St John's Cross Country Fall Festival

The cross country season has arrived and with it our first Friends Event at the St John's Cross Country Fall Festival. Details are as follows:

Head Cross Country and Track Coach Jim Hurt
Invites you to the St. John’s Fall Festival

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Schedule of Events:
Location: Cunningham Park

1. 9:30am One mile fun run/walk to benefit the fight against breast cancer
2. 10:00am Women’s 4K race
3. 10:30am Men’s 5K race

Location: St. John’s Campus

12:00 Noon Brunch Reception
University Center, Storm Center
*Please see campus map*

Featuring Rich Torrellas, USA Track and Field, Women’s Head Manager for 2008 Olympic Games

$20 per person

*Please RSVP by October 13, 2008*

Mary Pat Beirne at 718-990-1873 or beirnem@stjohns.edu

This is a good opportunity to see our team, meet up with former team mates, visit the STJ campus, support a great charity and have a good time.

If you're feeling energetic and would like to participate in one of the running events, please contact Coach Hurt at hurtj@stjohns.edu specifying which event you want to run in.

Early Season Cross Country Reports

Our young team has show great progress with each outing:

1. September 6th at Hofstra
2. September 19 National Catholic Championships at Notre Dame
3. September 27 at Fairfield Invitational

Our next meet will be the Metropolitan Championships at Van Cortlandt Park on Friday, Oct 10, 1:30 PM. Directions to the meet can be found at the following link: Van Cortlandt Park Directions

St John's Track Alums Meet Interesting People

You never know who you'll come across at the Olympics

But then if you're Rich Torellas (Class of 72) the manager of USA Women's Track and Field team, you're sure to cross paths with some interesting people

2008 XC Preview

Hello to all, hope the summer treated you kindly. I also hope that our cross country got in their must needed miles over the summer to allow them to make a nice jump at both the local and Big East levels. Our staff is excited to return every member of last year's cross country squad and to combine this group with 3 incoming distance freshman.

Our top returner is senior, Tyneka Greene, who is entered her second season as captain. Tyneka was our top runner at every meet last fall and hopes to improve on her 19:16 PR at Van Courtlandt as well as her 77th place at Big East. Tyneka led off our Big East and ECAC scoring 4x800m relay numerous times last season with 2:12's splits. Add her 800m speed to her solid summer base and good things should happen.

Our other returning upperclassmen include Rakibat Abiola (Sr.), Pamela Petruski (Jr.), and Sarah Fry (Jr.). Petruski was also a member of the All-East 4x800m squad.

Returning sophomores include Sarah Sudbury, Lori Dougherty, Shakira Best, Katrina Schaefer, Laura Walsh, and Kayla Regulski. Sudbury is the top frosh returing out of Tomahawk, WI. Sudbury was second runner all last season as well as being a member of the All-East 4x800m.

Our rookie class includes three top prospects from New England and overseas. Aryon Trujillo hails from Pinkerton Academy (NH) and Nicole Cocozza from LaSalle Academy (RI) join us from top high school powerhouse. Sabine Schneider is over here from Germany which adds to our already international team.

We are excited to have everyone back from last season and the depth from our new freshman recruiting class will go along way in our development in the distance events and cross country.
We open up at the Hofsta Invitational on September 6th, 2008. We travel to Coach Hurt's Alma mater, Notre Dame, on September 19th, 22008 for the National Catholic Champs.

Calling Members of the 1984 - 1985 Team

Do you remember what you looked like in 1984? I find my picture to be more then a little embarrassing in the 1984 - 1985 media guide.

For those that want to peruse other years, you can get a listing of what we currently have online at the Friends of St John's Track and Field Archive.

Would You Like to Blog?

Blogging is as easy as writing an email, so if you'd like to get involved in posting stories about St John's, former team mates, Track and Field in general or the current team, let me know.

All you'll need to do is set up an email account on gmail.com and I'll be glad to enable you to start posting. Just drop me a note at the email address below.

I'm especially interested in those that would like to track down former team members and provide updates since their days at St John's

If you're technically shy, I'll walk you through putting up your first post. I have years as a software trainer so I can speak fluent geek and put it in human terms

Martin Nutty: nuttym@stjohns.edu

STJ at the Olympics

STJ continues a long history of representation at Olympic Track and Field with Rich Torellas (class of 1972). Rich emailed Coach Hurt with the pictures to the left on July 29th. He'd already been in Beijing for a week at that point!

Rich's local newspaper published a nice article on Rich's responsibilities during the games in the New Haven Register: Torrellas an invaluable part of U.S. track contingent

Rich threw the Hammer when attended STJ back in the 70s and has travelled an interesting road to become the Head Manager of USA Women's Track and Field at the 2008 games He was selected for the position 2 years ago and we wish him and the team well in the upcoming week and look forward to hearing his stories when he is back in the USA.

STJ's First Olympian

Beth Zebuth (class of 1985) came up with the right answer: Connie Stoll a member of 2 Olympic Teams in Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne in 1956. I've had some nice exchanges with Connie over the past year and asked her to give more detail on her career. I think you'll find her detailed response below interesting:

Dear Martin,

There were lots of great experiences from my participation in the games,but the more significant ones were getting there. Women's track and field in the U.S. was pretty much "downplayed". The support by the AAU was minimal and the attitude was that woman were unable to handle the training regimen .(obviously a man's opinion!!) I think that Babe Dedrickson was some unusual person. I really believe that many of the track meets were self supported or single donations and the men were the first priority.

I was born in Greenpoint , Brooklyn N.Y. Nov. 10,1934. I began running as part of the Police Athletic League at 12. I was preparing to compete in the City Championships and went to the local park with my Dad and fortunately met a man who was coaching a few girls,ranging from 15-24 (10 girls). He was sponsored by the the German American A.C. from Bronxville N.Y. The head of the A.C. was on th Board of thr AAU and wanted to see woman track and field succeed.....that is how it started. I was fortunate again that my coach was an expert in hurdles. I had the speed,but probably would not make it as a top sprinter,thus the hurdles. As a member of a small team,whenever there was a track meet,few and far between,we would compete in as many as 5 events each against much larger teams.

In July 1952 (just after graduating from Bishop McDonnell Mem. H.S.) I went to the Olympic tryouts in Pa. The criteria for making the team: win your event and do a time that was set by the Committee. I ran the 80m hurdles, won the event and ran 11.8 ,(one tenth off the American record). AS a result of the tryouts the team selected was just 10 women. I was the only U.S. entrant in the hurdles (my only claim to fame) I did not equal my 11.8 ,I did 12.1. It did not qualify me for the semis. The woman's relay team surprised all by winning the gold. (I was there to cheer them on)

I entered St. John"sTeachers College in the fall of 1952. I continued to train,held apart/full time job,and went to classes 6 days a week. I graduated in May of 1956. There were no Woman's track teams in Colleges,except Tennessee State &Tuskeegee Alabama. I competed in tryouts for the 1956 games in August and left for Melbourne in October.

This time the AAU and Olympic Committee had more donations and they allowed 3 entrants in each event. Again I made it in the hurdles, and again in a good time,but in the games I was timed in 12.1. The winning time was 11.4

The entire experience of being a part of such a special event is sometimes unbelievable to me. I have many great memories and memorabelia to remind me of what it was all about.
It wasn't until the 60's that woman were finally recognized as "able" and teams started to form especially in schools.

I am now visiting in Indiana with my brother Vincent(Darnowski) who competed for St. John's in the field events in the 50's. My brother Michael (Darnowski) also competed for St. John's and was a team manager. Unfortunately Michael passed away a year ago. Michael was very instrumental in having me placed in the St.John's Hall of Fame in 1993.

The reason you did not hear my name in your question about the first Olympian from St.Johns is probably that I did not compete for St.Johns,and probably that I did not get a medal. Al-so-rans don't get publicity. I hope you got Pete Close's name as well as Tom Farrell.

I will close now......If you would like more info I can write again or even better still be a presenter to your girls team to let them know how fortunate they are to have finantial help to attend school and compete for St.Johns

Constance(Connie) Darnowski Stoll school of Ed '56 U.S.A. '52,'56

St John's Alums Compete in the Olympic Trials

Both Grace Zollman (Class of 2006) and DeWayne Barrett (class of 2005) competing in the USA and Jamaican Olympic trials as reported on the St John's Track and Field website. Both have made tremendous strides this season and continue to impress with their pursuit of excellence.

Priscilla Frederick Finishes Up a Great Season

On Saturday June 21 Priscilla Frederick finished up her stand out freshman season by competing in the High Jump in the USA National Junior Championships in the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Columbus Ohio. Priscilla finished fifth in the nation as reported on the RedStormSports Track and Field site.

Congratulations to Priscilla and we look forward to great success next year.