WEST GENESEE
Running Programs
 

To join any of our programs, contact Coach Vermeulen.

About Running:

 Running, the world’s oldest sport, dates back to the Track & Field games of the ancient Greeks who celebrated the notion of a sound mind in a healthy body. More recent running history found Native Americans crossing the wide, horse-less Great Plains using a single-file running style that athletes still employ as a training technique. Today, the sport of competitive running enjoys wide popularity among American students. The 1998 National Federation survey of scholastic athletic programs found TRACK & FIELD the 2nd most popular school-sponsored sport for both boys and girls, ranking ahead of others such as soccer, volleyball and tennis. CROSS-COUNTRY was the 6th most popular program for boys and the 5th most popular for girls.

A potential life-long sport, running combines the simplicity of natural motions with the subtle complexities of training and running mechanics. The Runner’s discipline, self-sacrifice and healthy life-style that we promote at West Genesee will benefit athletes beyond the sport itself. Personal improvement and achievement of potential are the primary goals of our running programs. We believe that all participants who commit themselves fully will be winners at running.

Our runners enjoy a growing tradition of excellence. West Genesee has advanced boys/girls runners to the State Championships of XC, Indoor Track and Outdoor Track in 8 of the last 11 competitive seasons. In 2002, Kerry Banazek advanced to the Outdoor Track National Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she placed 7th nationally in the 2000 meter Steeplechase. The girls Varsity XC team was undefeated in the 1999/2000/2001 dual meet seasons, winning THREE consecutive National Division Championships. Excellent students as well, our teams are routinely designated Scholar-Athlete Teams. 2001 Boys Track had the 3rd highest team average in New York State.

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  CROSS-COUNTRY  

      
(SUMMER/FALL) 

FEATURES: Cross-Country competitions are races contested over natural outdoor terrain: fields; wooded path and hills. No two race courses are exactly the same, creating interesting variety for competitors. Cross-Country is the most ‘team oriented’ running sport. All team members run the same course, and the top-5 finishers for each school become the team scorers for that particular race.

LEVELS: West Genesee runners participate at two levels. Grade 7 and 8 students run Modified Cross-Country. High School students are members of the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. In certain cases, highly talented 7th and 8th grade runners can be “selectively classified” through a state-mandated process to compete on the Varsity level.

EVENTS: In New York State, Cross-Country races are two maximum distances—a 2 mile race for Modified runners and a 3.1(5 kilometer) race for Varsity/Junior Varsity. Some Modified and Varsity/JV courses are slightly shorter distances.

COMPETITIONS: West Genesee teams compete in two types of races during the season. Wednesdays after school, league teams race each other in Dual Meets. The results determine Varsity league standings, and these races usually combine Varsity and JV runners. On select Saturdays, 6-20 teams gather for Invitational Meets at sites around the state. Runners compete for individual medals/ribbons as well as for team awards. Modified runners compete in several of these invitationals as well as an unofficial ‘championship race’ at Baldwinsville to end their season. For Varsity runners, the season culminates with County, Sectional, State and Federation Championships. The Modified season opens September 1st and concludes the last week of October. The Varsity and Junior Varsity season begins with daily team practices in mid August and ends in early to mid November.

Girls Varsity:  2001 NYS Rank: #13, 2003 NYS Rank: #24, 2004 NYS Rank: #18; 2005 NYS Rank: #11, 2006 NYS Rank: #12, 2007 NYS Rank: #17

Girls Scholar-Athlete Teams: 1997/1998/1999/2000/2001/2002/2003/2004/2005/2006/2007

Boys Varsity:  2000: NYS Honorable Mention Team; 2001: 5-2 Record; 2007: 6-2 dual meet record

Pat Gaffney—2000 State Championship Qualifier, All-CNY Selection

  If interested in joining Wildcats Cross-Country, contact Coach Vermeulen.

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  INDOOR TRACK

(WINTER) 

FEATURES: Competitions are contested on the shorter and tighter 200 meter indoor tracks of Central New York. Some of the race event distances differ from those of outdoor track. All meets are invitationals, with Section III class A, B, C and D schools participating. Indoor meets because of the confined spaces, are busy but exciting affairs.

LEVELS: West Genesee has both Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls Indoor Track teams. JV level events are part of all Section III meets and provide appropriate competition for younger or developing athletes. There are no Indoor Track programs in New York for Modified athletes. Exceptional Modified level athletes are sometimes allowed to compete on the Varsity level through the State-mandated Selective Classification Process.

MEET EVENTS

SPRINT  EVENTS: 55m dash/300m dash/600m dash/4x200Relay/4x400Relay(Additional relays such as the Sprint Medley are often added to Invitational Meets)

MIDDLE DISTANCE EVENTS: 1000m/1500&1600m/3000&3200m/4x800Relay(Additional relays such as the Distance Medley and 4x1600m are often added to Invitational Meets.)

FIELD EVENTS: Shot Put/Pole Vault/Long Jump/Triple Jump/High Jump

COMPETITIONS: All Section III meets are held on weeknights, beginning at 6:30, Early season competitions are typically Relay invitationals, with no individual events. Individual event competitions begin following Christmas vacation. Most invitationals are held at Manley Field House on the S.U. campus. Championship competitions begin in early February with the OHSL Championship and continue through Sectionals and State Qualifiers to the State Championship in early March.

Steve Houghmaster--2006/07 Boys National Freshman Mile, 6th(All-American); 2007/08 State Championship Qualifier(1600m)

Katie Bott--2007/08 State Championship Qualifier(600m)

Girls DMR--2006/07 National Championship Qualifer

Elizabeth McMahon--2006 1500m State Championship Medalist, 4th place

Shannon Morris—2000/2001 1000m State Championship Medalist, 6th Place.

Katie Bubnack—1999/2000 1000m State Championship Qualifier.

Girls 4x800 Relay—2000/2001 & 2003/2004 Sectional Champions

Girls 4x1mile Relay--2003/2004 National Championship Qualifier(13th place), 2004/05 National Championship Qualifier(29th place),  2005/06 National Championship Qualifier(24th place)

Girls Scholar-Athlete Teams: 1998/1999,1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2007/08

Boys Scholar-Athlete Teams: 1998/1999, 1999/20000, 2000/2001, 2006/2007, 2007/08

If interested in joining Wildcats Indoor Track, contact Coach Vermeulen.

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  OUTDOOR TRACK

(SPRING)
 

FEATURES: The premier season for many distance runners, Outdoor Track presents the full array of Track & Field events and provides the finest of competition on its 400 meter tracks.

LEVELS: High school athletes are members of the Varsity Boys or Varsity Girls Track Teams. There are no JV or Freshman track teams or competitions in New York State. Athletes in Grades 7/8 compete on the Modified Boys or Modified Girls Track Teams. Modified level athletes sometimes compete on the Varsity level through the state-mandated Selective Classification process.

SPRINT  EVENTS: 100m dash/200m dash/400m dash/4x100Relay/4x400Relay(Additional relays such as the Sprint Medley are often added to Invitational Meets)

MIDDLE DISTANCE EVENTS: 800m/1500&1600m/3000&3200m/4x800Relay(Additional relays such as the Distance Medley and 4x1600m are often added to Invitational Meets.)

COMPETITIONS: As with Cross-Country, Track & Field competitions are divided into two types. League Meets, in which 2/3 teams compete, are held during weekdays after school. Unlike Cross-Country, however, the Varsity and Modified teams have separate dual-meet schedules. Varsity runners also compete in selected Invitational Meets. These Saturday meets provide heightened competition and opportunities to qualify for post-season championship meets. Championship meets for Varsity include OHSL, Sectional, State Qualifier and State Championships. All Varsity athletes are allowed to compete in the OHSL Championship. Thereafter, athletes must meet qualifying standards to advance to the Sectional, State Qualifier and State Championship meets.

Girls Team - 2006 American Division Champions(6-0)

Elizabeth McMahon -2000m Steeplechase 2004 Sectional Champion & State Championship Qualifier; 2004 National Championship Qualifier in 2000m Steeplechase, 9th Place; 2006 State Championship Qualifier, 1500m, 12th place; 2007 State Championship Qualifier, 1500m, 7th place

Kerry Banazek— 2001 NYS 2000m Steeplechase Medalist, 4th Place; 2001 & 2002 National Qualifier in 2000m Steeplechase, 7th place at  2002 National Championship(2000m Steeplechase)

Katie Rothenberg - 2005 Qualifier for National Championship Freshman Mile

Girls Distance Medley Relay—Set an OHSL Record(12:59.6), 2001.

Girls 4x800 Relay—2000 Sectional Champions & National Qualifier; 2007 State Championship Qualifier

Girls Scholar-Athlete Teams: 1998/1999/2000/2001/2002/2003/2004/2005/2006/2007

Boys Scholar-Athlete Teams: 1998/1999/2000/2001/2002/2003/2004/2005.2006/2007

If interested in joining Wildcats Outdoor Track, contact Coach Vermeulen.

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Additional Running Programs:

RUNNING CAMP

This four day camp is open to all WG athletes and incoming students grades 6-12. The camp meets Mondays-Thursday from 6-7:30 PM and is staffed by WG XC/Track coaches. The goals of the camp are to introduce potential distance runners to the elements of distance training and racing as well as other-sport athlete information on proper running technique for training. Conditioning runs appropriate to all fitness levels are available. Running techniques, training, gear and nutrition are discussed. Veteran runners also use the camp for summer aerobic base-conditioning and to pass on their knowledge to prospective runners. Sign-ups are held at the Camillus Parks & Recreation Office. 

INFORMAL SUMMER RUNS

West Genesee Cross-Country runners meet during the July/August months for voluntary, non-school sponsored conditioning runs. West Genesee athletes and community members are invited to attend. Tuesday/Thursday evening runs are road runs or soft-surface runs on courses such as the Eric Canal path, Gilly Lake or the Camillus Middle School XC course.  For more information, contact Coach Vermeulen or check the TeamInfo web site page for current dates, times, sites, etc.

SYRACUSE CHARGERS TRACK CLUB

A nationally respected track club that serves the Central New York running community, the Syracuse Chargers Track Club supports or sponsors a year-round variety of running events for members and area runners. These include winter indoor track meets at Manley Field House, spring/summer/fall road races, and programs for runners of all ages. Their monthly newsletter keeps members informed of local/regional running events and news. Yearly fees begin at a very modest $10. For membership information, check the Syracuse Chargers web site. 

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