Newton does it again.

[Conor Dary]

No, not Isaac, but, Joe as in York H.S.. Yesterday, York won their 4th in a row and 25th state Illinois title at Detweiller Park in Peoria. The times for the boys were pretty impressive. For 3 miles, the winner was 14:20 with 33 under 15 minutes. 72 broke 15:30.

Of course, as I have mentioned above, it is pointless to compare times, however, they have used the same basic course for over 30 years and Craig Virgin holds the record of 13:50 set back in 1972.

Speaking of The Virg, Craig ran by me just before the start of the boys race to get on the press truck.

[Kevin Richardson]

WOW! A Virgin sighting! Not that common, these days. :lol:

[Conor Dary]

WOW! A Virgin sighting! Not that common, these days. :lol:

Yes, very rare. In fact, so rare that, apparently, no one else around me knew he was. I told a few people around me that there 'goes the course record-holder and the 2-time World Champion' (Note, one of the few instances where the use of the term World Champion really is true!). I wonder if John Tracey is this anonymous in Ireland?

[lonewolf49]

Reminds me of the time, several years ago, when Shelia Hudson in her prime showed up at an all-comers, last chance qualifying for something meet where I was working the TJ.
No one else knew who she was until she beat most of the men.

[twittering debutante]

Will never forget Virgin at the 2000 IL state meet when he was in the press truck ahead of the leaders while doing the FOX commentary, which was also being fed through the course PA system at Detweiler.

Much buzz had been created prior to the meet as to whether Donald Sage would be able to crack Virgin's venerable 13:50 course record. Although I have often thought it may take about 300 years before anyone eclipses that time, it did seem like Sage had a reasonable shot.

Unfortunately, Sage got out slowly and ran with his York mates for the first half mile before rolling into the lead. After cruising through the mile somewhere in the 4:48-4:50 range, Virgin announced, "Sage is WELL OFF course record pace at the mile!" barely able to contain his glee.

It was, shall we say, an illuminating moment.

[guru]

WOW! A Virgin sighting! Not that common, these days. :lol:

Even less common, a press truck at a high school cross-country meet :!: , state championship or not :?

[Bruce Kritzler]

Nice side story about Sheila Hudson, but she's no Virgin.

[SQUACKEE]

WOW! A Virgin sighting! Not that common, these days. :lol:

i lived in haight ashbury in the early 80's and the virg was in town to run bay to breakers . i went out for a run in golden gate park and saw mr. virgin goin over the course the day before the race.

i ran about 3 miles with him, going over the last 1/2 of the race. he was very nice and i will never forget my time with this virgin. 8)

[cands1]

Will never forget Virgin at the 2000 IL state meet . . .Much buzz had been created prior to the meet as to whether Donald Sage would be able to crack Virgin's venerable 13:50 course record.

Even stranger to think Sage was in high school in 2000 and his whole career has already passed before us. I remember how close he came at Pre to breaking 4 . . .

[lonewolf49]

No chastity test was required for the meet in which Ms Hudson competed incognito..
I worked the TJ officials crew for three of Ms Hudson's ARs ( New Orleans, Atlanta and ??? someplace else) and I add her name to the roster of nicest, most cooperative world class athletes.

[Conor Dary]

'Even stranger to think Sage was in high school in 2000 and his whole career has already passed before us.'

Actually, for a York grad Sage's career was pretty long. He actually ran in college!

Look, I know Newton and he is a great guy, but to say he burns his runners out is putting it mildly. I am not sure what his runners do now but, to get a sense what it was in the old days...in his 1968 book, 'The Long Green Line: Championship High School Cross Country', Newton, in July, had his boys, doing 20 quarters in 70 seconds. And this is the second workout of the day! (The first was 10 miles...easy.)

However, it does get results.

[kuha]

Well, as I like to say, Its better to peak early than to never peak at all. BUT, it is clearly true that not very many York guys make much of a mark after HS...

[flash 153]

It gets very tiring to hear people continue to bash Newton because not many of his runners go on to greater things. Most of his runners are not great individuals; he tries to build great teams. He has more runners that continue to run to college than just about any other high school coach in the country. Look at this way, how many kids on the average high school team continue on in college? Joe is so far ahead of just about anyone else in the country it is sick. So what if his kids run hard in high school. At least they have some success. Most of them would never have been 10 minute 2 milers if it were not for Joe.
Runners as great as Sage are the exception, he might not have been as good as he turned out if it was not for Joe Newton. Spend some time coaching high school kids and your respect for Newton has to be unending or you are too jealous to admit how great a coach the guy really is.

[Vinny Finneran]

Virgin in the back of a pick-up truck

I was with Craig in the back of the truck during Don Sage's run for the record. Sage was a real threat to Craig's record but Sage was also the frontman for yet another York title. If Sage had gone out at Virgin's pace (low 4:20's) maybe he would have gotten the record, but if he blew up trying it would have jeopardized York's chances. Newton's boys don't operate that way.
Craig likes his record - after 3 decades you become pretty close. At dinner the night before the meet, Craig knew Sage could be the guy to get and we talked about what he'd have to do to get it. Sage would have to go out fast and most likely have to run alone for the next 2 miles as he would have to do for the first mile. Craig was rooting for Sage. When we saw the mile split I think that Craig was very surprised that he didn't go for it. I think Sage was thinking about the other four guys in the green and white behind him. Sage didn't get the record. Someone will get it someday and Craig will probably be rooting for whoever the press says will be the next contender.
I want to add that at dinner the night before the meet, I was done with my dessert before Craig took his first bite. He got up from his meal for every former competitor who brought his kid over to shake the hand of the guy who still had the record. He listened, encouraged, advised, signed autographs, and posed for pictures with all of them and then ate his cold dinner.
He likes his record but he loves cross country.
...before someone says something - I'm not his cousin Vinny.

[twittering debutante]

Thank you for elaborating on my comment from your perspective, Vinny.

I've known Craig since 1972, and he's a class guy and so is Sage, from what I've been able to gather.

It was a great day for a cross-country meet (Joe Newton in shorts!) and I agree, had Sage not been so team-oriented, he probably could have run 15 seconds faster.

Virgy sounded awfully giddy after the first mile, though. I'll always remember his giddiness echoing across Detweiler Park that morning on the PA.