by Chris Lear
the open race, Sev might
have taken home the $400
first prize. But Sev only fin-
ished second in the colle-
giate race. In this race, the
victor was waiting for him at
the finish line — as he does
An emotional Severy
gaps the field.
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for all his teammates — cheering like mad. Goucher’s new course record time of 24:12 substantiates his status as the best of the Shootout.
Wetmore, while impressed with Goucher’s run, feels there is still room for improvement. He says, “I got him a little too worked up. He wanted to put on a show. He was way under five minutes at the mile, about ten seconds too fast. He hit two miles in 9:28. He was on the edge for five miles when he was supposed to be in control. But I’m pleased.”
He concludes, “He might have broken 24 if I hadn’t worked him up.”
Rebounding from a disappointing showing in his first race at CSU, Friedberg surprises everyone except himself with his third-place finish in 25:20. What makes his finish even more impressive is that his time is a minute faster than what he ran just a year ago at this same meet. The two weeks prior to the CSU Invite had both been 100-mile weeks. This time, Friedberg was coming off two 90 mile weeks. He feels the extra rest gave him the boost he needed. His phenomenal performance earns Wetmore’s praise. Wetmore starts calling him the “Iceberg” for the coolness under pressure that he demonstrated today.
Reese finishes sixth in 25:35 behind a pair of runners from Western State. Ponce finishes seventh in 25:38 before his buddy Roybal crosses the line in 25:44, ninth overall. Roybal’s result delights all his relatives who have come from New Mexico to see him race.
Reese has been gunning for this day since he proclaimed it “N-Day”
on August 18th. His desire to beat “Nordberg” did not come to pass, but even he could not have predicted Friedberg’s improvement six weeks ago. And, having only been running for seven weeks, he is not altogether disappointed with his result.
Roybal has also improved his performance from last year by over a minute. After the race, he and Ponce jump around jubilantly and give each other a bear hug. “Damn,” Roybal says in his New Mexican accent, “I felt fucking good. I’ve gone through this a million times in my mind: thinking about this race, what I’m going to do. Turns, tangents, I knew it, perfectly, without even thinking I was doing it. I was really patient, I knew exactly where I needed to be with the team. And to do it with my dad and all these guys here, the energy of having all these people that love you, well, when I finished I felt like I could go more.”
Finishing in twelfth, in the most tenuous team position — seventh —
is Brock Tessman. He has looked so great in practice that Wetmore has called him “the X factor” that could lead them to the title. Yet, he knows that if he does not improve his position relative to the team, Batliner could take his place at NCAA’s. Wetmore made it perfectly clear that if Bat can run, he will run at NCAA’s. “I don’t think I ran that great today,”
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Tessman says. “I don’t feel that good about how I competed.” Nevertheless, he sees the silver lining. Redemption is but a week away at the Pre-National meet in Lawrence, Kansas. “But I’m going to Kansas,” he says with conviction, “and that’s the preliminary goal.”
There is disappointment in the camp. Wes Berkshire, who has been training so well, bombs today. He is never in it and he finishes 14th on the team, and 38th overall. Before the race he was all but assured of traveling to Kansas for Pre-Nationals. Now it is doubtful that he will be on the traveling squad. His face says it all. “It’s just pretty fucking disappointing. I mean, what can I say?” He is inconsolable; it was the wrong time to be off.
The men get down to business and get moving on their cooldown.
Their excitement is tangible as they bop around the course, jubilantly bantering and laughing with one another. Their exhilaration is well founded, for they far surpassed Wetmore’s goals. Even Wetmore is over-joyed, “I’m thrilled with them all. We were third in America last year, and we had six guys finish faster than our second guy last year. Some of it’s the weather but some of it’s fitness. No matter what, this is a better team than a year ago, and we’re still hoping to get Bat back.”
Goucher and Severy run out in front on the cooldown. They are joined by a guest luminary — Jonathan Severy, Christopher’s younger brother and a strong runner in his own right. Sev’s been following his younger brother’s progress, and it appears that the high school
junior has a shot at winning
his division at states. Chris -
topher and Jon athan run up
the back hill by the mile mark
in stride, with Goucher be-
side them. Shoulders slightly
hunched, legs flexed like a
mogul skier’s as he comes
down a mountain trail, Jona -
than’s form mimics his older
brother’s.
In their excitement, the
rest of the squad catches the
trio. Everyone is thinking of
one thing: Nationals. Sev cap-
Ponce presses in mid-race.
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tures it best when he turns to Goucher and says, “Well, Gouch, we may get our senior year present after all.” “Yep,” Gouch replies, “we just might . . .”
Later this afternoon, Sev hosts a barbecue at his cabin atop Flagstaff Mountain for his family, friends, and teammates. The cabin offers a spectacular view, and on a clear night, one can see Denver alight miles away.
More important, the cabin offers ample time for reflection and study without distraction — assets Sev craves.
Sev is not a hermit, or a deranged technophobic recluse yearning to be off the grid and all alone. He is an eccentric, yes, but he is living here because he believes the experience of living here through the fall cannot but enrich him personally.
He wants to share the experience of living here with his family and friends, and the weather cooperates. While the sky in Boulder remains overcast and the temperature cool, there is nothing but blue skies up at the cabin. It is a joyous time.
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTOUT
PLACE
NAME
UNIVERSITY
TIME
1.
Adam Goucher
Colorado
24:12 CR*
2.
Chris Severy
Colorado
25:11
3.
Mike Friedberg
Colorado
25:20
4.
Michael Aish
Western State
25:25
5.
Rees Buck
Western State
25:33
6.
Tom Reese
Colorado
25:35
7.
Oscar Ponce
Colorado
25:38
8.
Jason Hubbard
Adams State
25:43
9.
Ronald Roybal
Colorado
25:44
10.
Humberto Sanchez
Western State
25:47
12.
Brock Tessman
Colorado
25:54
13.
Chris Valenti
Colorado
25:59
23.
Matt Elmuccio
Colorado
26:29
24.<
br />
Jay Johnson
Colorado
26:31
27.
Adam Loomis
Colorado
26:40
32.
Sean Smith
Colorado
26:50
35.
Zach Crandall
Colorado
26:55
38.
Wes Berkshire
Colorado
27:02
39.
Chris Schafer
Colorado
27:05
40.
Cameron Harrison
Colorado
27:08
45.
Matt Ruhl
Colorado
27:17
*Course Record
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Sunday, October 4, 1998
Magnolia Road
8:30 a.m.
Mags
The celebration does not last long. This morning, they go back to work.
Wetmore rewards his runners, if you can call it that, by easing the pace of today’s run because of yesterday’s effort. To make sure the men run controlled and do not start racing, Wetmore staggers the groups in one-minute intervals.
It is bitterly cold on Mags this morning. Everyone has hats and gloves and bounces in place to keep warm while they wait to go. But before they depart, Wetmore announces his studs of the week — runners who made the largest improvement yesterday from their previous PR — to all assembled. Matt Elmuccio takes the prize for the men. He improved 1:39
over a year ago, finishing ninth on the team. Nine men will travel to Pre-Nationals, and he is confident the performance is enough to get him there.
The bitterness of the cold is exacerbated by the knowledge that it is a beautiful sunny morning down in Boulder. Wetmore, however, is not about to change their plan to make life more comfortable. On the way out, a stiff wind makes Mags ridiculously difficult. Forty-five minutes after the men head out, the sky opens, and it starts snowing. Goucher was intending to do twenty miles with Friedberg and Sev this morning, but the cold prevents his sore muscles from loosening up, so he stops after 18.
The pounding from the Shootout and Magnolia’s hills leave him “just feeling trashed.”
Wetmore looks over some results as he leans against his truck after the run. The guys come by crowding around, looking over one another’s shoulders, anxious to evaluate the numbers over which Wetmore pores.
Arkansas has won the Cowboy Jamboree, beating a good Dodge City Kansas Community College team that the Junior Varsity runners will meet later this season at Ft. Hays. Big 12 rival Oklahoma State also looks solid, running third there. The story of the day, though, is the performance of Julius Mwangi of Butler at the Notre Dame Invite in South Bend, Indiana. He crushed the field and stamped himself as a contender for the National title along with Goucher, Abdi Abdirahman of Arizona, and Bernard Lagat of Washington State.
No one stays to banter for long. It is too cold, and the guys hitch a ride back to campus as soon as they can. Elmuccio is the exception. He hangs around until the others have left so that he can ask Wetmore if he is going to Pre-Nationals. Wetmore informs him that Berkshire is going RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES
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in his stead as a reward for all the hard work he has done. Elmuccio did beat Berkshire fair and square at the Shootout, so he is rightfully disappointed that he will not be making the trip to Lawrence. But Wetmore’s decision to run Berkshire is also a sign from Wetmore that he still has confidence in him despite yesterday’s sub-par performance. Will Wetmore’s trust in him be enough to restore Berkshire’s faith in himself?
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Tuesday, October 6, 1998
Kitt Field
4:00 p.m.
Welcome, Captains Reese and Burroughs
As the men and women gather round the stretching circle, Wetmore passes around a few pencils and some scraps of paper so that the runners can vote for this year’s captains. Wetmore says, “Traditionally the captains are upperclassman, but not always. You’ve been around here long enough, if you think someone younger is uniquely qualified, you can vote for them.” Reese was captain a year ago, so it is logical that he will be reelected. He is an accomplished All-American, well liked by all, and he is the social ringleader as well.
At CU, it is a captain’s responsibility to help foster a synergy within the team, and in this regard, he is as good a choice as anyone. There is a smattering of votes for the others, but Reese handily retains his captaincy.
Elsewhere, it may be logical that the swiftest, most talented athlete bears the honor, but Wetmore is happy with the election results. He is glad Goucher is not captain because “he has enough to worry about.”
Wetmore is also pleased that fifth-year senior Heather Burroughs has won the women’s captainship. She is the workhorse of the team, and she sets a fine example with her tenacity. As demonstrated by his decision to bring Berkshire to Pre-Nationals, Wetmore likes to reward those who toil hard. Burroughs fits the bill, “although,” Wetmore says, “she’ll be the most reluctant captain in the world.”
He announces the results of the vote in typical underhanded Wetmore fashion: “Lots of people got votes on the men’s side. Everyone got one vote, Reese got two.” “Come on,” jokes J-Bird, “no one voted for Schafer.” “That’s not true,” Wetmore replies, “I saw one with girl’s handwriting. She crossed out Burroughs and wrote Schafer.” Everyone laughs and Wetmore gets them back on track. “Let’s go, let’s go! Captain Reese, get these guys into shape! Captain Burroughs, let’s go!”
The sign the coaching staff made for the Shootout will not win the blue ribbon at the county fair, but it was effective. Wetmore arrived at his office yesterday to find an elderly gentleman waiting outside Balch. “Are you the track coach?” he asked Wetmore. “Oh God,” thought Wetmore, “whose house did we throw a rock at now?” But the gentleman was not there to admonish his team. The gentleman continued, “I saw that sign for the CU cross country race. Now, I don’t follow running and I’ve never been to a track meet in my life, but I wanted to tell you that guy Goucher is really something. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. He runs like an antelope.”
Goucher does not feel like an antelope today. His left IT band is sore and the insertion to his hamstring on his right leg is acting up again. Thank-RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES
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fully, today’s workout is just a neuromuscular exercise designed to gener-ate some turnover and get his legs feeling responsive. The runners are doing 300’s around the perimeter of Kitt, jogging a little over 500 meters for the recovery. “We’re doing something faster than race pace,” Wetmore says. “I want to do something fast, but you can’t do too much or you’ll be complaining of soreness in your legs. The recovery is steady, between steady and easy. This is a neuromuscular workout, if you want to make it a little aerobic you can, but the main thing is going hard on the repeats.”
It is an absolutely gorgeous afternoon, the kind of day that lured Wetmore here from New Jersey in 1991. “You make less money here and you pay a lot of rent,” he says, “but all those people in Connecticut, making all that money, you can’t buy them this.”
Despite his ills, Goucher rolls along, and by the fifth 300 he is already about to pass a pack of freshman women. “Here’s Goucher,” Wetmore says as Goucher passes, “about to devour this group.” Despite the heady results from around the country this weekend, Goucher still looks so strong it seems inconceivable that he will get a race at Pre-Nationals. Of this, Wetmore is confident. He says unequivocably, “Nobody will be near him. He’ll win by 30 seconds.” On Goucher’s next time around Wet
more calls out to him, using a phrase that will be oft repeated in the coming weeks. “Make a movie in your mind,” he says, “make a movie in your mind.” He needs Goucher to visualize winning now, in practice, for his proclamation to bear fruit.
The main pack rolls behind Goucher. Penciled to run 50 –52, they drop 48’s. To no one’s surprise, Sev and Friedburg push the recovery jog and start each interval a few steps early in order to gain an advantage on the group’s kickers.
Despite the Varsity pack’s brisk recovery pace, Ruhl, Slattery, and the Mooch, the three Jersey boys, have moved ahead of their hapless Colorado counterparts to join the front pack. Slattery and Elmuccio have been dueling it out on each 300 with Ruhl right behind them. The Mooch is definitely making a statement. Seeing Elmuccio run well, Wetmore again justifies his decision to bring Berkshire. He says, “Wes busted his ass to make that team. He’s been running 100-mile weeks and he had one bad race. I said to Mooch, ‘Look, you beat him again and it’s an easy decision. You’ve beat him once, ever.’”
Mooch and Slattery waste no time taking charge of the first group.
Slattery busts to the front on the ninth interval, tearing down the straight.
After a moment’s hesitation, the Mooch weaves through the pack and gets up on his shoulder. It is a full-scale pissing match, and neither of them are about to concede any turf. The pack hangs onto the dueling duo, knowing they have fourteen repeats while the Jersey boys are only assigned twelve.
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screaming at him, turning his head and looking him right in the face. “COME
ON SLATTERY, COME ON SLATTERY!” Napier is visibly pissed, and
Slattery does not respond; he only inches up the pace. The verbal jousting leaves the door open for the Mooch, who tears by on the left of the duo to cross the finish ahead of Napier and Slattery.
The coaches do nothing to discourage the competition, and the
three runners insist it is all in good fun. “I was just messing with him,”
Napier says. “Usually freshman year you try to go after it on the last one.
But I talked to him, and it’s all in good fun.”
