Haley Pierce
(Photo by Blue Hen Photography)
Tatnall HS
2012
Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?
17:05; Joe O’Neil invitational (2010)
Tell us how your training is going?
Summer training has been going well! I took a longer break after the spring racing season so I got a later start to my training. I’ve been slowly progressing throughout the summer and increasing my mileage. I will continue building my base through September.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
My main goal for the season is to keep improving and run my best when it counts. I’m hoping to stay consistently strong throughout the each of our race efforts and continue working on my weak points. We have a lot of big team goals this season so I want to do whatever I can to help my team.
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
This will be my sixth year running. In seventh grade I wasn’t sure what sport I wanted to do so I decided last minute to run cross country for fun. I had always loved running and I played midfield in lacrosse but I wasn’t sure how I would do. From the beginning I loved everything about running and I ended up doing pretty well. Then in eighth grade, Coach Castagno approached me and talked about training a little in the summer. I ran a few days and week in the summer and continued loving it so I decided to run cross country for the high school that year. I learned a lot about myself and how hard I could work that year. From that point on I wanted to keep running and do everything I could to get to the next level.
Will you be competing out of state this season?
Yes, we are going to a few out of state meets this season. We will be competing at The Great American Festival in North Carolina, The Maymont Festival in Virginia, The Manhattan Invational in New York and then The Southeast Regional Championships in Cary, North Carolina.
Favorite course to run in Delaware?
I think my favorite course to run in Delaware is Bellevue State Park. We race there once per year in the middle of the season and are able to run fast times because the course is pretty fast. I love running this course because it is always exciting to run a fast time. In addition, our team really starts to come together and get excited after we run at the Joe O'Neil Invitational.
Toughest course in Delaware?
Definitely Brandywine Creek State Park! It’s really hilly and very challenging.
Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?
I think my favorite cross country race thus far in my career would be NXN (Nike Cross Country Nationals, Portland Oregaon) my sophomore year. This was my second year racing at NXN and I really surprised myself in that race when I placed 7th. I had never run comfortably in the front pack before and I finished the race feeling more confident than ever before. I think this race taught me about myself and the possibilities for the future.
Favorite Cross Country memory?
I have had so many amazing memories throughout my running career. That is a tough question but there is one that has always stood out in my mind. When I began running for our high school program as an eighth grader, my team made it to nationals. I was fortunate to go and run in the open race as an alternate. At the time, NXN brought high school runners from Kenya to have a nationals experience in Oregaon to compete in the open race. Knowing, of course, that the Kenyans are unbelievably talented and typically would sweep the race, my teammate jokingly bet me 100 dollars that I couldn’t beat a one of the Kenyan runners. I knew this was highly unlikely. When I finished, I was shocked to find out that four Kenyan runners beat me but the fifth runner got sick and finished behind me. I told my friend who made the bet what had happened and I jokingly reminded her that she owed me 100 dollars. I never expected her to actually pay me. A few weeks later at our team banquet, my friend surprised me by giving me a 100 dollar bill with signatures of several Olympic runners who were at the meet! I was so surprised and excited. I will cherish this memory forever. I still have the bill framed in my room to always remind me of the my first experience at a national meet. This opened my eyes to a whole new level of running I never knew existed.
When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?
I love just hanging out my friends. I also love going to the beach and spending time with my family.
Favorite quote?
“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming” –John Wooden
Sam Parsons
Tatnall HS
2012
Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?
15:39 Bellevue State Park (5K XC)
15:17 New Balance Nationals (5K Track
Tell us how your training is going?
My summer training has been great. I've gotten in some quality miles around 60-70 per week. The biggest changes from last year has been increasing my pace, pushing up any hill in sight, hitting the gym, and cross training.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
Staying healthy is my number one goal. If I stay healthy the I think my goal performances will come. There are several big team goals we have been talking about. The biggest is qualifying for NXN.
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
Well, I guess it started back in little league baseball. I remember this warm-up drill where we would run to the center field wall back to home base. I would usually hit the center field wall and be back to second base before the rest of my team had made it to the center field wall. Other than that I remember the middle school mile in gym class. After running a fast time one day my gym teacher who also was the cross country coach asked me to come out for the team. I took her advice. I can’t thank Mrs. Mark enough for that recommendation.
Will you be competing out of state this season?
Coach Castagno always finds us the best competition and best races that allow us to perform our best come championship season. We will be doing some big races in VA, NY, and NC this year.
Favorite course to run in Delaware?
White Clay Creek State Park
Toughest course in Delaware?
Brandywine State Park
Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?
My favorite cross country race was the County Championships at Winterthur last year. Alex Giacco, Tyler Tate, and I went out and set a fast solid first mile side-by-side. It was awesome feeding off of their energy and knowing we had each other’s backs. I especially remember looking over at "Thing 2" (Alex Giacco) and getting that look of “we can do this, this is what we have been training for”. That carried me through the rest of the race.
Favorite Cross Country memory?
My sophomore year at Killen's pond dueling with our rivals, Archmere, at the State Championship. They were favored to win the meet after beating us several times earlier in the year. I remember Pat Manley, our captain, passing me with about 400m to go and saying “stay with me, don’t you let up!” The electricity coming down that finishing shoot was something all runners live for. The excitement of winning was the highlight of the season.
When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?
Nothing beats having a Capriottis’ famous “Bobbie" and a nice long nap after a hard workout. Other than, it would be getting my butt kick on the links by Alex.
Favorite quote?
Oh man, hard question. There are so many I use for motivation. Of course there are all the famous Pre quotes I love but if I had to give you a favorite it would be this:
"Your mind can make you train, your body can create power, but only your heart can make you a champion."- Joe Newton.
Tom Zabielski
Salesianum HS
2012
Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?
16:15 at Nike Cross Country Southeast Regional
Tell us how your training is going?
My summer training has been great. I started off slow due to a stress fracture in the spring but I have gotten up to about 55-60 miles a week.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
Every year I have one of the same goals and that is to stay healthy. I also have Personal times I want to achieve on each course I run this year but overall we have some big team goals such as winning Salesianum Invitational cause Sallies has never won it and our biggest would be to make it to NXN.
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
I started running in Fifth grade for St. Elizabeth Elementary School because many of my friends did it and they really enjoyed it so I thought I would give it a try for a year and give baseball a break but it turns out I loved it mainly because of my coach Mr. Walsh who has inspired me and encourage me to be the best that I can and without him I don’t know if I would have stuck with running.
Will you be competing out of state this season?
Yes we are at Briarwood Invitational in PA, Maymont Invitational in VA, Manhattan Invitational in NY, and Nike Southeast Regional in NC,
Favorite course to run in Delaware?
White Clay Creek State Park
Toughest course in Delaware?
Brandywine State Park
Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?
My favorite Cross country race in high school would have to be a dual meet against St. Mark’s my sophomore year. It poured for 3 or 4 days straight and we had a meet at Bellevue right after Catholic Conferences and Blue Hen Championship. I remember the course being all mud especially between the first mile and second mile and people were falling down and when we got done every single person was covered in mud. It is by far one of the best races I have taken part in.
Favorite Cross Country memory?
My favorite cross country memory would have to be States last year running besides one of my best teammates Matt Mckenna and finishing 1 and 2 at States.
When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?
I like to hang out with friends from around the Tristate Area and read StevePrefontrol comments on milesplit.
Favorite quote?
"Success isn’t permanent and failure isn’t fatal."
Julie Macedo
Charter School of Wilmington HS
2012
Best times in a 5K and 3 Mile race?
17:08 in the Joe O'Neill Invitational 2010 at Bellevue State Park
Tell us how your training is going?
I'm confident that my transition back into running (after my fibular fracture) along with my cross training has provided me with the base that I'll need for the long XC season. The past two weeks of organized practices have also gone well and I'm very pleased with the quality of my workouts.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
- sub 17:00 5k
-County Champion
-State Champion
-DE Runner of the Year
-SE Regional Champion
-Top 5 at Nationals
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
Since 8th grade, when I joined my middle school XC team instead of the field hockey team. My dad has run for as long as I can remember and I started by riding my bike along with him, then running with him, then running circles around him! My brother also ran with me, gave me advice, and shared his love of the sport.
Will you be competing out of state this season?
Yes. Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh, Six Flags Safari Race in NJ, SE Regionals in NC, and hopefully Nationals in OR.
Favorite course to run in Delaware?
Bellevue
Toughest course in Delaware?
Winterthur
Favorite Cross Country race so far in your high school career?
The open race that I ran in at Nike Nationals last year. I was really disappointed that I just missed qualifying, but I still wanted to go out there and run what I knew I was capable of. My time would have placed me 13th in the championship race and it was faster than all of the SE girls except Haley Pierce.
Favorite Cross Country memory?
Fun pasta parties with the team and being swarmed with hugs from teammates, friends, and competitors after running 17:08 at the Joe O'Neill Invitational.
When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?
Swim, kayak, frisbee, play with my dogs, make bracelets for friends.
Favorite quote?