CMS - 19th USATF-NE Team Championship Title

I am thrilled once again to have been a part of a USATF-NE GP Team Overall Championship.  As we did in 2009, we returned to form in 2011 and took the overall team championship in the USATF-New England Road Racing Grand Prix.  This is my 2nd time being a part of a GP winning team in only 5 years of technically racing in a GP. I spent 2 years running for MVS in the GP and the last 3 running for CMS.  It is Central Mass Striders' 19th title in the 26 year history of the championship series.  That is impressive to say the least.  This year, like in 2009, I was extremely proud of our team and every member who toed the line at the 7 races from March to October.  CMS is a team of friends who work hard and buck the trend when it comes to racing.  Unlike most other clubs, CMS takes to not only the roads and track, but also XC, trails, ultras, mountains, towers, orienteering courses, and snow like no one else.  We are loaded with a fantastic group of hard working guys who just like to show up and race and race often.  We don't have any strict performance standards or guidelines.  Teammates come around from word of mouth and from seeing the CMS presence at races all over New England and the country.  We are made up of members from every New England state, despite being the 'Central Mass' Striders.  The long standing history and tradition of the racing team at CMS, coupled with the true feeling of team and friendship is what attracts the quality membership we have on the racing team.  I am proud to be teammates and friends with all these fine lads and once again we stepped it up with wins at FIVE of the seven GP events this year and two 2nd place finishes in the other events.  Topping the season off by scoring our 3rd straight Marathon team title and an even 100 points was the way to go out.  The only other thing that could have made this season more special is having an individual champion and Patrick Rich did just that, by becoming the first CMS USATF-NE Road Champion at an event since Justin Fyffe did it at Bedford in 2010.  The New England affiliation of USATF has to be one of if not the deepest and most competitive fields around.  It is something special when you can get enough guys together week in and week out to compete at this level and with quality teams like BAA, Whirlaway, RUN, GBTC, etc. it is an honor to be able to put our name in that mix and come out on top.  I have always enjoyed the team concept and nothing excites me more than being part of this team and having won 5 team titles this year has truly been amazing.

This makes CMS titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2011.  Move over Canadiens, Yankees, Celts, and Lakers...

USA TRACK & FIELD - NEW ENGLAND 2011 GRAND PRIX

TEAM STANDINGS - As of October 31

MEN'S OPEN                    13.1  10K   6K   5K   8M   5M 26.2M PTS
CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS           18   14   13   15   13   13   14 100
WHIRLAWAY RACING TEAM           17   13   11   12   12   11   12  88
TEAM RUN                        12   10   12   14    9    9   13  79
BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION     19   12        13   14   12    8  78
GREATER BOSTON TRACK CLUB       16   11   10   11   10   10       68
CAMBRIDGE RUNNING CLUB          14    8    9    9    7    8    9  64
SOMERVILLE ROAD RUNNERS         11    3    8    8    5    6   11  52
GR SPRINGFIELD HARRIERS          7    2        10   11    7    7  44
GATE CITY STRIDERS               9    5    7    6    6    2    6  41
GREEN MOUNTAIN AA               15    7    1         8        10  41
CAMBRIDGE SPORTS UNION          10    4    5    7    4    4       34
GREATER LOWELL ROAD RUNNERS      8    6    6    5    3    3    3  34
HFC STRIDERS                    13    9                   5       27
WINNERS CIRCLE                   5    1    4    4    2            16
NORTH MEDFORD CLUB               4         3    3              5  15
MERRIMACK VALLEY STRIDERS        1         2    2    1    1    2   9
HEARTBREAK HILL STRIDERS         3                             4   7
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE PROV.      6                                 6
TRI VALLEY FRONTRUNNERS          2                                 2
NORTH SHORE STRIDERS                            1              1   2

On the individual scoring front, I was able to weasel my way into the top 10 overall with 13 GP points this year.  Before this year, I had only ever scored in 1 GP (last year's Baystate Marathon).  This year, I scored in 4 of the 6 events I ran, for a total point value of 13.  Despite having a lackluster year, I call that a great performance for me individually.  We had 8 (EIGHT) different guys score in the GP this year.  That is the most since 2001, when CMS had 9 men score in the overall GP.

USA TRACK & FIELD - NEW ENGLAND 2011 GRAND PRIX
INDIVIDUAL
FINAL Series Standings after 7 events

MEN'S OPEN                   13.1 10K  6K  5K  8M  5M 26.2 PTS
Justin Freeman        RUN           7   9   9   9   9   6   49
Dan Vassallo          adiNE     9  10  10       7   8       44
Matt Ely              BAA       3   9   8   7   2           29
Kevin Johnson         GSH                  10   1  10       21
Bob Wiles             CMS           5   7   6               18
Eric Narcisi          WRT                   5   5   6       16
Dan Smith             BAA       7               8           15
Brandon Newbould      WRT               5       4   5       14
Jim Johnson           CMS           2   6           4   1   13
Patrick Moulton       BAA       6   6                       12
Justin Fyffe          BAA       5                   7       12
Ruben Sanca           BAA      10                           10
Brian Harvey          BAA                      10           10
Nicholas Wheeler      adiNE         8       2               10
Kevin Alliette        WRT               2               8   10
Patrick Rich          CMS                              10   10
Hari Iyer             BAA                               9    9
Nate Krah             BAA       8                            8
David Johnson         GSH                   8                8
Tom Deeg              WRT                               7    7
Josh Ferenc           BAA                       6            6
Daniel Princic        WRT           1       4                5
Coleman Hatton        BAA       2               3            5
Greg Hammett          CMS                               5    5
Robert Gomez          DIR       4                            4
Nicolai Naranjo       GBTC          4                        4
Andy McCarron         CMS               4                    4
Nick Crowell          CMS                   3       1        4
Danilo Cordeiro       RUN                               4    4
Brennan Bonner        GBTC          3                        3
Ted Breen             GBTC              3                    3
Will Dobbie           BAA                           3        3
Scott Leslie          CMS                               3    3
Terry Shea            BAA                           2        2
David Ndungu          RUN                               2    2
Brendan Callahan      BAA       1                            1
Chris Mahoney         CMS               1                    1
David Bedoya          GBTC                  1                1