Page 4- XC 2003 News Archive

A Boys Cross Country Season to Remember...An Open Letter

Dear Gavin Coombs and Ahmed Haji,

(Dec 14, 2003) Although the final results at the Footlocker National Cross Country meet today were not indicative of your true talent, both of you have given me a season that I will long remember.
(In the national final today, Ahmed Haji ran 15:39 to finish in 21st place while Gavin Coombs had to watch the race from the sidelines while battling a high fever and stomach illness which left him dehydrated and very sick at race time. The 2003 national champion is Matt Winthrow (Midwest VJ Andrew H.S., Tinley Park IL) who ran 14:55 and won the race in the last 100 meters over runner-up Galen Rupp (West Central Catholic H.S. Portland OR) who finished 14:57 and third place Shadrack Kiptoo (West La Cueva H.S. Albuquerque NM) who ran 14:58. Northeast qualifiers Joshua McDougal and Benjamin True finished 4th and 5th respectively in 15:01 and 15:02.
Click to view official results site)

You have both said that the journey to the Footlocker National Finals start line at Balboa Park in San Diego began in July. It was during those intense workouts on the unusually rain-soaked days that your dreams to run the last cross country race of the year in December became a reality. Each of you endured the long, tiring runs that would give you the stamina for the meets late in the season. Your grueling interval workouts would later enable you to maintain the sub-5:00 pace for the 5k races. You pushed your bodies and minds all season knowing that the hard work and extra effort would ultimately pay off in December.

At the first invite of the season at Windham in September, you provided us with an inkling of the special season to come when you battled over the rolling course with Gavin prevailing for the victory. In early October, both of you participated in the Greater Hartford Invite but in different races. Ahmed raced first over the hilly 5k course in the West Hartford Reservoir and sent a strong message in running a course record 15:28. Gavin raced comfortably in the next race to easily win in 16:02. In mid-October, Gavin ran virtually alone at the Wickham Invite while Ahmed was racing another national qualifier, Victor Gras, at the Manhattan Invite where they set two of the top ten meet times.

In your regular season meets, each of you played the consummate team leader. Ahmed led his team from the head of the pack in each race to lead Conard to a CCC West Team title and a 13-0 season record. Meanwhile, Gavin alternated between leading and following others on the talented Griswold team that eventually saw Gavin win the ECC Championship as Griswold lost a close battle with Ledyard for the team title.

As the anticipation grew for the upcoming State Class meets, the only question on everyone's mind was how fast could you run without close competition. Gavin ran first in the Class SS race in the chilly early morning air and breezed to a 13-second win over David Metzger of Ellington in 15:46. More importantly, he led Griswold to another Class SS Championship. In the later part of the day, with temperatures rising comfortably, Ahmed took control during the first mile of the Class L race, forced the pace through 9:46 at 2-miles and established a new Wickham Park course record of 15:20 to win by over a minute. Ahmed, your record run was also crucial to your team's success as Conard qualified for the State Open by one second.

The stage was set for the top two seniors to compete at the State Open meet on Friday, October 31st at Wickham Park. Finally, all the questions would be answered as to who was the best in the state for 2003. The weather cooperated as temperatures reached low 60s under a partly sunny sky. Fans were not disappointed, for as the starting gun fired, you both  proceeded to wage one of the most intensive competitions that many long-time coaches had not seen in years. For 15 minutes and 15 seconds, you ran side-by-side, each not wanting the other to gain a one step advantage. As the crowds roared their approval on the long, gradual hill to the finish line, Gavin gained a step ahead of Ahmed with 10-meters to go and finished in 15:21 for the championship title. Ahmed finished at 15:22 for the runner-up spot. Later, at the awards ceremony, Gavin and Ahmed were given a standing ovation by the appreciative crowd as you received your medals.

The competition between the two of you was not yet over as each prepared over the next week to face each other as well as the best from the Northeast in the New England Championships. As the defending champion, Ahmed also had Ben True of Greely ME to be concerned with as well as Gavin. In a sharp departure from the previous week's weather, you had to contend with temperatures below 40 degrees and sharp, biting wind gusts as well as a hilly, wet course in Manchester New Hampshire. Using a controlled start, Ahmed, Gavin and Ben were in the lead pack through the first mile. A long uphill at the second mile proved to be the dividing point as Ahmed and True left Gavin behind. Ahmed pushed the second mile to gain a ten meter lead that True could not overcome. The downhill, fast final mile to the finish line only served to strengthen Ahmed as you ran to victory in 15:18, four seconds faster than True. Gavin finished third in 15:41.

Some New England coaches have said that the hardest part about qualifying for the Footlocker Finals is staying prepared for the three weeks in-between the New England race and the Northeast Footlocker Qualifier that is run on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Too many factors can influence your training; weather (snow, rain or just too cold), injury, sickness or even a lack of a meet to stay competitive. At the Northeast Footlocker Qualifier at at VanCortlandt Park in New York, Gavin managed to do all the right things and run one of your best races of the season to qualify for the finals in placing third. On the other side of the coin, Ahmed was recovering from a leg injury and struggled to finish in the eighth and final place to qualify for the national meet.

It has been an enormous thrill to watch both of you fine young men race throughout the 2003 cross country season. I feel fortunate to have witnessed some of the closest races and exciting individual performances that have been seen in a long time. I appreciate your hard work and self-sacrifice that allowed you to obtain the honors you have deservedly won this season. Your admiration and respect for each other before and after each race make you excellent models of desirable behavior in sport and life in general. I urge you to take the time to savor your many accomplishments. I wish you well in your remaining high school seasons and your future endeavors in college.
Regards, Ron Knapp, Owner-Editor, MySportsResults.com

Coombs and Haji Earn 2 of 32 Tickets to Footlocker National Championships...
(Nov 30, 2003) Twenty-three years ago in the fall of 1980, Connecticut proudly sent two cross country runners to the national finals. At the former Kinney National Championships, Kevin King of Westhill placed eighth and State Open winner Jay O'Keefe of EO Smith placed fifteenth. On Saturday, at the 25th Northeast Regional Footlocker Championship at VanCortlandt Park in New York, history was repeated as State Open Champion Gavin Coombs of Griswold High School and New England Champion Ahmed Haji of Conard-West Hartford overcame cold, windy conditions as well as a very competitive field to earn two of only thirty-two tickets to the Footlocker Boys Cross Country National Finals in San Diego CA on December 13, 2003.
In placing third behind winner Ben True of Greely ME, Coombs will enjoy his first trip West to the prestigious finals after a stellar season of competition that included a State Open Championship. As for Haji, the trip West will present an opportunity to improve upon last year's eighth place finish at the national meet. Haji enters the Connecticut boy's cross country record books as only the second runner to qualify for the national meet two years in a row. He joins Brian McGovern of Fairfield Prep who also ran in two national finals, first in 1999, where he placed 15th in 15:15 and in 2000, where he finished 17th in a time of 15:31.

2003 Footlocker Northeast Regional Qualifiers:

Click to view complete results of all the 2003 Footlocker Northeast Regional races available from www.elitereacingsystems.com

Connecticut Runners Prepare for Footlocker Championships...
(Nov 25, 2003) Many Connecticut cross country runners have extended their season to include the Footlocker Regional meet on November 29th at VanCortlandt Park in New York.
Click to view Footlocker site...

Click to View List of Connecticut Registrants...

Connecticut Runners Heat Up New England XC Championships...
(Nov 9, 2003) A large contingent of Connecticut fans were rudely introduced to winter as temperatures hovered near freezing with wind gusts to 20mph at the 69th New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships at Derryfield Park in Manchester NH. The fans quickly warmed as they cheered a double victory for Connecticut's top two harriers; Amie Schumacher of Holy Cross-Waterbury and Ahmed Haji of Conard-West Hartford.

Amie Schumacher Holy Cross-Waterbury 2003 New England Champion

Ahmed Haji Conard-West Hartford 2003 New England Champion

In the first race of the chilly day, sophomore Schumacher ran 18:12.0 for 5km and scored a 33-second victory over Elise Moody-Roberts of Cape Elizabeth ME. As has been her strategy all year, Schumacher left the talented field of top New England runners after the first mile and was not contested the remainder of the race. For Schumacher, it was her first New England Championship race and she leaves us wondering what else she is capable of over the the next two years. Fitch High School was the top girls team finishing in second place to Champlain Valley of Vermont. Fitch was led by senior Betsy Boucher who finished in third place. State Open Champion Ridgefield was sixth followed by East Lyme (8th), Guilford (9th), Fairfield (10th) and Simsbury (15th). The twelve Connecticut runners who placed in the top twenty-five received All New England honors. View NE Girls Results...

Defending champion Ahmed Haji executed his race plan to perfection; waiting until the hill after mile one to make his move to the lead. Only Ben True of Greely ME stayed with Haji at the break away. During the rolling second mile, Haji opened a 5-10m lead that True could not overcome as they quickly raced the downhill and flat last mile. Haji just missed breaking True's course record by one second in finishing at 15:18.4.  Haji is only the sixth harrier to win consecutive New England Championships since 1935, the last runner to accomplish the feat was Brian McGovern of Fairfield Prep in 1999-2000. The boys 1-2-3 finish mirrored last year's with True in second at 15:22.3 and Gavin Coombs of Griswold in third place at 15:41.0. New Milford improved upon last year's sixth place finish to take the top team honors followed by Ledyard in second and Danbury in third. Manchester followed in 8th place, Griswold in 9th and Amity in 11th place. Ten of Connecticut's top runners placed in the first twenty-five places to earn All-New England medals.
View NE Boys Results...