go, he pulled out wide, hit the accelerator, and crushed the field with a thunderous kick to win in 2:00.80.

While Harris was the lone event winner for the Gold and Black, eight other races were won by his teammates.

Imo Ilogienboh opened up his 2012 season with heat wins in the 60m (9th, 7.18) and 200m (6th, 22.98). Quarter milers Daniel Brathwaite (54.73), Arvid Pansanjan (52.95) , and Mike Brito (51.52) won three of the meet's men eight 400m heats. The Lady Gold repped well, as Ataysia Ingram won her 400m heat, and Quanisha Booker won her race in the 200m. The 4x400 "C" team of Jaris Rousseau (54.7), Ky Ross (54.9), Jason Staggers (53.8), and Reggie James (52.6) also won the first heat of the mile relay. The C team ran 3:36, and the B team went 3:37 in the fourth heat (see below).

Along with nine wins, there were two near wins in the long jump and 4x400. After the prelims, Matt Sunga (22-1) and Staggers (21-6) were 1-2 overall, but they were bumped to 2nd and 4th after the finals. The GSTC "A" 4x400 also saw a gold medal slip through their fingers, after the first two legs (Ricky Garcia/50.3 and Harris/49.7) had the Gold off to a sizzling start. However, a 52.5 third leg put anchor Brito (51.4) in no-man's land, yet their final time (3:24.32) ranks them second of all clubs on the East Coast this indoor season.

Dixon Breaks Watchung Ultra Record

Watchung, NJ- Mike Dixon won the Watchung Winter Ultra 50k trail race on Saturday. His time of 4:01:22 not only broke the course record, but it won by nearly 16 minutes.

There were 73 finishers, and Dixon's win was #12 for the GSTC thus far in 2012. Last year, the Gold won 52 races.

Two Golds for Team Gold on New Years Day

In 2011, the GSTC won 52 races; by day one of 2012, we got two in the bag....

Props to Ashwin Anantharaman for opening the team's year in style, as he won the Hamilton Hangover 8k today in 27:07. He won a gift basket and bottle of champagne for beating....Luke Skywalker (check the results!). Forty miles north, in Westfield, Mike Dixon took care of business at the CJRR Hangover Run, where he won in 15:31. Claire Tafelski, the co-captain of the women's team, won her age group in 21:13(see attached picture), while master Kenny Huryk was 3rd in his age group, clocking in at 19:19.

Twenty more miles north, up in Fair Lawn, seven GSTC'ers jumped in the 1st Day 5k. Marathon guru Rob DeCarlo averaged sub-6 for the first time in a long time, finishing in 18:24. Mike Obsuth, wearing his boy scout uniform and carrying a HUGE flag that served as both an extra twenty pounds AND parachute, somehow ran 21:01. Amalie Park (28:58), Veronique Allen-Hazell(27:29), Jessica Pruzinsky (30:00), Danielle Irish (21:37), and Gabriela Hugman (24:29), all from the GSTC Marathon Group, all ran very well!! Chuck Schneekloth (17:15) finished 5th overall, realizing that eating ice cream for dinner the past month needs to change real soon.

Men Dominate in NJ-USATF 5k XC Championships

Flemington- Earlier this morning, the Garden State Track Club men's open team won the NJ-USATF 5k Cross Country Championship in dominating fashion, as their five scoring teams placed 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th in the annual fall championship race. This was the most dominant team showing in the meet's long-standing history, as the GSTC placed 11 in the top 13, and 20 in the top 37.

This sets the stage for the GSTC showdown dual meet against the Central Park Track Club on 11/13 in New Brunswick for East Coast cross country bragging rights. Both teams will be competing at the USATF Club Nationals in Seattle on December 10th, and both have great chances to finish in the top five.

Superstars Chris Heibell and Jeff Perrella dueled for three miles, with Heibell (15:31) leading until the final stretch, until Perrella (15:28) pulled away for his first NJ-USATF XC Championship on a slow, wet, muddy Deer Path Park in Flemington. Heibell, a 4:11 miler, and Perrella, an Olympic Trials marathon qualifier hopeful, are two of the East Coast's strongest distance runners. A few strides behind them was Adin Mickle, making his gold and black debut in 15:53 for third. Long distance ace Mike Dixon, switching gears from 50 mile races to 3 mile ones, came in at fourth (16:02), with James Grimes (7th) and Steve Geiger (12th) rounding out the "A" team's win.

The A Team squeaked by the B Team 24-32, thanks to a surprise finish from Tony Harris (6th, 16:25) and supporting cast of Mickle, Ashwin Anantharan (16:33), Mike Anis (16:37), and Tim Morgan (16:38). The "Scarlet Team", comprised on all Rutgers students, ran exceptionally well, placing fourth overall. Sophomore Dan Teichmann, who later won the Eat the Cookie from Your Forehead Contest (see attached), led the way (17:27), with Zach Spiegel, Mike Obsuth, Kyle Flyer, Rob Klink, and Tyler Foss shortly behind him.

The Gorilla Green team, led by GSTC board member Alex Fowlie (17:48) was fifth overall, just in front of rival Sneaker Factory's A team. Zak Martin, Edsel Flores, Wismith Francois, David Grau, and Norbert Kuter rounded out the group.

Finally, the White Team placed 8th of 10 teams, as Nick Waclowski ran a huge PR of 20:16 to be the team's first runner. Corey Smith, Neil Verano, Thomas Segear, Stefan Symbleme, and William Herring comprised the GSTC's final scoring squad.

Click here to view video

GSTC Women Place 4th in NJ-USATF XC 5k

The Lady GSTC'ers kicked off their fall racing schedule well, finishing fourth overall in the NJ-USATF 5k Championships. Leading the group was Claire Tafelski, who finished 5th overall in 21:41. Cahy Stutzman came in 15th overall in 23:49, with Liz Licorish (24:07/17th) running very well in her gold and black debut. Sprinters Quanisha Booker (24:41) and Shay Warren (27:56) finished fourth and fifth for GSTC, respectively, with Prudence Jones (29:17) running a season best for sixth overall.

Results here: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2011/october/xc5k.htm

Pictures Here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/GardenStateTC ("like" GSTC if you haven't yet!)

Race videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/cschneek (click "uploads" to see all 15 videos)

Click here to view the finish

GSTC Ladies Only Groups

The Garden State Track Club has three opportunities for women to train with only women. If you're a beginner with little experience, email Chelsea at cmap@eden.rutgers.edu; she is captain of the "GSTC Couch to 5k" training program. If you're a Rutgers student and have experience running, drop our GSTC Rutgers ladies captain, Mel, a line at mb1067@eden.rutgers.edu. If you're a non-student who would like to ask about our open women's team, contact our captains Claire (claire.tafelski@gmail.com) or Meghan (motoole81@hotmail.com).

GSTC Invited to Millrose Games

This Millrose Games have been held since 1907- for 104 years- in Madison Square Garden in New York City. This event has long been a tradition embraced by the international running community for generations. That said, it came as a tremendous honor when, Friday evening, the GSTC received an email inviting them to partake in three relay events at the Millrose Games: the 4x200, Distance Medley, and Sprint Medley Relays.

October Racing Results

First, props to Rutgers sophomore Mike Obsuth for finishing second on Friday's Mud Run at the Eco-Preserve on Livingston Campus. Obsuth, the GSTC club record holder of 3,000m, is also one heck of an engineering student and an avid boy

We've been waiting for Adin Minkle to open up his season, and finally....he did. On Friday, he competed in the always competitive Paul Short Invite. Despite sloppy, muddy conditions, he placed 47th of 452, covering the 8k course in 26:38 after going out in 5:04. A solid opener for Mr. Minkle!

After breaking the 50 mile course record weeks ago, Mike Dixon laced 'em up for yet another distance race- the Steeplechase 25k in Hillsborough (that's 15.5 miles). Despite leading the race from wire to wire, the police officer leading Mike the way lead him....the WRONG WAY. Whle we feel extremely bad for him, as he's quite the hard working blue collar runner, one man's misfortune is another man's luck. Alex Fowlie, instead of placing third, moved up and finished second overall in the race, running an impressive 1:33:02 for the course, averaging 5:59 per mile, finishing second to a Brian Crowley.

Props to he many who raced at the Race for Mom 5k in Cranford this Saturday. First, Claire Tafelski ran a good race, finishing in 22:00 for 17th overall and fourth woman finisher.

Anthony Harris won his second 5k of the season, hitting the tape in a career-best 16:37. However, it wasn't without some controversy, as he and GSTC president Chuck Schneekloth entered Nomahegan Park together, clicking off 5:20 miles. With 800 meters to go, they ran by a walker and his leashed dog, and said dog jumped on him. Anthony, recognizing his moment to make a move, did so, leaving Chuck to finish in second at 16:45.

Coming in at third and fourth place, respectively, were Edsel Flores (17:05) and Zak Martins (17:33), both huge PRs for them. Mark Parisen finished in 6th at 19:40, Alex Pires came in at 9th place in 20:22, and Nick Waclowski finished 11th in 20:34, almost a full-minute personal best!

Harris, Warren Win GSTC 600m Time Trial

Metuchen- Tony Harris (1:23.51) and Shay Warren (1:52.25) won the men's and women's 600m time trial today at Metuchen HS. Despite windy conditions, nearly all athletes raced faster than the last time trial- an indicator that fitness is improving, the training is working, and that December 10's race at Manhattan College will be a fun way to start the season. Duval Sewer placed second (1:23.94), while Andre Sylvester (17.21) and Quanisha Booker (20.66) won the 150m shortly thereafter.

Click here to view video

CPTC vs GSTC in XC Dual Meet

New Brunswick- GSTC President Chuck Schneekloth announced that the Central Park Track Club, the 2011 USATF National Club Track and Field Champions, have accepted the challenge to race a dual meet on 11/13 at historic Buccleuch Park.

This elite dual meet is he first of its kind on the East Coast. Such rivalries are common on the West Coast, whereas Oregon and Washington have "The Border Bash", and Cal and Stanford have "The Big Meet." The elite men will race an 8k, and the elite women will race a 5k.

This dual meel is done in conjunction with the Get the Gorilla 5k, a costume-friendly event done between the NYC and Philly marathons.

Del Monaco 27th at USATF 20k Championships

New Haven, CT- Mark Del Monaco on Monday. He placed 27th overall in the USATF 20k Championships in 68:04. His quest to qualify for the trials is just a month away, at the Chicago Marathon, and things are clearly going quite well. His opening 10k was 33:36, and he closed in 34:28.

GSTC Puts 5 in Top 20 at Jimmy D 5k

New Brunswick- In his first 5k race ever, Tony Harris placed third (out of 862) in 17:02 at the Jimmy D 5k. (5:29 pace), just ten seconds behind the winner. Harris, the anchor of the GSTC club record holding 4x400 relay, trained hard all summer in preparation for his first fall distance season in preparation for his transition to the 800 meters this winter and spring.

After Harris, Edsel Flores was 6th (17:23), Zach Spiegel 8th (17:33), Zak Martins 16th (18:08), and Alec Moran 18th (18:15). Rutgers junior Marcus Gigliotti joined his Rutgers classmates by placing 43rd (19:47), while Nick Waclawski (21:26) and Renae Powell (32:24) also ran for the black and gold.

Finally, in its much anticipated season opener, the GSTC Gorilla ran 20:06- good for 53rd place. It hoped to break 20:00, but got distracted by the boxes of bananas before the race, resulting in a subpar warm-up. While disappointed, it was a state-leading mark for gorillas, so it was happy.

Perrella Wins 10k Gold, Team Takes 7th at Club Nationals

Icahn Stadium- It was a meet of extremes: Friday night was pouring rain, and Saturday was pouring heat. The one constant, throughout, was the season-best performances from the GSTC. Thanks to several big peformances, the gold and black finished 7th place out of 52 teams with 34 total points, edging out four USATF Elite Teams: Greater Boston Track Club, Syracuse Chargers, Club Northwest, and Westchester Track Club. Due to a controversial decision to cancel the 10k Friday night and move it just before the 5k on Saturday morning, the team may have scored as high as 5th overall.

Scoring the first GSTC points at a club national championship was Mike Anis, who finished 6th in a PR of 10:07.63. Moments later, mid-distance star Chris Heibell moved from 6th to 2nd in the final 200m of the 1500, bringing the Icahn Stadium crowd to its feet as he closed hard on NYAC's Aiden Walsh. He was ultimately outleaned, settling for third, in 3:52.79.

The next day, Perrella started off the meet with a 10k gold, nearing lapping the entire field en route to his triumph. In the next race, the distance trio of James Grimes (4th), Tim Morgan (8th), and Taylor Burmeister (10th) scored big points in the 5k. Alan Brussard followed this up with a huge 400IH PR of 53.33, placing 8th. He came back an hour later in the high hurdles and snagged 7th, good for two points.

The relays were the most competitive they've been in meet history. The 4x800 of Kyle Flyer, Ashwin Anantharaman, Morgan, and Burmeister were 5th, and the distance medley of Perrella, Stefan Symbleme, Chris Schneider, and Heibell (4:14.8 anchor) were fourth in 10:30.10. The 4x400 of Brussard, Tony Harris, Hakeem Miller, and Duval Sewer ended the day in style, clocking 3:22.63. This was 9th overall and broke the GSTC record of 3:24.20.

Click here to view video

GSTC Hits Up NYC, CT for Races

Fairfield. CT- Board member Amy Porpora raced the Fairfield 5k this weekend in Connecticut. She finished 362 out of 1047 finishers with a 27:41 final time. While frustrated that she ran slower than last year's 24:54, props (we think) for battling walking pnemonia and lacing up the racing shoes.

Icahn Stadium, NYC- It was a great day Tuesday night for select GSTC tracksters prepping for next weekend's Club National Championships. Leading the way was Chris Heibell, who broke a club record and set an all-time PR of 1:54.15. Patiently rolling through the opening lap in 56, he showed great strength in his final circuit, blowing past two Central Park Track Club Elite athletes on the final stretch to place third overall.

In the unseeded heat, half-milers Duval Sewer and Wismith Francois placed 1-2, respectively, running 2:03 and 2:04. They navigated a large section of 19 runners very well, moving up slowly and eventually taking over with 150m to go. Kyle Flyer (2:06), Mike Anis (2:10), and Edsel Flores (2:15) also raced well in this heat.

Finally, the quartet of Hakeem Miller (49.2), Kaseem Jackson (51.6), Alan Brussard (51.8), and Tony Harris (50.3) ran a sizzling 3:24.26 to win the final event of the evening, the 4x400 relay. Not only was this a club record, this was done all alone- an indicator that a much faster time is on the near horizon next weekend at Club Nationals.

The B and C teams ran exceptionally well, fighting off a late-charging Central Park Track Club and Zenith Velocity to keep a 1-2-3 sweep. Stefan Symbleme (53.4), Wismith Francois (52.8), Duval Sewer (52.3), and Kyle Flyer (52.6) locked down second in 3:31.85, while Earle James (52.6), Ky Ross (54.3), Christian Sylvester (52.9), and Andre Sylvester (51.5) finishing just a step behind the B team in 3:32.12. The co-ed team of Edsel Flores (57.4), Mike Anis (61.3 on a triple), Yanique Folkes (64.9), and Ataysia Ingram (64.7) placed 4th of 11 teams in the unseeded heat- nice job!

Click here to view video

4x400, Flyer, Rozensher, Miller Win in NYC

Randall's Island, NYC- Upon walking into Icahn Stadium this past Tuesday night, a coach from the Central Park Track Club, one of few east coast teams with Elite Club Status, said to the group, "Huh- Garden State Track Club? Never heard of you guys."

Two hours later, with "A-Team" anchor Tony Harris holding a 40m lead, and after "B-Team" anchor Alan Brussard came rumbling down the track to pass CPTC's "A Team" 4x400 in the final stretch, one can only imagine that...they sure know now.

Just 45 minutes after all running the open 400m, the A-Team of Harris, Kotey Ashie, Kaseem Jackson, and Duval Sewer grabbed gold in the meet's final event, the 4x400 relay. Fighting through traffic of the twelve team field, and slowly working their way back up until one final big push by Brussard to move into second for good, was Brussard, Gil Rozensher, Hakeem Miller, and Wismith Francois.

Three GSTC athletes qualified for the club national championships as well. In the 400m, Miller (50.47) and Harris (50.81) hit the quarter mile standard, as distance ace James Grimes- making his GSTC debut- coasted to 9:38.55 for both a national qualifying mark and a GSTC team record. Kyle Flyer and Gil Rozensher won their respective heats in the open 400m.

GSTC, Perrella Dominate President's Cup

Millburn- In perhaps its finest hour of club history, the Garden State Track Club dominated last night's President's Cup, long known as the World Series of NJ distance running. Not only did they capture the team title, they won the individual crown while packing in eleven runners in the top forty (of 1342 finishers) in a display of both depth and high-end talent.

Leading the way was superstar Jeff Perrella, pictured both finishing the race and drinking from the coveted President's Cup, who took the gold medal in 14:50.76. Hammering the first mile in 4:45, Chris Heibell, Mike Rolek, and Justin Scheid made it a four man battle through two miles. Perrella surged with one mile to go, however, dropping the pack and bringing the downtown Millburn crowd to a loud ovation as he high-fived bystanders in his final victorious 400m.

Taylor Burmeister (15:37.59) and Tim Morgan (15:40.48) ran brilliantly and patiently, finishing 7-8 respectively. Going out conservatively in the first half of the race, they both moved up and picked off several runners who ran overly ambitious at the start.

Rounding out the team's scoring top five was Mike Anis (16:09.83) and Ashwin Anantharaman (16:19.52). Anis, Anantharaman, and Hedolis Jaquez (16:32.06) packed it up for two miles, until Anis made a move to push past Raritan Valley's Mark Zamek and Sneaker Factory's Rich Burke in the final half mile.

Overall, the GSTC "A Team" had an overall time of 1:18:38, defeating perennial power Fleet Feet (1:20:27) and defending champion Raritan Valley (1:20:32) by nearly two full minutes.

The GSTC "B Team" finished fifth overall, beating twenty-one other scoring teams. Chris Schneider lead the way in 16:38, followed by teammates Dan Teichmann (17:04), Edsel Flores (17:16), Kyle Flyer (17:23), and Adam Navlen (17:56).

Also racing were board members Steve Bonica (18:32) and Alex Fowlie (17:23), along with Wismith Francois (17:57), Walter Binder (18:19), Marcus Gigliotti (19:09), newcomer Kevin Blanchard (20:31), Claire Tafelski (21:22), and Kevin Paiva (21:35).

Click here to view video

GSTC Places 2nd at USATF East Region Champs

Glassboro- The GSTC men finished 2nd today at the USATF East Region Championships, defeating 2010 champ Zenith Velocity and Connecticut powerhouse Connquest.

Jeff Perrella was a double winner for the Black and Gold, capturing both the 10k (31:01) and 1500m (3:55.2). Teammates Tim Morgan and Mike Anis led a clean 1-2-3 sweep in the 10k, staking us an early ten point lead on the field. Anis later doubled back for a silver in the 3000m steeplechase, and Morgan later anchored the DMR in 4:36.1 for the bronze. Dan Teichmann and John Jaquez bulked up the GSTC point total in the steeple, helping go 2-3-4 in the event.

Chris Schneider had an excellent GSTC debt, running a tough 1500 (2nd) and splitting 2:05.3 in the DMR. In the 5k, Ashwin Anantharaman, Pat Lestrange, and Mike Obsuth fought off an incredibly powerful, albeit short, rain storm to finish 2-3-4 in the 5k. Yikes, and don't forget about the racewalk: Hedolis Jaquez and Marcus Gigliotti finished 3rd and 4th, respectively.

The GSTC relays did fare well: the 4x800 was 2nd (Kyle Flyer, Hedolis Jaquez, Duval Sewer, Kapil Sathyakumar), 4x100 was second (Anthony Harris, Duval Sewer, Gil Rozensher, Hakeem Miller), distance medley was third (H. Jaquez, Scheider, J. Jaquez, Morgan), sprint medley was third (Rozensher, Miller, Sewer, Sathyakumar), and 4x400 was third (Jalen Long, Alan Broussard, Haris, Wismith Francois).

Perrella, Behre Post Fast Marks

GSTC Elites Jeff Perrella and Chris Behre posted fast marks this month, in New Haven, VT and Ridgewood, NJ respectively.

At the Yale Invitational, Perrella coasted to a 14:53 win on his alma mater's track. Two weeks later, in the Ridgewood Elite Mile, Behre ran 4:18.09, placing seveth in the race's fastest field ever assembled.

Big Results Posted at Al Kanor Invite

Point Pleasant Beach- At today's Al Kanor Invitational, several tracksters got in solid marks in preparation for next week's East Region Championships. Despite the cold, dreary weather down at Point Pleasant, and despite many elite members electing to train through this weekend, Hedolis Jaquez (4:38.2) and Ashwin Anantharaman (4:38.5) went 2-3 in the full mile race. Edsel Flores (4:51.4), Mike Obsuth (4:54.1), Dan Teichmann (4:54.5), John Jaquez (5:01.7), Zach Spiegel (5:03.3), and Marcus Gigliotti (5:28.) also competed.

In the 400m, Duval Sewer (52.95), Stefan Symbleme (53.11), and Wismith Francois (53.50) swept the top three spots. Also rocking the GSTC gold and black were Jalen Long (53.9), Kapil Sathyakumar (54.92), Kyle Flyer (55.31), and Ataysia Ingram (66.80) .

In the 200m, Gil Rozensher (23.10) was third overall, as teammates Alan Broussard (23.15), Ahmand Barnes (23.81), Tony Harris (23.90), Daniel Brathwaite (25.15), and Adam Kamel (25.95).

GSTC went 1-2 in the 4x400, finishing the meet off with eight medals.

Brussard Shines at Lion Invite

Ewing-The GSTC traveled to The College of New Jersey today, and leading the way was Alan Brussard, who placed 4th in the 110 High Hurdles in 14.96; he also won his heat of the 400IH in a season-best 57.26. Mike Obsuth placed 8th in a competitive 5k field, running 15:55.60- a PR by forty seconds and his first time under 16:00- quite a day! Dan Teichmann dipped under 17:00, running 16:57.99.

Three GSTC tracksters PRed in the 1500, including Hedolis Jaquez (4:16.41), Edsel Flores (4:36.26), and Duval Sewer (4:40.48). Tony Harris and Wismith Francois went 1-2 in the 800m (see video below), as Francois later teamed up with Jalen Long, Gil Rozensher, and Eddie Jackson to win the 2nd heat of the 4x400 in 3:33.10, placing them 5th overall.

Quanisha Booker ran her first races of the season, while three cleared 5-8 in the HJ: Broussard, Ahmand Barnes, and Stefan Stembleme.

Click here to view video

Washington Joins GSTC

New Brunswick- Asia Washington, a Piscataway native who holds three Middlesex County records, has joined the GSTC after a successful career down at Virginia Tech. She is one of many successful post-collegiates to become a member of the GSTC-Elite training group.

As a Hokie, she set three schools records in the 500, 600, and 800. In addition, she was a two-time ACC champion (400, 4x400), two-time All-American (DMR, 400IH), and three-time All-ACC selection (400, 400IH, 4x400). Her PRs of 53.66 and 56.90 are very close to USATF qualifying marks.

GSTC Wins Penn Relays Distance Classic

Philadelphia- In his GSTC debut, Jeff Perrella cruised to victory in the Penn Relay's opening event, the Penn Relays Distance Classic 5k. Untested throughout, he had plenty of energy to give the camera a thumbs-up upon entering historic Franklin Field. Perrella ran 15:40 for the win, averaging 5:03 a mile despite a hilly course and windy conditions.

The GSTC's triumphant team comprised of Hedolis Jaquez (4th/ 16:29), Iuri Pinto (7th/ 16:38), Mike Anis (8th/ 16:43), and Chris Tafelski (11th/16:58).

The GSTC B-Team edged out Hopkins for third place overall with a total team time of 1:29.55. Leading the way was Dan Teichmann (12th/17:13), Edsel Flores (15th/17:46), Wes Brockway (16th/17:49), John Jaquez (18th/ 18:01), and Zach Spiegel (19th/18:03).

Rounding out the C-Team with several solid performances was Kyle Flyer (20th/ 18:07), Tony Morales (21st/ 18:12), Duval Sewer (30th/ 19:43), Marcus Gigliotti (41st/ 20:51), Sarah Fairbrook (46th/ 21:16), and Erin Headley (65th/ 22:52).

See Perella enter Franklin Field here

Headley, Kopnicki Hit the Road Racing Scene

Erin Headley placed 30th overall, and third in her age group, in the Celtic Tribune Run down at Long Branch. She ran 22:33, a season-best, despite the windy, rainy condtions.

In Washington DC, Brian Kopnicki ran the National Half Marathon. Placing 39th overall with a 1:18:36 time, this qualifies him for the "A Corral" at the Chicago Marathon next year. This was his first debut race with the gold and black.

Sprinters Compete at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational

Princeton- Thanks to the dreary weather and long wait, the 4x400 A-Team of Tyrone Ross, Akin Shoyoye, Eddie Jackson, and Wismith Francois ran a flat 3:27.19, while the B-Team of Gil Rozensher, Stefan Symbleme, Anthony Harris, and Ahmand Barnes ran 3:39.88. Youngster Alan Broussard, just a year out of JP Stevens HS, ran two tough hurdle races (15.52, 57.97) against some stiff D-1 competition.

4x400 Relay Wins Heat at Princeton

Princeton- The GSTC 4x400 relay was at it again this weekend, this time winning their heat at the Sam Howell Invitational hosted by Princeton University.

The group of Akin Shoyoye, Danny Johnson, Eddie Jackson, and Tyrone Ross ran a season best of 3:25.12. They won their heat and placed 5th overall out of fifteen teams.

Click here to view video

GSTC Puts 8 in Top 10 at Millburn Spring Run

Millburn- The distance crew has a break-through day at the long-standing Millburn Spring Run 10k today, placing eight runners in the top ten.

Leading the way were Hedolsi Jaquez and Mike Obsuth. In a three-man dual for the gold medal, they both opened in 17:00 for their first 5k. Despite a faster second 5k for both Jaquez (16:40) and Obsuth (16:52), they finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Dan Teichmann ran a great race for fourth and a PR (36:05), and was followed closely by teammates Tony Morales (36:42) and Edsel Flores (36:54) for 5th and 6th places, overall. Rounding out places 7th through 10th were Zach Spiegel (37:52), Wismith Francois (38:05), and John Jaquez (38:21). These were all 10k PRs, an indicator of their hard work during the cold winter months.

Sarah Fairbrook was the fourth women overall, running 44:15 and getting second in her age group.

Click here to view video

Tafelski Grabs Gold in NYC's Colon Cancer 4m Challenge

New York City- In the GSTC debut in NYC, club co-president Chris Tafelski won the Colon Cancer Challenge 4M. He edged Brooklyn's James Chu by eleven seconds, 21:50-22:01. Tafelski lead wire-to-wire in a race he and friends ran in honor of a close friend.

Long, 4x400 Win Races at Monmouth Invitational

Long Branch- In his GSTC debut, Jalen Long won his heat of the open 400m. With a patient opening 200m and an aggressive closing 100m, he cruised to victory in 53.89, a season best.

Hours later, the team's 4x400 won their race in dramatic form in 3:26.21, finishing 4th out of 23 overall teams.

Akin Shoyoye lead off in fourth place, but Danny Johnson ran 49.9 for the second leg, pushing the baton to first. Eddie Jackson, the third leg, battled Seton Hall for the entire 400m, eventually falling behind by several strides on the homestretch. Anchor Tyrone Ross, however, split 48.8 and charged the GSTC into first in the final 50m of the race.

Click here to view video

Sprinters Grab SMR Gold at Stockton

Stockton- The GSTC sprint group opened up their outdoor season at the Stockton Invitational today, and what a season-opener it was. In their first race of the year, Akin Shoyoye and Eddie Jackson ran the opening two 100m legs, handing off to Danny Johnson in sixth place. Johnson ran a monster 200m leg, splitting 21.4, which put the gold and black to the front. From there, anchor Tyrone Ross breezed home for the gold, hitting the tape in 1:36.58.

This quartet came back to place second in the mile relay, running 3:27.90. Ross anchored in 47.4, falling just short of Kingsborough College's 3:26.80.

Click here to view video

Fowlie Places 4th in E. Murray Todd Half

Lincroft- As a final tune-up for the Boston Marathon, Alex Fowlie placed fourth overall in the E. Murray Todd Half Marathon. While 1:18:45 is well off his all-time PR, he ran a steady, 6:00 paced run that both started and finished at Brookdale Community College. The race, which had over six hundred participants, winds through neighboring Colts Neck and and Holmdel Townships.

GSTC Wins Big at Road Relays

New Brunswick- The Garden State Track Club won six divisions in the first annual Road Relays. These gold medals were in the Men's Open (Mike Obsuth, Hedolis Jaquez), Women's Open (Sarah Fairbrook, Cathy Stutzman), Co-Ed Open (Iuri Pinto, Erin Headley), Rutgers Male Student (Dan Teichmann, Kyle Flyer), Rutgers Co-Ed Student (John Jaquez, Lilly Jaquez), and Father-Son (Chuck Schneekloth, Charley Schneekloth). Tony Morales and Edsel Flores were second in the high school division behind a very strong duo from South Brunswick.

Also competing well for the GSTC were Amy Porpora and Drew Seaver (open co-ed), Zach Spiegel and Jocelyn Rico (open co-ed), and Mike Anis and Ashleigh Kast (open co-ed).

2011 Road Relay Results

Right click and "Save As" to download results

Obsuth Leads GSTC at NJ-USATF Champs

Toms River, NJ- Mike Obsuth captured the GSTC's first NJ-USATF Championship today, leading a strong team contingent in the NJ-USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He ran 9:18.59 to take the 3000m title today at the Toms River Bubble, earning a well-deserved win over a strong field that included teammates Hedolis Jaquez (9:26.06/3rd), Iuri Pinto (9:26.19/4th), Mike Anis (9:30.13/ 5th), and Dan Teichmann (9:58.69/8th). A few hours later, Jaquez was outleaned for gold in the 1500m final, running 4:25.50 for silver. He was followed by teammates Obsuth (4:39/5th), Anis (4:34/7th), John Jaquez (4:39/9th), and Edsel Flores (4:40/10th). Sarah Fairbrook added a silver medal in the women's 3000k run.

See the men's open 1500m here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sLLvCJSt2E

The sprinters, while not at full force, also made this their season-opening rust buster. Akin Shoyoye (200m/4th), Ashleigh Kast (800m/5th), and Eddie Jackson (200m/6th) all placed in the top six in their respective events. In the meet's final event, Shoyoye, Jackson, Jaquez, and Jaquez teamed up for a silver in the 4x400 relay, while Anis, Teichmann, Obsuth, and Flores took fourth.

See the 4x400 relay here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBNqhzufOHk

Ross Rolls to Victory #2

Boston, MA- Tyrone Ross has won yet another race in yet another invitational up in Boston. This time, he handidly defeated a Valentine Invite field of fifty-seven athletes, including Michael Brown (Zenith Velocity AC), Jonathan Hall (Northeastern), and Timothy Metivier (Colgate) in the seeded heat. Ross won the race in 1:03.57.

Click here to view video

Jaquez Wins PCRC 5k Winter Series Title

Wayne, NJ- In the fourth and final race of the series, Hedolis Jaquez won in 16:29.5, setting a new PCRC Course Record. Rob Albano (Felician College) had the old record at 16:37.6. With his victory, Jaquez also captured the overall PCRC Winter Series Title. In fact, GSTC swept the top three men's spots in the overall series, with teammates Chuck Schneekloth (2nd) and Edsel Flores (3rd) rounding out the podium places. Jocelyn Rico, Tony Morales, and John Jaquez also won their respective overall series age-group titles.

See final series standings here: http://www.rmmrconsulting.com/PCRCNJ/PCRC_SERIES_FINAL_RESULTS.htm

Other GSTC members had strong performances today, including Mike Obsuth (16:47), Iuri Pinto (17:15), and Kyle Flyer (17:57) on the hilly, challenging course.

Ross Wins Big in Boston

Boston, MA- In his season opener, GSTC sprinter Tyrone Ross grabbed the 500 meter checkered flag at the Terrier Classic on Saturday, a meet hosted by Boston University. Running a patient, controlled race over the first 400m, going through at 50.0, he bounced off the final turn and easily outkicked Venith Velocity AC's Anthony Cambell for the win in 1:02.89.

"This was the easiest 62-second 500 meter race I've ever run," Ross stated afterward. "This is a good sign in February."

Ross and his fellow teammates will spike up next on February 20th at the NJ-USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships, held this year at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ.

Click here to view video

GSTC Sweeps 2nd-7th at PCRC 5k #3

Wayne, NJ- The Garden State Track Club had another strong showing at the third PCRC Winter Series, sweeping places 2nd through 7th.

Hedolis Jaquez one again led the way, finishing second in 16:45. Teammates Mike Obsuth (17:01), Chuck Schneekloth (17:42), Tony Morales (18:05), John Jaquez (18:05), and Iuri Pinto (18:14) followed him. Edsel Flores (18:46) also cracked the top ten, placing 9th overall.

In the overall standings after three races, Jaquez has a one second lead over Rob Albano, last year's Grand Prix Champion. Schneekloth is third overall, as both J. Jaquez and Flores are winning their respective age groups.

Erin Headley (23:07) and Jocelyn Rico (25:47) both finished first in their age groups, as Michelle Palma (27:46) ran in her first race of the year.

The fourth and final race of the series, February 13th, will double as both the Series Finale and a USATF NJ New Balance Grand Prix 500pt event.

Big Recruits Bolster Distance Group

New Brunswick, NJ- GSTC Co-Presidents Chris Tafelski and Chuck Schneekloth announced the addition of some very talented runners, deepening the pool of club talent as the 2011 spring racing season inches closer. "While our club is open to all levels and abilities, it's always exciting to have high-caliber runners on our team," Schneekloth said.

Four Rutgers freshmen, led by engineering student Mike Obsuth, are now on the roster. As a senior at Fair Lawn HS, Obsuth ran 9:42 and 4:25, shattering school record in both. Daniell Teichmann (Hightstown-16:45/4:38), Kyle Flyer (Madison-1:59/4:27), and Chris Marrone (South Plainfield-2:04/4:45) will all contribute greatly to the GSTC's efforts on the roads and track this spring.

In addition, several established post-collegiates have joined, including Mike Anis, a 2012 Olympic Trials hopeful in the marathon. Anis has a long, successful record on the roads, including a 131st finish at the Boston Marathon and several top-ten finishes at the Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon. Iuri Pinto (4:09/14:33), a South River native and former All-American at East Stroudsburg, will also play a key role in GSTC success in 2011.

Mike Dixon, the 2008 and 2010 NJ-USATF 5k cross country champion, has also joined the group. Dixon has had great range over the past seven years, from the 800 (1:59) to the marathon (2:27), whereas he finished a close second in the Atlantic City Marathon. Rounding out the recent additions is Tim Morgan, one of NJ's most consistent road racers the past three years. Along with winning the 2010 NJ-USATF Cross Country 8k title, he has been a top-ten finisher in both the 8k and 5k championship races since 2008.

First Annual Road Relays Set for Feb. 27

New Brunswick- The Garden State Track Club is hosting its first race of 2011, The 10k Road Relays, on February 27, 2011.

It is a 10K relay race around the paved loop of Buccleuch Park. Each team consists of two runners that run 5k each, but each runners goes 2.5k at a time before handing off the baton to his/her teammate.

All proceeds will go toward supporting low-income New Brunswick youth distance runners, many of whom are members of the GSTC.

"We want to open the spring racing season with a fun, unique, team-oriented event," says GSTC Co-President Chris Tafelski. "Meanwhile, we support many New Brunswick youth, and this is a great opportunity to build more available resources for them."

For more information on the event, please click here.

GSTC Puts Six In the Top 10 at PCRC Winter Series #2 5k

Wayne- Despite 20 degree weather, six GSTC distance runners cracked the top ten in the PCRC Winter Series #2, setting themselves up to finish the series as age-group award winners or medalists.

Hedolis Jaquez was outkicked for the gold medal by Felician College's Rob Aubano, 17:25-17:27. Since Jaquez won the first race in 17:17, he is still winning the overall series gold by eight seconds.

Teammates Edsel Flores (4th), Chuck Schneekloth (5th), Tony Morales (6th), Daniel O'Toole (9th), and John Jaquez (10th) rounded out the team's top finishers. Jocelyn Rico ran 26:18, dropping 1:16 from her performance two weeks ago.

The GSTC will skip race number three, opting for Westfield's Hangover Run 5k. They will return for the fourth and final race on February 13th, whereas series winners and medalists will be decided by taking one's top three times from the four races.

Click here to view video

Ross To Open at Terrier Classic

Boston, MA- GSTC's Tyrone Ross, a two-time All-American at 400 meters, is set to open up his winter season at Boston University's Terrier Classic on Sunday, January 30th.

With a PR of 61.47, this will be his first step toward qualifying for the USATF Indoor National Championships in the 400m. In 2006, Ross raced stride for stride with Olympians LaShawn Merritt (400m) and Bershawn Jackson (400IH) in the Millrose Games 500m Invitational, ultimately losing 63.81-64.91 on the Garden's sharp, slow turns.

Ross was the Metropolitan Champ in the 500m while at Seton Hall University.

Ross, Johnson Lead GSTC Sprint Squad

Despite frigid conditions and a frozen, inaccessible track, the GSTC has begun training for the 2011 spring racing season. While diverse in ability, the group is lead by a pair of All-Americans in Tyrone Ross and Danny Johnson.

Ross is a four-time USATF national championship qualifier in the 400m with a PR of 45.93. Along with winning numerous BIG-EAST and IC4A titles, , he qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials and was in the American 4x400 relay pool for the 2005 World Championships.

Johnson is the second fastest high schooler in New Jersey history, as his 10.30 100m time is second to Olympic Dennis Mitchell's 10.20. With a 200m PR of 20.59, he was a two-time All-American in the 4x100 and 200m at Barton County CC with teammate Tyson Gay.

"It's challenging to train outside in such conditions," says coach Chuck Schneekloth. "However, we have a hard working group who loves the sport. We're making progress."

The group works out Thursday nights (6:30pm) and Sunday afternoons (3:30pm) at Metuchen High School. Select sprinters will open up their season on January 29 in Boston's Reggie Lewis Arena.

GSTC Sweeps Top 5 Places at PCRC 5k
Jaquez Dominates Field in 17:17 for Gold Medal

Wayne, NJ- The Garden State Track Club opened up the 2011 racing season in North Jersey this Sunday, as nine members participated in the 2nd Annual PCRC Winter Series 5k run. The hilly course is the first in a series of four races, whereas one's top three times determine the series age-group winners. The other three races are scheduled for 1/16, 1/30, and 2/13.

Hedolis Jaquez won the race in 17:17, and his GSTC teammates swept the next four places. Chris Schneider (2nd-17:34), Edsel Flores (3rd-17:54 PR), Chuck Schneekloth (4th-18:25), and Danny O'Toole (5th-18:53) rounded out the race's top five. John Jaquez (7th) and Tony Morales (8th) ran PRs of 19:09 and 19:15, respectively. Christian Mendez (26:28) and Jocelyn Rico (27:34) also raced for the gold and black.

After today's results, H. Jaquez, Schneekloth, Flores, and J. Jaquez are winning their age groups for the series, with O'Toole, Morales, and Rico in their respective age group's top three, thus contending for a series award. The GSTC will race next on 1/16, and then again on 2/13.

Click here to view the video

GSTC Preps for Westfield’s Hangover Run

December 10- The GSTC members continue to prepare for their first team race, the Westfield CJRRC Hangover Run on New Year’s Day. The group has put in a string of 40 to 55 mile weeks, braving the wind, snow, and ice. Club superstar Hedolis Jaquez, with a PR of 16:27, should challenge for the gold medal. The group has trained in a variety of locations, including Round Valley, Six Mile Reservoir, Washington Valley, and the Canal Towpath in preparation for the holiday race. Nearly a dozen other members look to set PRs despite the winter elements.

Stutzman Runs 3:47 at NYC

Cathy Stutzman ran a PR today at the New York City Marathon, covering the 26.2 miles in 3:47.46. Running from the first wave, she averaged 8:42 a mile, placing 385th in her age group. The 2010 ING NYC Marathon was the 40th anniversary of the race and drew more than 90,000 entries. Around 40,000 runners were accepted and finished.

GSTC Coaches Voted "Coach of the Year"

Chris Tafelski and Chuck Schneekloth, the co-presidents of the GSTC, were both voted "Coach of the Year" by their respective county papers in the 2010 cross country season.

Tafelski, the co-head coach at Westfield High School, guided the Blue Devils to their second Group IV Championship this fall. In addition, they broke the school record for team average at Holmdel Park- a huge deal at a school with a deep running tradition. The Courier News article:

www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201012080314

Schneekloth led New Brunswick to its best cross country season since 1964. The Zebras were 5-1 and placed three on the All-Division Team, and one on the All-Conference team. Hedolis Jaquez broke the school's 5k record and qualified for the State Group III meet, also a NBHS first. The Home News and Tribune article:

www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201012080321

Fowlie Qualifies For Boston

Alex Fowlie, 31, qualified for the Boston Marathon today, running 2:55.31 in the Philadelphia Marathon. His time, 6:41 pace per mile, was 138th overall. In the 56th running of the event, there were 7,482 finishers this year.