Cross Country Recap
The IHS cross country boys’ and girls’ teams, under the guidance of head coach Rich Bernstein—now in his 32nd year—both ended their seasons with appearances at the Nike Cross Country National (NXN) New York Regional. The Ithaca boys finished tenth as a team at the meet and tenth in the final New York State team rankings on MileSplitNY. Bernstein, who was recently selected as Co-Track and Field Coach for the juniors team representing the U.S. at the World Maccabiah Games this summer, said it was a “very successful season for the boys up until Feds and NXN Regionals, when illnesses struck down the top guys.” However, Silas Derfel ’18 finished 60th out of 195 runners and qualified for the NXN meet held in Portland, Oregon. Bernstein described this as “an outstanding accomplishment.” The Ithaca girls placed 15th at the regional meet and 22nd as a team in the final Class A Rankings, with Lizzy Rayle ’18 nabbing a solid 40th place finish. Bernstein said that the girls “served notice that they will be dangerous next season.” Both the boys’ and girls’ teams featured impressive depth of talent, including a combination of experienced upperclassmen and promising underclassmen. Although neither team qualified for Nationals, there were many signs this season that indicated big things for the future.
Checking in on the Indoor Team
With the help of new Athletic Director David Hanna, the ICSD Board of Education passed a budget that allowed for the formation of IHS’s first ever indoor track team. Many of Ithaca’s outdoor track opponents already have an indoor track and field team, with Ithaca being rather late to the occasion. Indoor track coach Andrew Weishaar, who is also the distance coach for the outdoor team, expressed his satisfaction, saying that “the indoor season has provided us an opportunity to build a tremendous foundation for the outdoor season. Maximizing abilities over both the indoor and outdoor seasons is extremely difficult, so we are focused on getting stronger first during the winter season, and then faster in the outdoor season.” In its inaugural season, the team has already achieved success: Nick John ’17 qualifying for the pole vault national championship is a prime example. It remains to be seen whether this extra training time will translate into success during the outdoor season.
Outdoor Track and Field Preview
The IHS track and field team is coming off a season that saw the the boys’ team place second and the girls’ team win at sectionals. The team as whole then continued that success at State Quals, with the boys’ team placing fifth and the girls finishing fourth. Jake Avery ’17, then a junior, qualified for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals meet in the mile run, which he also holds the school record in. While Avery is undoubtedly aiming for another trip to Nationals for his senior year, it wouldn’t be unlikely for others to join him. Track and field’s plethora of events may make it seem very individualistic at times, but it is still a team sport. The team’s success is dependent on performance from every athlete in every event.
The season hasn’t started yet, so those interested in coming out for the team shouldn’t be discouraged. There are no cuts, but solid effort is a must. Even if joining the team isn’t of interest to you, the home meets can be very exciting and worthwhile, especially the Ithaca Relays.
With new talent, an experienced and solid core of returning athletes, and the indoor season providing extra time to train, the Little Red track and field team could be in for a very good season.
