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2024 Outdoor Track Practice/Meet Schedule

Road Rewards....

April 19: The girls and boys Varsity T&F teams bused down the NY Thruway to Utica for the Cook-DeStefano Invitational at Proctor HS. Timng is everythng as heavy rains slid east just as they arrived, and the meet was contested under mostly cloudy skies and reasonable temperatures. The boys team almost won the meet, coming in second by a fraction of a point while the girls placed third. There were multiple personal record performances, highlighted by four individual event winners. In her first stab at the 5-event pentathlon, senior Grace McInerney won the high jump and long jump in route to victory in that event with the leading Section 3 score. Clare Griffin was on the track in the 1500m, and she powered away from the field, over eight seconds ahead of second place with the #3 best time in the section to date. Not to be outdone, Chloe Fietze was also in an event for the first time--the 2000 meter Steeplechase. Despite a fall over her first water jump, Chloe also left the field behind as she raced the section's fastest time so far this season. Hayden Rothenberg also captured an event for the boys, winnng the triple jump. Both teams represented West Genesee well.

First Efforts....

April 10: The earlier rain relented and the WG teams headed out for a home contest against Henninger. Officials ruled the field event sites were too precarious to use, so the meet was shortened to track and throws events. Nevertheless, both team prevailed with solid home openers.

Driving up....

March: Temperatures rising after the big weekend storm. Sun's out, but the track is still under white. It's a perfect day for The Rise. The distance crew got at it with some power running up the neighborhood slant. With the first meet a little over a week away, their fitness is advancing.

Going 'States'

February 14: West Genesee will be well represented at the March 2nd NYS Indoor Track & Field Championship, held at the Ocean Breeze Sports Complex on Staten Island. Chloe Fietze, Peyton Long, Claire Griffin and Andee Conklin outpaced the Open Qualifier competition in the 4x800 to qualify. Rhison Williams, Anthony Edgar, Dylan Fronst and Will Fettig also dominated in the 4x200 relay to advance. And Mike Gomes was the best in the 1000m and joins teammates in heading to Ocean Breeze. Congratulations to all the Wildcats.

Indoor Miles...

December 16: By the Constantino Meet, the Indoor Track teams were already solidly three meets into their seasons. Little or no snow outside, but plenty of PR's already on their climate-controlled 200 meter ovals. More PR's to come--and likely snow.

Destiny calls....

October 4: Only days removed from the big McQuaid Invitational, both squads travelled to Auburn to take on formidable opponents. The boys faced #2 state-ranked Auburn, while the girls faced off against the #6 Auburn girls and the #14 Liverpool squad. Temperatures had soared into record range and the course was deceptively tough. Despite game efforts, the boys were bested by their Auburn and Liverpool competitors. The girls were hoping to stay close and competitive and continue to improve. Strong races by the middle of their top-5, though, created a unique opportunity against Liverpool. Going into the final 500 meters, the two teams were tied. Both teams pushed hard to the finish, and it came down to who had the best team 6th place. On this day, that was WG's Thalia Petrie, though she would not know until later that she had secured the win for she and her teammates. A great moment and a reminder how important those 6th and 7th place runners are.

That's how I got to Memphis....

September 25: Not exactly Tom Hall's Memphis, but a long run through early autumn upstate to the hamlet of Memphis is not so bad either. The Wildcats performed a pick-up Long Run, returning faster than they left, certainly more tired but also pretty satisfied to have been out covering ground. These kind of days are as much a state of mind as a state of miles.

Big Tests

September 16: Wildcat runners faced their largest meet of the young season as 78 boys teams and 61 girls squads converged on Vernon-Verona-Sherrill in 5 different races. The 'cats drew Race 2, an early Saturday morning affair. The boys placed 5th in their 13 team race, while the girls took home the second-place trophy in theirs. Importantly, the athletes could get the feel of the course on which they will race sectionals. More importantly, every single Wildcat that ran the VVS Invitational the same time last season improved on those 5k times--every one. Some made dramatic 3-4 minute gains, testiment to commited summer preparations. In the overall meet merge of all teams, the boys placed 25 of 78 while the girls notched a very credible 9 of 61 in a field with multiple top-10 and to-20 teams. Both teams have good things to build on.

They are off....

September 1: With September comes the racing season. The Wildcats got their first taste of 5k velocities and distance at their annual Blue/Gold 5k race on the CMS home course. Major improvements over last year's times were achieved by many runners, with some clocking unofficial personal course records, much of that the result of their summer persistence with preparation mileage. All team members score is this event, so every place matters. This day, the Gold team prevailed with the low score of 190 to Blue's 215, so, by tradition, the Gold team was first in line for a following Team Brunch. School's in session next week, and the team's first meet, the Cato-Meridian Invitational, is close.

Team Day

August 29: In and out weather with a smattering of rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm at the Wildcat's 2nd Annual Team Day at Lourdes Camp on Skaneateles Lake. An easy run, an agility circuit, water time, bountiful team eats set up by parents, and boys/girls team meetings to establish seasonal team goals were all packed into the day. A good time for all. Of course, as they bused home, the sun came out .

All in a morning's work....

August 28: Week 2 of Wildcats XC wasted no time in getting real. The athletes were thorougly warmed up, then sent out on their half mile hill circuit that includes some tough terrain. 30 minutes of up and down resulted in almost four miles for the top girls runners, more for the boys. It was a good start to a week that will end up with team members challenging their difficult WG 5k competition course.

In the bank.....

August 25: A first team training week that contained Alternations, a Long Run, Fartlek and drills ended with a rugged, but successful morning interval workout in high humidity. The Wildcats got after it. For many, it was their best per/mile effort since starting way back in June--and they knew it. Things are getting exciting.

Memphis Miles--No Blues

August 22: Morning miles was the name of the game for a group of Wildcats XC runners as they muscled through CNY countryside for 8+ miles to the small hamlet of Memphis astride the Erie Canal before turning back for home. What a way to start the day.

Summer Success -- Bagels Up

August 17: No talk about Fall league meets and invitationals. No talk about pecking orders or possible team records. Summer was about summer--getting in the miles, getting together for Team Runs and its important progressions of seasonal training types, enjoying being runners. Mostly, though, it was about creating teams before the official season. The Wildcat boys and girls teams accomplished all that. They 'won the summer.'

Wildcats a Leapin'

August 16: Wildcats XC runner Shannon McMahon, Rebecca Dickey, Andee Conkllin and Chloe Fietze represented the girls at Syracuse.com's annual Media Day.

Up, up, always up....

August 14: Hard to believe, but Week 9--the final week--of their summer training efforts has arrived. The goal was to make all those weeks a season unto themselves, a season to enjoy being a runner in preparation for competing as a runner in the cooling weeks of autumn. With one more Team Run and only a few days before the 'official' season kicks off, a lot of runners can consider their summers as mission accomplished.

Motoring the canal....

August 3: Threshold--one of the most valuable training types for pace endurance, but also one of the most difficult for young runners to master. Some of the veteran Wildcats have, though, achieved mastery and are using the threshold progressions of summer to eventually 'bridge' to faster velocities during the official season. Some fast 200's polished off a strong evening for the 'cats. The countdown to the season has begun.

The Wildcats XC alumns

July 27: Former Wildcat Cross-Country runners gathered at The Wildcat in Camillus to catch up with each other's lives and enjoy old memories of seasons on the trails. Those memories of hard work and good times are still strong.

What summer is....

July 20: Seashore, lakes, pools, mountain hikes, trips, backyard barbacues--summer is all that and more. But one thing it also is for Wildcats XC runners is the simple opportunity to be with teammates weekly in preparation for--and anticipation of--the coming season. Priceless.....

A summer blast

July 10: Recent rain moved their practice site and changed their workout type, but it was no worry for the Wildcats. Half-mile intervals on the grassy and well-drained Inner Loop still allowed use of the spikes, and the day's work became a synergy phenomenon, with great performances propelled by teammate support and encouragement. The troops are well on their way to 'winning the summer.'

Warm and Muggy Hello to the 4th

July 3: They could have been lounging by the pool or kicking back with a pre-4th barbeque. Instead, they donned trainers and turned out for a Team Run of mile-interval alternations on the CMS training trails in muggy weather. These folks are serious.

Racing the rain.......

June 26: No hazy, lazy day of summer this evening. Camillus, and the local Erie Canal tow paths found themselves caught between the meterological pincers of storm systems to the east and west. The runners hustled through drills and set out on a three mile out-back threshold run. The faster groups beat the rain. The middle groups came in with the first drops rippling the canal. As they huddled under our protective tin-roofed pavilion, the last runners arrived in a torrential downpour that lasted twenty minutes, then simply dwindled long enough for the runners to sprint to waiting rides home. But mission accomplished.

Wildcats XC 2023 is underway.......

June 19 - If it's June, it must be cross-country season. Members of the 2023 West Genesee boys/girls Varsity Cross-Country teams gathered for their introductory meeting and their first Team Run of the season. It's a long, hot way to September, but they want to be ready and capable of great things this Fall. Voluntary Team Runs are held Mondays and Thursdays 6-7:30pm at Camillus Middle School unless otherwise posted. All WG athletes who want to get into shape for Fall sports are welcome to participate in hill, interval, threshold or alternation runs for strength and aerobic fitness.