Philadelphia CYO Cross Country, Track & Field

2012 Track & Field Update!

2012-01-23T11:19:00.000-05:00

The 2012 CYO Track & Field season is right around the corner and we have some exciting changes to announce:

We have a new event this year - the Open 4x400 Meter Relay! Perhaps track & field's most dramatic and exciting relay is finally coming CYO! Similar to the Open 4x800, the 1st leg will be run by a novice, the 2nd by a minor, and the 3rd and 4th legs can be filled from any age group.
We have a new order of events to accommodate the 4x400.
We have also increased the distance limit to 3000 meters for all competitors. Event participation limits remain the same (3 for Novice/Minors, 4 - Cadets)

Check out all the changes and the complete Philadelphia CYO 2012 Track & Field Packet by downloading the .pdf.

I have also put online the 2012 Archdiocesan Track & Field Championship Meet back-up, which should be used as the base for all Region/Division and Area Championships. If you have a new team in your Region/Division/Area to add, please contact me. The division and age-up date are set correctly. Meet directors only changes should be to lane preferences. If you have questions or need to change something else, please contact me.

2011 Archdiocesan Champs Results - updated

2011-11-01T09:38:00.002-04:00

2011 Archdiocesan Champs - Individual Results (team results will be available shortly - corrected for error in CB 4th place)

2011 Cumulative Results - thru Champs

2011 Cumulative Results - thru 10.23

As always, our thanks to Cross Country commissioner Mary Ellen Malloy on the fantastic job she does putting the cross country program together. Also, thanks to the volunteers, be they coaches, parents, or CYO XC alumni who helped out every week as marshals. It was a great year all around.

Coaches who are representing runners participating in the post season should bring a copy of the cumulative results and champs results with them tonight (11/1 - St Anastasia's Caf - 7pm) for seeding teams. Given the conditions of the course on Sunday, I doubt there were many times faster at Champs than during the rest of the season, but its possible. My thanks to Charlie Stone of MMR who compiled the cumulative results for us.

Inquiries on the post-season should be forwarded to Mary Ellen Malloy - sunrisexc@aol.com

There are still 2011 Philadelphia CYO Cross Country Championship t-shirts available. Email Mary Ellen or ask your coach to pick one up for you at the meeting if your interested.

CHAMPS PARKING & WEATHER

2011-10-28T14:53:00.001-04:00

2 IMPORTANT UPDATES

1.) SHUTTLE/PARKING AT THE MANN IS CANCELLED! - Apologies for the confusion, but they are hosting a circus in the parking lot at the Mann Music Center. We were not aware of this when we set this up. Again, I am sorry, but there will be no parking at the Mann or Shuttle back and forth. All parking will be in the Belmont lots and on streets surrounding the plateau. I encourage athletes/teams to carpool as much as possible and arrive extra early to ensure enough time to get ready for your races. Please be aware of where you are parking, and do not park across the course!

2.) SNOW - Apparently its going to snow Saturday. We are still going to run on Sunday. This is our last chance to run Champs this year. We will be running. Please dress appropriately, as the current forecast is for high temperatures in the mid 40s. Remember, there are no concessions, bring your own hot chocolate! (and some for me)

Archdiocesan Cross Country Champs!

2011-10-25T15:05:00.000-04:00

Some reminders for this Sunday's Championship Meet:

Race schedule:

Coaches Meeting - 12:30 or12:45 (ish)

Novice Girls - 1pm
Novice Boys
Minor Girls
Minor Boys
Cadet Girls
Cadet Boys
3rd Grade Boys and Girls
2nd Grade Boys and Girls
1st Grade Boys and Girls
Kindergarten Boys and Girls

Any athlete that has competed in the required number of meets (2) is eligible to run at the Championship meet.

Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers in each race at the END of the meet for Novice - Cadet, in the chute to Sub-Novices (girls and boys will be awarded medals separately). Athletes and coaches are reminded that their place card/ team scoring must be filled out and returned to the score keeper to receive their medal/credit towards team scoring. Please get your cards in timely so that the award ceremony can begin promptly at the end of the meet.

The shuttle from the Mann Music Center will be running. We encourage everyone to use the shuttle as an alternative to parking illegally, very far away, or worst of all, on the course! (it happens, trust me) Review my original post about the shuttle below, which I tweaked a bit to reflect the schedule this Sunday. Plan to get their early. Assume that races will start every 20 minutes. Then plan to be there much earlier than that.

2011 XC Championship t-shirts will be available for sale. ($15 or less). Please buy one for yourself and your kids. It helps defray the costs of running the meet and all the equipment that goes into it. Red Philadelphia CYO Cross Country shirts worn during the post-season are also for sale. ($8)

Coaches and parents are reminded that any and all team members, coaches, parents, relatives, well-wishers, etc are considered part of the parish/school team. If you are in a restricted area and do not leave when asked it will result in disqualification for yourself or team or both. Please do not stand on the course along the finish line. Everyone should be behind the cars parked on the access road that runs adjacent the finish line, or even better, standing behind the red rope fence. Please don't cross the red fence and attempt to come into the chute for any reason.

SHUTTLE INFO:

Q: Where do I park my car?
A:Mann Music Center - gravel parking lot, please do NOT PARK ON THE GRASS! (after all, they are letting us park there for free!)

Here is a link for Google Maps Directions, here is a satellite overview with some basic driving directions.

Q: When does the shuttle start running? When does it stop?
A: 12pm - 5:00pm or whenever the last person leaves

Q: What's the estimated frequency?
A: Approximately every 15 mins

Q:Where does is this take me? Where can I get back on to get my car?
A: Red trailer below baseball fields off Montgomery Ave.

Q: If my kid is on the shuttle, will you hold the race for us?
A: Absolutely not! Make sure you are leaving yourself a comfortable time cushion when coming down to the plateau, with enough time to park, get settled and warm up before you race.

As always, please take care to lock your cars and keep your valuables out of sight. There will be no attendants on site at the Mann parking site.

Meet 5 Results

2011-10-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

Results

I'll have a reminder post about the race schedule changes for Archdiocesan Champs up later.

Area E XC Championship

2011-10-17T13:31:00.001-04:00

Team/ Age Group Scoring

NOTE: Area E XC Champs allows a team to use any 3 of the 4 age groups (sub-novice, novice, minor, cadet) to compile a team score. This is not allowed for Archdiocesan Champs! Please don't be confused. Sub-novices are not scored as a team at the Archdiocesan Championship meet as they are run by grade.

Meet 4 Results

2011-10-12T09:22:00.003-04:00

Here are the results from Meet 4. There are known errors due to runners using the wrong numbers/running in the wrong age group and other issues. Please talk to your team's coach ask them to communicate with the XC commissioner if you believe you know the cause of an error.

Results - Meet 4

2011-10-10T15:23:00.003-04:00

There are problems with the recorded results from Meet 4 that are being address. There will be a delay is the release of results from past Sunday's meet this week.

Sweats Order Form, No Shuttle Oct 9th and 23rd

2011-10-06T11:16:00.001-04:00

Due to the lack of interest in the Shuttle, we will not be running a shuttle between the Mann Music Center and Belmont this Sunday, Oct 9th, or Sunday Oct 23rd. Remember, no meet October 16th.

Sweats Order Forms - Please DO NOT email me your order form. Return to Mary Ellen Malloy at the meet on Sunday.

2011 Meet 3 Results

2011-10-04T09:21:00.001-04:00

Results

2011 Meet 2 Results

2011-09-27T17:17:00.003-04:00

Results

Mann Music Center Parking Lot Shuttle

2011-09-21T22:33:00.002-04:00

To alleviate some of the parking concerns that have presented themselves in light of the awesome number of kids registered to run this year (1,900 + and counting), we have arranged for off site parking at the Mann Music Center. We are asking for a $1 donation per person to help cover the cost of the bus. Answers to your (hypothetical) questions below:

Q: Where do I park my car?
A:Mann Music Center - gravel parking lot, please do NOT PARK ON THE GRASS! (after all, they are letting us park there for free!)

Here is a link for Google Maps Directions, here is a satellite overview with some basic driving directions.

Q: When does the shuttle start running? When does it stop?
A: 12pm - 4:30pm

Q: What's the estimated frequency?
A: Approximately every 15 mins

Q:Where does is this take me? Where can I get back on to get my car?
A: Concessions stand parking lot at the Plateau.

Q: If my kid is on the shuttle, will you hold the race for us?
A: Absolutely not! Make sure you are leaving yourself a comfortable time cushion when coming down to the plateau, with enough time to park, get settled and warm up before you race.

As always, please take care to lock your cars and keep your valuables out of sight. There will be no attendants on site at the Mann parking site.

2011 Meet 1 Results

2011-09-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

Excel - novice girls now included

Update - 1st Meet - September 11th - CANCELLED

2011-09-08T11:07:00.001-04:00

UPDATE:

THE MEET FOR THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COURSE CONDITIONS. THE FIRST MEET WILL BE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH. COURSE WALK AT 12PM ON 9/18.

Due to the unprecedented amount of rain we have received and may continue to receive thru Sunday, the possibility exists that the meet may be cancelled due to course conditions. We will make every possible attempt to have an answer by Saturday evening at the latest. Please check back for updates.

XC Rosters due tomorrow

2011-09-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

A reminder that team rosters need to be emailed to the Cross Country Commissioner so that your athlete can you be assigned a number for Sundays meet. Please make sure your rosters have been sent to Mary Ellen by tomorrow's deadline.

2011 XC Packet & Biker Plea

2011-08-22T12:11:00.000-04:00

I have posted a link to the 2011 CYO Cross Country Packet (includes great information such as rostering rules, important dates, competition rules, and postseason information) on the links menu to the right.

Volunteers to ride the bike each week are needed! One of our main bike riders from last year has graduated and moved onto college, and won't be available every weekend. Right now we have no guaranteed biker. A competent biker rider is essential to the safety and well being of your athletes! Preferably we would like 2 bike riders who could commit to being at the Plateau for all of the races. Having 2 riders speeds up the meet (we can send off races once the path to the woods is clear after each race) and eases the burden on easily the most taxing job come race day.

If you are interested in volunteering to ride the bike, email Mary Ellen Malloy - sunrisexc@aol.com and let her know.

We are working on getting course maps online, once they are ready, I will post them.

Preseason Cross Country Meeting - 8/21 - 7pm

2011-07-25T21:44:00.003-04:00

The preseason cross country meeting will be Sunday, August 21st, 7pm, in the Saint Anastasia (Newtown Square) Cafeteria.

Every parish/team competing should send a representative to the meeting. There are rule changes being made from previous years that every team will need to know and abide by.

Fees, dates, team duties, rules, and eligibility will be discussed at the meeting. If you have any specific questions, this would be the time to ask them!

2011 Archdiocesan Champs Results

2011-06-04T17:35:00.005-04:00

Results

Team Scores

Thank you to all our officials who helped throughout the season, especially the team from Kennett Timing who provided the automatic timing on Saturday.

Congratulations to Our Lady of Guadalupe and St Ignatius on their girl's and boy's team titles.

I have updated the Archdiocesan Championship Meet Record listing on the right.

High Jump Opening Heights

2011-06-01T14:00:00.002-04:00

Novice Girls 3’6”

Novice Boys 3’8”

Minor Girls 4’

Minor Boys 4’2”

Cadet Girls 4’4”

Cadet Boys 4’8”

2011 Archdiocesan Champs Performance List

2011-05-24T09:33:00.004-04:00

Archdiocesan Champs Performance List

Time Schedule-Revised for Shot Put Open Pit

The Open Pit for Shot will be from 8:45am to 9:30am, and is open only to competitors with conflicting running/field events at Franklin Field at the time their age group is scheduled to throw. Athletes who have conflicts with other sporting events/clubs/family parties will not be allowed to throw during the open pit.

SHOT PUT DIRECTIONS -

Walk from Franklin Field toward Center City on South Street. Cross over South Street to the south side of the bridge. Take the stairwell adjacent to the Hollenback Center (the only big red brick building on the bridge). Turn right at the bottom of the steps and head toward Rhodes Field. (see the google map). Shot Put is adjacent to the 2nd soccer field. I have been told that the parking lots that were used last year to access Shot Put will be closed on Saturday. I would suggest that athletes and their families plan to park on the street or in lots near Franklin Field and walk to Shot Put

Area Results

2011-05-22T19:44:00.008-04:00

Area A

Area C

Area D

Area E

(I have added a link for the Area E Championship Meet Records to the right)

Area E meet seedings and meet program

2011-05-17T15:03:00.004-04:00

Area E Meet Program

(updated with time schedule goodness)

Area E Ranked Performance List

We will not have programs for sale on Sunday. Please print your copies out at home and bring with you!

Meet Program mix up

2011-05-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

Meet directors may have noticed this week that the order of events is slightly off in the Meet Manger set up. I accidentally put 400M Relay in front of 400M dash. I'll try harder next year.

You should follow the meet schedule as laid out in the track packet -

4x800
100 trials
1600s
400s
4x100s, etc etc

Friday at Penn Relays Results

2011-04-30T13:09:00.000-04:00

Junior Girls

Junior Boys

Senior Girls

Note - There was an error on Tuesday night which caused Our Lady of Guadalupe to be DQ'd when Our Lady of Mount Carmel should have been. Saint Mary Magdalene graciously agreed to give up their spot as the 9th place qualifier to allow OLG to run. In the final result on Friday, SMM is actually OLG.

Senior Boys

Results

2011-04-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the awesome timing team at Flash Results

Photos will be online from the event at Contrast Photography.

2011 CYO Night at the Penn Relays Meet Program & Seating

2011-04-20T16:04:00.007-04:00

Free Program!

Download the program and print out at home, we will NOT have any on site.

Update -

Seating will again be only in the South and East stands this year.

The entrance gates will be open on the South Street side as well.

Registered Teams

2011-04-19T17:20:00.000-04:00

updated registered teams for those whose entries came in last night or in the mail.

Registered Teams as of 5:45

2011-04-18T17:46:00.000-04:00

Here are the registered teams as of 5:45 today. If you do not have a red check mark next to your parish name under each age group you are NOT registered for that age group! Please double check my work and make sure I put you in the correct age groups.

Unless you submit your roster by the end of the day today via fax or email, or have already mailed out your roster, your team will not run at Penn Relays. Please double check the list and resend your roster if you are not on there. Thanks!

Registered Teams as of 4/14/11

2011-04-14T15:58:00.001-04:00

Here is the list of registered teams as of 4pm this afternoon.

If you don't have red check mark under the age group, your relay is not registered for that age group. I will not update this list again until next Tuesday.

Penn Relays registration reminder

2011-04-14T10:15:00.001-04:00

Rosters are due Monday! I will post an updated registration list this afternoon.

Registered as of 4/8/11

2011-04-08T09:42:00.003-04:00

Registered teams as of this morning

Penn Relays reminder 2

2011-04-06T10:23:00.001-04:00

Other reminders:

Girls can NOT run on boy's relays, and boys can NOT run on girl's relays.

Athletes who are eligible to run in the Junior age division may run as Seniors, however they may only participate in 1 relay. Therefore if you move an athlete up to run on a Senior relay, they may not run on the Junior relay team as well.

Penn Relays Registration

2011-04-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

Reminder!

Please email, fax, or mail or Penn Relays roster by Monday, April 18th! I have received about 9 rosters so far. I'll start posting who is registered at the end of the week.

It's Track Season (3 days ago) & Meet Set Up info

2011-03-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

I'm 3 days late, but track season officially began on Tuesday.

Best of luck to everyone this year!

I've noticed that a number of people have already downloaded the 2011 Meet Set Up. REMINDER: DO NOT to make changes to the meet set up. The age divisions and age up date are set correctly for the 2011 season. Meet directors may change the Meet Name, Date, and Location in the Meet Set Up, and the Lane Preferences under Seeding Preferences. The meet is currently set for Franklin Field's lane preference: 6,7,8,9,5,4,3,2. Information about standard lane preferences is in the 2011 track packet.

No one should add a team to the program! If you have a team in your region or area that is not on the current list, please email me and request that team to be added and I will update the meet and send it back to you.

It is very important that you download this new meet set up, as the event order in the program has CHANGED! The event # order now conforms with the order that events are run on the track. Field events are listed at the end of the event listing.

Clinics and presentations updated

2011-02-08T09:36:00.008-05:00

Some information was passed along to me about some track & field clinics and presentations:

Presentation by Jack Daniels

"World’s best distance coach”

When: Sunday, March 6, 2011

Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Where: St. John Chrysostom School Gym, Wallingford, PA

Contact: Glenn Venturini, 610.585.2914

Some bio/details on Jack Daniels

Wikipedia on Jack Daniels (the man).

I received some more details on this event from Glenn:

PRESENTATIONS:

1.Jessica Laniak DPT -Dynamic Warm up vs Static Stretching w/Demo 1pm-1:30pm

2.Dr Steven Collina- Common Running Injuries/Prevention 1:30pm- 2pm

3.Key Note Speaker- Jack Daniels "Training philosophy" 2pm- 3pm

Panel Q and A to 3:30pm

Early Registration Cost $20.00 post marked no later than 3-1-11
Same Day Registration $25.00
Mail and make check payable to:
c/o Glenn Venturini
Optimum Physical Therapy Associates
719 S Chester Rd
Swarthmore, Pa 19081

Directions to St John Chrysostom School

USATF Level 1 Coaching Certification - March 18 - 20

Details on the Level 1 Course

(thanks to Mike Smith, MMR for the tip on this one.)

Mandatory Track Meeting

2011-02-01T17:01:00.000-05:00

Reminder

The Mandatory Track Meeting for the 2011 season is 7pm next Monday at Archbishop Carroll High School. Every team must be represented to be eligible for the Penn Relays and Region Championship meets.

2010 Archdiocesan Champs Results

2010-11-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

The link for 2010 Archdiocesan Cross Country Championship Meet results is below. I believe that it is important that all of our coaches, volunteers and parents know what caused the delay in releasing these results.

At the Championship meet during the minor girls race there were two unacceptable disturbances caused by parents/family of athletes watching the meet. The individuals involved in these incidents were extremely offensive, belligerent and in one case threatened violence against our officials. It just so happens that both of these incidents were instigated by people in attendance to watch athletes from St. Mary Magdalene parish in Media, however this is not the first time this has happened nor is Mary Magdalene the first parish. Owing to the repercussions of disqualifying athletes at a championship meet, Mary Ellen Malloy our Cross Country commissioner felt the need to discuss these incidents and potential disciplinary actions with the Archdiocesan CYO office.

It has been decided that St. Mary Magdalene will be put on probation for the 2011 season, which means an additional incident could warrant suspension from cross country for a season. Some will say this is too harsh, some will say it is too light. However you feel about it, the fact is this, with the limited number of full time officials and the financial resources available to us, these kinds of incidents will continue to happen until we collectively put a stop to it.

How do we do it? We, as a community, demand that those in attendance conduct themselves appropriately, like adults, with respect for the time and efforts that the athletes, coaches and officials have dedicated to these events. I haven’t served as an official as long as some, but I do serve every week during the cross country and track and field seasons. 99 times out of 100 the issues and problems created at these events are based on the actions of adults in attendance, not the children. 99 times out of 100, there are 4 or 5 other parents or coaches standing around looking disturbed but not saying anything. It is natural and understandable, but isn’t working, and more importantly it is setting a terrible, terrible example for our athletes.

I assure you, when an official is asking you to move out of an area, there is a reason behind it. A lot of our rules on where people stand or sit are based on safety concerns for the athletes. The rules are enforced universally; Yes, I do tell my team’s parents to leave the chute and not to stand by the access road, No, I don’t allow them on the field at track meets. It is absolutely not safe for us to allow parents to enter the chute extract their children, 1.) Because we probably haven’t finished recording their numbers / times / and therefore place, and 2.) With 1,700 kids registered, we can’t possibly know who you are and if that is really your kid.

The officials who work in Cross Country and Track and Field are not paid; they are like you, volunteering for an hour or two a meet every week. Those who organize the meets aren’t just there from 1 to 4pm. We care; we care about putting on a great meet, setting a level playing field, and most of all, we care about your kid’s and your team’s safety. I know that you do as well, so don’t be afraid to speak up. We need you, all of our parents and coaches, to set a proper example, to behave rationally and compassionately, we need you to help enforce the rules. Most of all, we need your voice encouraging everyone else in attendance do the same.

Results

Meanwhile, on a happier note CYO alumni Sara Sargent placed 1st in the 15-16 yr race at the National Meet CYO participates in. Here is a link to a picture on PennTrackXC. CYO Minor Girls champion Olivia Sargent also placed first in her age group. Congratulations Sara and Olivia.

Archdiocesan Championship meet Sunday!

2010-10-28T12:36:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that at Champs on Sunday, the race order changes.

1:00PM - Novice Girls

Novice Boys
Minor Girls
Minor Boys
Cadet Girls
Cadet Boys
3rd Grade Boys AND Girls
2nd Grade Boys AND Girls
1st Grade Boys AND Girls
Kindergarten Boys and Girls

2006 - 2010 XC results

2010-10-26T15:00:00.003-04:00

All -

Here are the combined 2006-2010 CYO XC Results for all teams, runners and races. It is a zipped Excel file. Please read the overview and notes on the first tab. The reports on the other tabs are interactive pivot tables that allow you to view different years, teams, etc. For example, you can see how your team's runners have progressed thru the years as they've changed race groups and who has the best times over the last 5 years in each division for your team. The list was compiled by Charlie Stone of MMR parish and if there's enough interest Charlie will update with the 2010 Champs results and maintain this next year. Please email questions, comments or corrections to him at charles_stone@verizon.net

Remember - Courses can and have change (not always distance, but direction), and conditions are always a variable. This is for fun, not for absolute judgment. We will NOT be creating course records from this information, so please don't ask!

Zipped

Unzipped (this is a large file, might take a while to download)

week 4 results

2010-10-25T12:10:00.002-04:00

yesterdays results can be found here

Week 3 results

2010-10-22T16:39:00.002-04:00

just in time for week 4, here are week 3 results

GO PHILLIES!!!!

Sweats Order Form

2010-10-11T14:23:00.002-04:00

If you want to order the CYO Cross Country sweats, please download this order form. They are due this Sunday, so you can email or mail your order form to Mary Ellen Malloy.

Meet cancelled

2010-09-30T19:56:00.000-04:00

Our meet for this Sunday is canceled. I am sure that the folks from Fairmount Park do not want a repeat of what happened last year. Even though it will be clear on Sunday, the ground will still be saturated. I guess that we will try again next week.

Last 2 weeks results

2010-09-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

week 1

week 2

September 12 meet

2010-09-12T09:54:00.001-04:00

The meet for today September 12 is cancelled due to rain. Course walks will be next week.

XC Info

2010-09-09T12:56:00.000-04:00

Here is a link for the XC info passed out at the meeting in case you missed it. First meet is Sunday, Sub Novice races start at 1pm!

XC Meeting

2010-07-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

Notice from Mary Ellen Malloy about the annual XC meeting:

Hello coaches!

I hope that this email finds you well and your summer is going well.

I am trying to get cross country organized for the fall season. Our first meeting this year will be on Sunday, August 15 at St. Anastasia at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held in the cafeteria. We will discuss any rule changes, procedures to be used during the season, post season and possible changes for future years. All teams should be represented by either a coach, an assistant coach or a parent.

If you are not coaching cross country this year, could you please forward this email to the person who is coaching your parish? I would like to get all coaches at this meeting so we all understand what is necessary for this season to get underway.

Hope to see you at St. Annie's on the 15th.

Mary Ellen Malloy

CYO Cross Country Commissioner

Photos from Arch

2010-06-11T15:50:00.003-04:00

here is the link

2010 Archdiocesan Championship Results

2010-06-06T12:39:00.000-04:00

Results

Congratulations to Mount Carmel on their double championship.

Shot Put Area Directions / Shuttle Information

2010-06-03T15:12:00.003-04:00

Directions to University of Pennsylvania Shot Put Area near Warren Field

From the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Points West:

Take Exit 326 (Valley Forge) of the PA Turnpike. Follow I-76 East to University Avenue Exit (exit 346b). Bear right at the traffic light and make the first right into the parking lot (cooling plant will be on your right side) - River Fields Drive after parking walk past the baseball stadium and make a left at the stop sign. Entrance to the Shot Put Area will be on your left.

From the Philadelphia International Airport and Points South:
Follow I-95 North to Pa. 291 East and follow signs to I-76 West. Follow I-76 West to the University Ave. exit (exit 346b). Go through three traffic lights and make the next right into the parking lot (cooling plant will be on your right side) - River Fields Drive. Past the baseball stadium and make a left at the stop sign. Entrance to the Shot Put Area is on your left.

Driving directions from Warren Field to Franklin Field:

Turn right out of the parking lot driveway onto University Avenue. After going under the railroad tracks bear right on Civic Center Blvd and make the first right onto Health Sciences Drive. Health Sciences Drive will dead end into Convention Avenue. Turn left onto Convention Avenue. Turn right onto 33^rd Street. Franklin Field is at the corner of 33^rd Street and South Street.

Recommendation: After turning left onto Convention Avenue from Health Sciences Drive I recommend that you begin looking for a parking garage or parking lot. After leaving the parking head for 33^rd Street and go North on 33^rd to Franklin Field.

Shuttle Bus from Franklin Field to Warren Field:

Exit Franklin Field using the gate at the west end of the South Stands near the start of the 100 Meters. Walk through the parking lot to Spruce Street. The shuttle bus will park on Spruce Street near the parking lot. There will be signs for the shuttle bus.

Schedule Change

2010-06-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

Here is the schedule for Saturday that was emailed to all the commissioners. The only change is for Shot Put for various reasons.

There will be a shuttle running on Saturday to the Shot Put. Check back later for directions to the Shot Put area from Franklin Field from different locations.

Archdiocesan Champs Opening Heights

2010-05-27T10:56:00.000-04:00

Opening Heights for HJ at Archdiocesan Champs are as follows:
NG - 3'6"
NB - 3'8"
MG - 4'0"
MB - 4'2"
CG - 4'4"
CB - 4'8"

Archdiocesan Performance List

2010-05-25T09:52:00.002-04:00

Seedings for the Archdiocesan Championship Meet. Programs that include the heat and lane assignments will be on sale at Franklin Field.

Area Results

2010-05-23T21:10:00.003-04:00

Area E

Someone left a pager at Plymouth-Whitemarsh HS during the Area E champs. If you lost your pager, send me an email.

Area D

Area C

Area E Meet Program & Seeding

2010-05-19T12:19:00.003-04:00

Here is the meet program. There will not be copies for sale on site, so download and print for yourself!

Here is the seeding list for each event.

Ascension Thursday

2010-05-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

Today is Ascension Thursday, a Holy Day of Obligation. All Holy Days are "Blackout" days in the Archdiocese. Teams that practices today risk suspension, athletes and coaches, from Division/Region and Area Championships.

Friday's Results

2010-04-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

Here are the results directly from Penn Relays. Each result has a video of the race with it. Unfortunately, the Senior Boys and Junior Boys from St Francis DeSales must have mixed up their bibs and the SB ended up in the JB race. Penn Relays officials disqualified them after the fact.

Junior Boys
Junior Girls
Senior Boys
Senior Girls

Photos from CYO Night at the Penn Relays

CYO Penn Relays Night Results

2010-04-19T21:52:00.001-04:00

Results

2010 Penn Relays Program

2010-04-15T10:30:00.004-04:00

Here is the 2010 CYO Night at the Penn Relays Program. Please download and print out for yourself! There will be no copies on hand to purchase.

Also, we have a request for everyone who attends the meet, please make sure your area is clean before leaving. Clean up is one of the largest costs to CYO to run our qualifying meet at Penn. We need everyone in the stands to make a conscious effort to clear their area of trash and personal items that are left behind. Even if the items are not yours, we encourage you to take them with you to help us keep the costs down.

Finally, a reminder that seating will be restricted to the South and East stands. The entrance to the stadium will only be thru the South Stands as well. You will be permitted to walk around the East Stands.

See you next Tuesday!

Final Registration Listing

2010-04-14T15:44:00.002-04:00

Here is the final Penn Relays team listing, with any corrections that were requested. Please take a look and let me know if there are any errors/omissions.

Registered teams 4/13

2010-04-13T11:36:00.000-04:00

Here are the registered teams as of this morning. If you have not submitted your roster via fax or email, it should be in the mail now and arrive no later than tomorrow.

Registered Teams as of 4/12

2010-04-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

Here are the registered teams as of today at 4pm. If you are not on this list, I have not received your roster. Please fax or email your roster ASAP. Seeding will be done Wednesday afternoon.

Registered Teams - Friday 4/9

2010-04-09T16:08:00.001-04:00

Here is the list of registered teams as of today.

As you can see, we are missing plenty of teams. Rosters are due Monday!

Roster Form

Penn Relays Seating

2010-04-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

Seating will be on the South Side and around the turn again this year. No one will be permitted to sit in the North Stands again this year.

Penn Relays - Registered Teams - updated 4/8

2010-04-06T16:42:00.003-04:00

Here is the list of registered teams as of 4:30pm. I'll update again tomorrow.

PENN RELAYS (updated)

2010-03-31T13:53:00.002-04:00

CYO Night at the Penn Relays is less than 3 weeks away!

Please submit your roster form ASAP. All rosters should be emailed or on their way in by April 12th.

So far we only have 14 parish rosters.

Random seeding through Meet Manager will be done on Wednesday, April 14th.

The meet program, including lane assignments will be made available online and emailed to Area commissioners on April 15th.

- As more rosters come in, it is unlikely that we will respond to each team that asks us to do so. Please check the list online (it'll be up next Tuesday evening, and updated every day) and if you don't appear on the list in a day or two, shoot me an email.

Easter

2010-03-30T14:38:00.000-04:00

Have a Happy and Blessed Easter everyone!

A reminder to all parents, coaches and athletes that practice and meets during the Easter Triduum are not allowed by the Archdiocese.

2010 Meet Set Up

2010-03-15T12:17:00.003-04:00

I've noticed that a number of people have already downloaded the 2010 Meet Set Up. It is that time of year when I remind everyone NOT to make changes to the meet set up. The age divisions and age up date are set correctly for the 2010 season. Meet directors may change the Meet Name, Date, and Location in the Meet Set Up, and the Lane Preferences under Seeding Preferences. The meet is currently set for Franklin Field's lane preference: 6,7,8,9,5,4,3,2. Information about standard lane preferences is in the 2010 track packet.

No one should add a team to the program! If you have a team in your region or area that is not on the current list, please email me and request that team to be added and I will update the meet and send it back to you.

We are two months away from region/division championships. This is a reminder to all commissioners that region/division meet results should be inputted into Meet Manager and forwarded to your Area Commissioner by 5pm on Monday, May 17th. All relay names MUST be included or that relay will not be allowed to participate at the Area or Archdiocesan Championship.

Region/division & Area commissioners are reminded that they are required to check the names of all relay athletes when they report for the event. Please do not put the onus of disqualifying a relay on the Area or Archdiocesan Commissioner by failing to check that all athletes are eligible to compete in the relay. Region/division Commissioners are also reminded to ensure that athletes did not participate in too many events (more than 3 for a novice or minor, more than 4 for a cadet). Athletes who are participating in events beyond their age group limit will be disqualified from an event(s) based on the chronology of the meet. Relay teams that included an athlete who participated in too many events risk being disqualified. (i.e. a novice competes in the 100, 200, 4x100, and 4x200. The entire 4x200 will be disqualified and not advanced as it was the 4th event the novice competed in.)

By forwarding their results region/division and Area commissioners are affirming that they have checked the participating athletes in all relays and that no athlete has participated in too many events.

XC National Meet photos

2009-12-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to the photos from the National meet:

http://www.backprint.com/go.asp?67340686

National Meet

2009-11-30T20:55:00.002-05:00

Coaches,

It is important that this information gets to anyone on your team who is going to the national champs. I think this is all the information that they will need but it has to get into their hands. I am relying upon you to get it to them. Make certain they understand if there are any questions, contact me as soon as possible.

Thanks for all your help in passing information along to the parents. You have done a tremendous job this year. Wish all the kids good luck next week and pray for nice weather.

Mary Ellen

Itinerary

Directions

postseason meet (and 100th CYO track post!)

2009-11-11T17:01:00.004-05:00

Here is an email from Mary Ellen about the postseason.

To all,

I have attached directions to the race on Saturday. It took a couple of tries to actually find this place. Parking will be an issue. My guess is that there is room for about 80-100 cars in all the lots at the park. The overflow will be asked to park in the lot for the Bethlehem Baptist Church. The lot is located at the light at Behtlehem Pike and Trewellyn Ave. There will be shuttles taking people from this lot back and forth to the park. The overflow lot is located about 0.7 miles from the starting line. It is a walkable distance and you will be walking on roads through a neighborhood and on park roads if you choose to walk. If you find that the lots in the park are full, you can drop the kids off by the flagpole and then go back to park.

The course walk is at 8:30 AM. The courses are all very confusing. They loop and cross over. I think that all athletes must walk the course. In the woods there are multiple trails and I do not know for a fact that marshals will be at all places where turns are made. It will be your responsibility to know the course. I recommend that all athletes be in the park between 8-8:15 on Saturday morning.

The starting line is just off the first base line of the baseball field in front of the pavilion. We have received permission to set up our tents on the infield of this field. We can line them up along the fences on first and third base line. I think that we had 8 tents coming so this would be great. I will have signs made to identify which tent is for which age group.

When you arrive, find the tent for your age group. Find your age group coach and get your number. It would be best to do this BEFORE the course walk. At the moment, I have all the numbers (except the two late entries) and I will give them to the age group coaches on Saturday. I will have pins for all the groups.

The age group coaches are:
Primary Girls (subnovice) -- Nativity of Our Lord

Primary Boys (subnovice) -- St. Stanislaus

Bantom Girls (novice) -- Our Lady of Grace

Bantom Boys (novice) -- Sacred Heart, Oxford

Midget Girls (minor) -- St. Ignatius

Midget Boys (minor) -- St. Agnes, West Chester

Youth Girls (cadet) -- St. Anastasia

Youth Boys (cadet) -- Sts. Philip and James

Intermediate Girls (high school) -- see Mrs. Malloy

Obviously, if someone would like to assist the coach, that would be greatly appreciated. Some of the age groups are rather large. I will have updated team lists for each age group coach because there have been numerous changes made.

You will walk the course with your group. PAY ATTENTION TO THE COURSE! Bring extra shoes and several extra pairs of socks. The course is very soft and muddy. If it rains at all between now and Saturday, it will be even worse. If your shoes or socks are wet after the course walk, put on dry ones. If you are wet after the warmup, put on dry ones for the race and the same for after the race. Spikes are definitely recommended for this course.

Warmup with your group. Make sure that you have the red CYO shirt and black shorts or tights. The weather forecast for Saturday is possible chance of showers with the highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. This meet will take place no matter what the weather. Come prepared. No one should be racing in sweats or long sleeved t-shirts. No hats should be necessary. You want to be light and quick.

Awards will be given out in the chute after the race. At least the top 20 in each race will be given awards. When I left today, they were discussing if they wanted to give out more. I guess that we will know on Saturday. Any team awards should be given to me by the end of the day.

The majority of the paperwork for nationals has already been handed in. There are a couple of folks who need to finalize some things. If anyone who is running as an individual decides to go to the national meet, I MUST KNOW ON SATURDAY. Saturday is the last day for paperwork and fees for nationals. You are permitted to change your mind and go but I need to know before I leave on Saturday.

I will be working in the finish chute all day so you know where you can find me.

Good luck and have a good time on Saturday.

Mary Ellen Malloy

Penllyn Woods Directions

From PA Turnpike:
Exit Turnpike at Fort Washington Exit (#26). Take Route 309 North to Spring House / Norristown Road Exit. Turn left onto Norristown Road. At the third traffic light (Bethlehem Pike), turn Left. At the next light turn Right, Blue Bell Penllyn Pike (Harleysville National Bank will be on the corner). Take Blue Bell Penllyn Pike to the next traffic light, which is Trewellyn Ave. Continue on Blue Bell Penllyn Pike make a right at the second street on your right, which is Township Line Road. If you are going to Penllyn Woods stay on Township Line Road and DO NOT TURN, follow the signs (1/4 mile to flagpole turnaround).

From Route 73 (East or West):
Take Route 73 to Blue Bell Penllyn Pike (Blue Bell Inn and Blue Horse Inn intersection), if you are coming from the West make a Left, if you are coming from the East make a right. Continue on Blue Bell Penllyn Pike thru the next light at Morris Rd. Once you go past the Cedarbrook Country Club the road will slope down, Lantern Lane will be on your left, cross over bridge and the next left is Township Line Road. Make a hard Left. Follow the signs to Penllyn Woods (1/4 mile to flagpole turnaround).

Route 309 North:
Take Route 309 South to Bethlehem Pike. Continue on Bethlehem Pike going past the Genuardi’s Shopping Center (on your right). Go through the traffic light at Moore Drive. At the next light go straight, at the next light make a Right onto Blue Bell Penllyn Pike (Harleysville National Bank will be on the corner). Take Blue Bell Penllyn Pike to the next traffic light, which is Trewellyn Ave. Continue on Blue Bell Penllyn Pike make a right at the second street on your right, which is Township Line Road. Stay on Township Line Road and DO NOT Turn, follow the signs (1/4 mile to flagpole turnaround).

From the Blue Route:

Take last exit Germantown Pike West. Follow Germantown Pike past the Plymouth Meeting Mall. The road will rise and get over to the right lane to turn onto Walton Rd.

Take a right on Walton Rd and follow past two traffic lights (2nd light is Township Line Rd -Commerce Bank on left) until you come to a fork in the road. Go LEFT at the fork in the road onto Stenton Ave. You will go into a sharp left curve past some blinking yellow caution lights. The road will straighten out for a couple hundred yards before turning sharp right where you will start up a steep incline. The road now becomes Penllyn Blue Bell Pike. Continue on Blue Bell Penllyn Pike across lights at Rt 73 (Blue Bell Inn), and Morris Rd. Once you go past the Cedarbrook Country Club (on right), the road will slope down, Lantern Lane will be on your left, cross over bridge and the next left is Township Line Road. Make a hard Left. Follow the signs to Penllyn Woods (1/4 mile to flagpole turnaround).

If anyone needs red shirts, I have more. They will be in my van on Saturday. If you have not already paid, they are $8 each.

I have five bags of sweats that were ordered and never picked up. Someone please claim them.

From MMR, Seminack and Christian.

From John Chrysostom, Clifton

From Annunciation, Rosini and Walsh. Walsh owes $24 for the late order.

I will have them with me. I want to get rid of them. Please help!

this is my 100th post about CYO track/XC in less than 3 years, which just shows that running folk are far too neurotic.

Practice Sites

2009-10-31T13:09:00.008-04:00

Here are some practice sites if your looking for somewhere to practice during the postseason:

Bensalem HS

I will be holding practice at Bensalem High School by the field hockey fields on Mondays (except Monday 11/2), Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:15 to 6:45 PM. There are lights in the parking lots so we can continue to run even when it gets darker.

Enter off Hulmeville Road and turn left into the parking lot on the side of the school. We are located about halfway down the parking lot.

All are welcome.

COACH - Mary Ellen Malloy

CB EAST HS

OLG/OLMC/St Judes/St Martins...we have practice at CB EAST high school on Tuesdays, Thursdays from 4-5pm after daylight savings.....9-10am on Saturdays....
COACH - Sam Losorelli OLG/OLMC

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE

We at St John Chrysostom will be having practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 to 6:45 at Swarthmore College. We meet at the Swarthmore Presbyterian Church on Harvey Road, in the back parking lot at the small playground.
Here are the mapquest directions to our practice site, please call me if you have questions at 610-585-2914.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Swarthmore+Presbyterian+Church&city=Swarthmore&state=PA&address=727+Harvard+Ave&zipcode=19081&country=US&latitude=39.898437&longitude=-75.353657&geocode=ADDRESS&id=2289831

LANSDALE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL - track
November 7^th , 21^st, and 28^th at 9am
COACH - Mike Shive

MMR
MMR will have post-season practices, thru at least the Regional race on 11/14, on Tuesday and Thurs evenings at 6pm and Sat mornings at 9am at a location between Amber and CB South High School. The general location will be Windlestrae Park on Kenas Road which is just east of Rt 309 between Horsham Rd and County Line Rd. We may shift to other locations for individual practices and so parents should contact me by email for details and I'll put them on an email distribution list for updates.
No practice on Thurs, 10/29 due to team party.

Coach - Charlie Stone charles_stone@verizon.net and charles_stone@gmacm.com (please send emails to both)

ROSE TREE PARK - DELCO
4:00 to 5:00 as daylight savings hits on Sunday and it will be dark before 5:30. I still plan on having practices on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but I am flexible. If the majority of the runners can only make other days instead, we can adjust the scheduled practice days. See you all Delaware County runners on Wednesday.

Coach - Paul Sterns

Archdiocesan Champs Results

2009-10-26T21:51:00.005-04:00

First, our thanks to everyone who lent a hand to another outstanding CYO cross country season. I know that Mary Ellen and Kristen Malloy especially deserve many, many thanks as they were dealing with more runners registered to run (over 1650 runners!) than ever before.

Special thanks for everyone who went the extra mile this past weekend, bringing sand and straw to help clean up the mess that was left after the cancer walk and races over the past two weeks, our 2 new bike riders who tried to do maybe the only thing harder than running on that field, and especially our amazing athletes deserve lots of credit for competing in incredibly adverse conditions (and for avoiding that crazy flu that seemed to strike everyone's team.)

A reminder that the post season meeting is this Wednesday at St Anastasia at 7PM.

Here are the team scores

Here are the times, places, and scores by age group (novice - cadet)

Here are the subnovice times and places.

here are cumulative results for the year
contrast photography link

Champs tomorrow.

2009-10-24T21:08:00.003-04:00

All,

The Plateau is really beat up. We have no choice but to run the meet tomorrow. The worst damage is to the main field -- start and finish line areas. The city was supposed to do work to clean it up, but it didn't do enough.

In order to prevent injuries tomorrow, I am asking for your help. If anyone has access to a straw bale or some sand, could you please bring that to the meet tomorrow. We can put the straw down to soak up the excess water on the fields and the sand down to minimize slipping. Anything that you can do would be greatly appreciated.

See you tomorrow.

Mary Ellen

Champs info & more

2009-10-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

Lots of information here. This is the email from Mary Ellen to the coaches.

Here is the post season entry form

Here is the travel info

Coaches,

Sunday is champs. Much information to pass along.

Remind your subnovices that they will race AFTER the cadet boys race this weekend. The last two weeks the cadets have started at about 3:20 for a point of reference. Make sure all your athletes have four (4) pins on their number and they are wearing the CORRECT number. Remind ALL parents that they are to stay behind the red ropes at the finish line. I will have no problem DQing a kid whose parents get in the way. Remind parents that pacing results in a disqualification of the runner. Keep your parents under control!! Hats off to the parents who follow directions.

The only runners who are eligible are those who have completed two races this season. Numbers will be checked at the starting line. The only exception to this rule is the subnovice race Any subnovice who is on a roster is permitted to compete.

Please make certain that all officials (chute people and marshals) are on time for their assignments. It is not fair to the people that you are relieving to make them stay longer than necessary.

Remind your runners that interference (putting out your arms to keep a running from passing, pushing a runner to the outside) can be grounds for a disqualification. Same goes for cutting the course.

Any team that will enter into the team scoring (3 in an age group or 3 in each age group) will have to turn in an index card with your team name, group score and the cards of the top three scorers for your team. I will have extra cards in the event that you forget. The top fifteen (15) finishers in the novice, minor and cadet races will need to turn in your cards to the scorer for the awards. The subnovice will receive all awards in the chute.

Awards will be given out after all the races are completed. Team awards will be handed out at that time also.

Long sleeved t-shirts will be on sale for $13. "Philadelphia CYO" red travel shirts will be available for $8. "Philadelphia CYO Cross Country" magnets will be available for $5. There will also be a limited number of sack packs available for $10. Exact change is always appreciated. Checks are also accepted and can be made out to "Philadelphia CYO Cross Country."

All sweat orders will be available on Sunday. Pease, please, please stop by the finish line and pick up the sweats.

Post season competition:

All runners who are rostered are eligible for the post season. There is no minimum meet requirement. Any high school runner who ran for the CYO is also eligible to participate for us (as long as their high school coach is okay with the idea.) The team uniform is the red "Philadelphia CYO Cross Country" shirt which will be on sale on Sunday and any black shorts or tights. If supplies of the shirts run out on Sunday, I will order more before the regional meet.

There will be a meeting on Wednesday, October 28 for the post season. It will be at St. Anastasia at 7 PM. Any parish who is interested in doing the post season must be represented. If your parish is not there, I will assume that no one is doing the post season. Pass this information on to your parents. Any parent who contacts me after the meeting and claims that they no nothing about the post season will be directed back to their coaches. You will have to deal with them this year because I will not.

At the meeting, we will select our teams. First requirement to be on a team is that the athlete agrees to go to nationals. Any athlete who wants to run in the qualifying meet but not nationals will run as an individual for CYO. The top four finishers from the champs will get first chance to be on the A team. After that, we will go to the list of best times (to be distributed after the champs.) We will go down the list and place runners on teams until all are placed on a team. If we have more than three teams, we have permission to send the extra teams to nationals this year. I think this may be a one time offer so you may want to take advantage of the opportunity. We will try to field as many teams as possible in all the age groups including the subnovice. Please be aware that those runners born in the year 2000 are to compete in the bantom division (3000 meters). The post season competitions are based on year of birth, not grade in school. Some third graders will have to move up and compete with the novices. Last year, we fielded a team of just subnovices competing in the bantom (novice) division.

After teams are selected, paperwork will be turned in. All the entries are being done on line. I have attached a homemade entry form. I will handle all the on line entries since I am the team administrator.

For the regional meet, you will need to turn in:

a completed post season entry form

a copy of the birth certificate

a copy of the AAU card

$20 entry fee (cash or check payable to "Philadelphia CYO Cross Country"

AAU cards can be purchased at www.aausports.org. Go to membership and then to individual membership. Follow the directions. The AAU number is about 15 characters long. The team name is "Philadelphia CYO." The club number is MAATCY7KA0.

We will also collect paperwork and money for the national meet since everyone who participates in the regional can go to nationals this year.

For the national meet, you will need to turn in:

travel sheet (attached)

wavier form (copies will be handed out at the coaches meeting on Sunday)

YES Athletics card (paperwork will be handed out at the coaches meeting on Sunday)

entry fee ($20 for entry and $10 for YES card)

hotel money ($115 per room per night)

This will make life easier for the age group coaches at the regional meet.

I know that this is a ton of information. Pass it on to the parents and let them decide about the post season. I will get practice sites listed on the website this week.

Any questions, call or email me.

Pray that it does not rain too much on Saturday.

Mary Ellen

Area E meet update

2009-10-16T10:13:00.003-04:00

The Area E championship will run rain or shine. The only reason the meet would be canceled is if the field is completely swamped.

UPDATE - The field is already completely underwater, and as their is no end in sight, the meet has been canceled for tomorrow and tentatively rescheduled for November 8th.

If Delaware County and Mt Carmel would like to post their meet cancellation (if necessary) here, please just leave a comment or send me an email.

post season meeting

2009-10-13T22:25:00.001-04:00

Mark your calendars.

The meeting to turn in paperwork, money and select teams for the post season will be on Wednesday, October 28 at 7 PM at St. Anastasia in Newtown Square. Any team that is participating in the post season must be represented by either coach or a parent.

Remember, any high school students who wish to participate are more than welcome to represent Philadelphia CYO as long as they came through our track or cross country programs.

Mary Ellen

week 4 results

2009-10-12T10:05:00.001-04:00

here are the results from week 4

Post Season

2009-10-11T18:18:00.002-04:00

Here is the information on the post season that Mary Ellen sent out last night.

To all,

There is only one more meet left before the champs so it is time to get this mess straightened out.

As I mentioned last week, the AAU has changed its qualifying procedures. Anyone who participates in a regional meet is now eligible to go to nationals. We are going to the Cross Country Coaches Youth Nationals in Nashville, Tenn. I am told that they are now going to do the same procedure that the AAU has adopted for this year. Therefore, anyone who will commit to going to nationals and competes in the qualifying round will be permitted to enter the national meet. Some may feel that this "waters down" the process, but, in reality, this has been what has happened the last couple of years. Almost all of our kids who wanted to go to nationals last year, ended up going. So it really will not be a big change for us.

The qualifying round will be Saturday, November 14 at Penlyn Park in Penlynn, PA. It is in the vicinity of Ambler. The cost of the entry fee is $20 and the cost of the AAU card is $12 for athletes. The entry fee for nationals will be $20 and the cost of a YES card (their version of an insurance card) is $10. The cost of the hotel rooms will be approximately $110 per night. That has not been verified just yet. All of our athletes have to stay in the team hotel...non-negotiable. They will represent "Philadelphia CYO" cross country team. The team uniform will be the red t-shirts that we have worn forever (and will be on sale at the championship meet) and black shorts or tights.

The day of nationals is Saturday, December 5 in Nashville, Tennessee.

We will have our annual meeting to place athletes on teams the week after our champs. Time, date and location will follow next week. The rules that we follow are simple. The first four finishers from the championship meet will have the first choice of being on the A team. After that, we will go to the list of best times. We will go down the list and place children on teams depending on whether or not they commit to going to nationals. Obviously, we only want to take full teams to nationals so if an athlete will not commit to going to nationals, we ask them to run as an individual for the Philadelphia CYO at the regional meet. Since we already know that anyone who competes will go to nationals, at this meeting we will collect entry forms (to be emailed the beginning of the week), copies of AAU cards, copies of birth certificates, entry fees for nationals, the money needed to purchase the YES cards and all the hotel fees. I have not looked into reserving a bus because there has not been sufficient interest in recent years but if enough people are interested, I will gladly get that information. Having the opportunity to collect all this paperwork at a meeting the week after our champs will make life so much easier for the age group coaches on the day of the meet.

Here is what you need to find out from your athletes:

-who is going to compete in the regional meet?

-who is going to commit to going to nationals?

-those who are going to nationals need to think about which nights they will be staying in Tenn.

Traditionally, Thursday has been a travel day. Friday, the kids can sleep later and we will review the course in the afternoon with all the other members of their age group and their age group coach. It is a good time for them to socialize and meet the kids they have been competing against all season long. There will be an age group coaches meeting Friday night and a parent/athlete meeting after that. Saturday is the day of the races. We go to Mass Saturday night as a group. Saturday night has been a time to relax, meet new friends and celebrate the end of a successful season. The parents usually get together and socialize. Sunday is a travel day to return home.

I am also trying to get several places where the kids can get together to practice. In the past, some of the coaches continue with team practices all the way to nationals. Other coaches stop after our champs and any of their kids who want to continue competing are on their own. This has been difficult for them. I would like to get at least two locations in each county where kids from any parish can come together and train until the national meet. I have always welcomed others to my location at Bensalem High School and will continue to do so. If there are any other coaches willing to open their doors to other runners, please let me know. This information will then be posted on our websites so that everyone will have access to the locations, days and times of the practices.

I know that this is a lot of information to digest. Please pass this information on to all your parents and let them make the decisions. With several group locations, I am hoping that we can welcome some new traveling companions into our fold. Please let me know if you have any questions. I will send more information (entries, hotel, meeting date, etc...) at the beginning of the week

See you all tomorrow.

Mary Ellen Malloy

Mt Carmel Invitational Flyer

2009-10-06T17:32:00.000-04:00

On the Sunday the 18th, there will be no Archdiocesan Meet because of the cancer walk. Guadalupe, Mt. Carmel and other parishes will be hosting a invitational meet. Here is a flyer.

Area E will be holding their annual Cross Country championship that Sunday as well. I will upload the sign up form as soon I get one. updated: SIGN UP FORM

week 3 results

2009-10-05T21:49:00.006-04:00

here are the preliminary week 3 results. There was a disqualification in the minor girls race for pacing. A reminder to all parents, coaches, and teammates that pacing is illegal at all levels of cross country and track & field. Pacing is defined as running along side a competitor to set a pace (obviously), offer encouragement, and unfortunately, sometimes to discourage a runner.

On a happier note, we had great contributions from our marshals and chute workers this week. Thank you very much for helping to make the meet run smoothly!

business note: The file hosting site I have been using for the past 3 years, HDD Web, is going out of business. It was a rather unique file hosting site in my experience; it provided a direct download feature from the website or blog. Some of the older files may disappear in the coming week. If you need to download something, send me a note and I will switch it over. Also, if you know of another easy to use (and cheap) file hosting site that offers a direct download, let me know. For now I am using File Savr, but unfortunately, you need to put in a verification code for each download. (thankfully they are easier to read than when you are buying phillies tickets online!)

Lost & Found

2009-10-01T09:30:00.000-04:00

Coaches,

A jean jacket was left on the plateau at the last meet. It was close to the finish line. If anyone picked it up, thank you and please return it to Paul Stearns at the St. Anastasia tent this weekend.

September 27th meet Canceled!

2009-09-27T09:11:00.003-04:00

Here is the message from Mary Ellen:

Coaches,

Due to the wet conditions, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation has canceled all activities at the city parks. This means that the cross country meet for today will be canceled. They are concerned about the possibility of destroying the fields because of the mud and water. I am concerned about the possibility of athletes getting injured.

Orders for sweats and bags can either be mailed to me this week or turned in next weekend. I must place the order by Monday, October 5.

Next Sunday is the last day to add any new athletes.

Mary Ellen

CYO Sweats

2009-09-24T22:16:00.003-04:00

Here is the order form for CYO sweatshirts and pants. Orders are due on Sunday the 4th.

Here is the message from Mary Ellen about ordering:

To all,

Attached is an order form for Philadelphia CYO cross country sweats and sack packs. I will be accepting orders this Sunday and next Sunday. If you could, please email this form to your team so that they have the information. If, for some reason, you will not be at the next two meets, parents can mail me the form.

My address is: 844 Strawberry Lane

Langhorne, PA 19047

I want to place the order on Monday, October 5 so if they email me, it must be done quickly. I want to have the order returned to us by the date of the championships. As always, if they have any questions, please call or email me. My number is 215-757-9625.

Please remind the parents not to order youth small sweatshirts. The print is too big to fit on the front of the shirt.

See you all on Sunday.

Mary Ellen Malloy

Week 2 Results

2009-09-22T21:55:00.003-04:00

Here are the results for week 2. Unfortunately, 2 parishes did not report for their assignments after repeated calls and their runners were disqualified. Coaches, it is your responsibility to make sure that your parish covers its assignment. All assignments are important and must be covered!

Week 1 results

2009-09-18T10:15:00.003-04:00

Here are the results for Novice - Cadets & here are Sub novices results

Coaches from the following teams need to see Mary Ellen for new numbers for some of their runners:

St. Denis
St. Stanislaus
St. Andrew, Drexel Hill
St. Hilary
St. Agnes, West Chester
St. Charles, Bensalem
St. Elizabeth
St. Joseph, Collingdale
St. John the Baptist
St. Philip Neri

2008 Cross Country Coaches Youth Nationals

2009-09-17T20:58:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to FloTrack's coverage of the 2008 Cross Country Coaches Youth Nationals, the national meet that CYO track runners participated in last year and will again this year. There is an interview with Philadelphia CYO's own Olivia Sargent, who won the Bantam Girls' race on the left.

They have race footage from the entire meet. Philadelphia CYO kids wear red t-shirts.

The link of the CCCYN website is here, where you can find complete results.

1st meet wrap up

2009-09-16T21:12:00.003-04:00

In response to questions, yes, my sister Kathy O'Connell who has been riding the bike at XC meets since I finished running CYO Cross Country, suffered two fractures, in her sacrum and pelvic bones, and is still suffering from concussion symptoms. After the start of the cadet boys race, I accompanied her to University of Pennsylvania hospital, where she is still recovering and receiving treatment. She is expected to be discharged soon and go through approximately 6 weeks of recovery aided by crutches. On behalf of my family, Immaculate Conception and Philadelphia CYO XC, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the prayers and concerns of everyone who has contacted us and Mary Ellen this past week, and everyone who pitched in to help out Sunday after her accident. We ask for your continued prayers for a speedy recovery.

I believe that 2 people have volunteered to ride the bike for the rest of the season, but if you are interested in helping out, please email Mary Ellen.

In response to this incident, and others, Mary Ellen Malloy our CYO Cross Country Coordinator has sent the following email to our CYO coaches. I think it is important for everyone involved in CYO Cross Country to read, and please note there will be 2 Sub-Novice races ( girls then boys) from now on (barring extremely low turn out), as we didn't even have all the registered runners in the race this past Sunday.

To all,

This past Sunday we had a bad accident at the Plateau. Our biker lady, Kathy O'Connell, crashed and was seriously injured. While I cannot place the blame on any one person, I feel that the situation was made much worse by the failure of several people, myself included. While none of her injuries are life threatening, she is on injured reserve for the rest of the season. This accident throws the light on a number of break downs that must be corrected before anyone else is injured.

First and foremost, all bikers need to wear a helmet. This is not an option.

Second, marshals need to marshal. They need to understand their assignment and do it. All marshals need to wear the blue shirt so they can be identified quickly (this was an important issue on Sunday). All marshals need to show up for their assignments. As insignificant as each position may seem, there is a need for each one. If you do not understand what you have to do, ASK! The problem was made worse on Sunday because people were allowed in the woods (this has always been a definite no-no) and the marshals did not have walkie-talkies so there was no way of communicating to the people in the woods. Kathy may have been unconscious for 15 minutes or more but no one who was close enough to her knew she was there. The first three people to her aid came from the start or finish line on the Plateau. That is a long way to go when there are marshals already in the woods.

Marshals are there for the safety of the runners. We need to keep the woods clear of all spectators. With the recent history of incidents in Belmont, we do not want any adults back there who are not marshals. Marshals have to be able to tell non-runners in the woods that they must leave. No questions asked. Most of these people are parents of our runners and they should have been told by the coaches that they are not permitted in the woods in the first place. Marshals also need to communicate to each other. The biker follows the last runner but no one thought anything of the fact that the biker did not come out of the woods. No one thought that she did not come down suicide hill. Marshaling means more than just watching the races. You are responsible to know what is happening around you. From this point on, each marshal will have a walkie-talkie and communicate when the biker has passed your position and the last runner is through. This will be a means of monitoring the race and alerting the marshals when their assignment is finished.

Some of the parents can be a real pain in the butt. They will give you attitude and lip when you tell them they cannot do something that they want to do. If you have a problem telling someone they cannot do something, then find someone else in the parish who is willing to do the assignment. But it needs to be done.

For those parishes that chose not to do assignments or chose not to wear the shirts or chose to be in the wrong spot for marshals, the only recourse I have is to disqualify the parish for the day. It may hurt the children but that is your responsibility. The possibilities for disaster are enormous when someone does not show up for an assignment or does not do their assignment properly. That was demonstrated on Sunday.

These issues are not open for discussion. We need to keep everyone's safety foremost in our ways.

Other thoughts from Sunday:
The subnovice race will be two races from now on: female and then male. Too many kids in one race.
The marshals on the cadet course sent the runners too far around the baseball backstops.
It is the coaches' responsibility to make sure the parents know what the rules are. Tell them where the restricted areas are.
Parents need to back off the chute for the subnovice races. Part of the problem was the kids could not leave the chute because the parents were blocking the exit.
All access road workers had best show up this weekend.

This weekend brought out the very worst of the parents and the very best of the parents. Some of the subnovice parents were downright nasty when they are asked to back away from the finish chute. I haven't heard that language in a long time. Yet, when Kathy went down, there were some wonderful parents and coaches who stepped in and helped without being asked. To the medical personnel who assisted, my sincere thanks go out to you. To the folks who stepped in at the finish line when I went into the woods, I am indebted to you. To Paul Stearns who manged to drive his car UP parachute, I am eternally grateful. About 98% of our coaches and parents are absolutely wonderful people. The remaining 2% were out in force on Sunday and it saddened me deeply to see that from a CYO organization. Please remind your parents that they are examples to their children all the time, not just when they think the kids are watching.

Results will be out tomorrow. Please forgive the delay this week.

Mary Ellen Malloy

Results

2009-09-15T12:12:00.001-04:00

Results will be delayed this week. They will be posted as soon as they are available.

First Cross Country Meet

2009-09-11T13:04:00.002-04:00

The first meet of the 2009 cross country season is just days away, a few reminders:

1.) Course walks start at 12:00pm. This is the only course walk of the year!

2.) Sub-novices are the first race, preliminarily scheduled for 12:45, but they might be a little late because of the course walks.

3.) Every parish is expected to cover their assignments. Check in for your events at the finish line.

4.) Parking is limited, try to car pool. Parking on the grass behind the access road is PROHIBITED! This is a Philadelphia law, and cars have been ticketed in the past.

CYO Cross Country Rules & Notes

2009-08-27T11:18:00.003-04:00

Here are competition rules for 2009 Cross Country Season

Here are notes about the CYO cross country season, including meet dates, rostering fees, rostering guidelines, etc.

First Cross Country Meeting

2009-07-23T12:10:00.003-04:00

The first cross country meeting for the 2009 season will be Sunday, August 23rd at 7pm at St. Anastasia in Newtown Square. All coaches who can should attend!

It's a Boy!

2009-07-17T23:45:00.002-04:00

Matthew Joseph O'Connell was born on Thursday, July 16th weighing 8lb 2oz and measuring 21 1/2".

Arch Photos

2009-06-02T08:49:00.000-04:00

Photos are up at Contrast Photography from Saturday.

2009 Arch Champs Results

2009-05-31T09:08:00.005-04:00

Results

Team Scores

Thank you to everyone who helped make 2009 another great CYO track & field season. We have many hard working volunteers across the Archdiocese and as you can see from the times, outstanding student athletes.

The Archdiocesan Championship Meet records to the right have been updated. The program automatically uses the top 4 relay names. If one of the alternates should be listed, please email me and let me know who to change. Yesterday we had 16 meet records broken, and 6 new records for the 4x200s!

Shot Put directions and Traffic Notice

2009-05-29T14:55:00.003-04:00

Directions to University of Penn Shot Put Area:

Exit Franklin Field through the gate at the east end.
Turn left and go to the blue bridge with the sign that say Bower Field.
After crossing the bridge walk out the parking lot, turn right on the walkway. Continue down the walkway until it ends.
Cross over the path to the wooden bridge.
Take the bridge across the railroad tracks and down into a parking lot.
Ahead of you in the parking lot is a red brick building, on the left side of the red brick building there is a walkway that lead to Rhoads Field (the Schuylkill Express will be immediately to your left as you are walking towards Rhoads Field).
After passing by the red brick wall at Rhoads Field you will come to a chainlink fence. There will be an opening in the chainlink fence that will lead to the Shot Put Area.
Travel time from Franklin Field will be approximately 15 minutes.

Spruce Street between 34^th and 38^th Streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic due to a crane lift.

Time Schedule

2009-05-27T17:35:00.003-04:00

here is a copy of the race schedule for Saturday. Note that Boys and Girls Triple Jump will both start at 1:30. We will use both pits this year in an attempt to make sure TJ is completed before the relays.

Arch Champs 4x200 & other details

2009-05-26T16:31:00.003-04:00

The 4x200 is a new event this year for the Archdiocesan track & field program and will hopefully be an exciting conclusion to the meet!

At Franklin Field, the 4x200 is run entirely in lanes (a four turn stagger). It begins and ends from the Northwest start finish/line (similar to the 4x100).

There are a number of markings on the track which might confuse your runners. Officials will be at each zone to inform the runners where they must receive the baton and which exchange zone they are receiving in. Each runner is permitted to use the 10 meter fly zone but must receive the baton within the 20 meter exchange zone, same as in the 4x100.

The stadium is open to competitors beginning at 8:15am and the track will be cleared at 9am. Jumpers are not permitted to practice on the long jump runway or the high jump area before the competition has commenced.

Seating

2009-05-25T15:04:00.002-04:00

Seating will be restricted to the South and East stands. No one will be permitted in the North Stands because of the construction that is underway.

Arch Seeding & Entrance Info

2009-05-20T12:50:00.002-04:00

Here is the seeding for Archdiocesan Champs.

The entrance to Franklin Field this year will be at the North West gate, the big blue gate behind the paddock area for Penn Relays Night. This is will the only open gate because of construction.