The North Rockland girls developed into a super power during track this past year, where they swept the New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor titles in the DMR and set a new national record indoors with a mark of 11:34.85. Now, track isn't cross country. But the Red Raiders are on the map now with big league experience, plus they return their entire top five that placed 10th at last year's national championship and runners-up at the New York Federation Championships. Competing in New York gives them an early look at Fayetteville-Manlius and Saratoga Springs, who will fight for podium spots in Portland.
Probable Top Five
Katelyn Tuohy FR - 6th at Manhattan Invitational Eastern States, 10th at NY State Champs 2015, 5th at NY Federation Champs 2015, 6th at NXN NY 2015, 49th at NXN 2015, 18:11.6 5K XC PB, 9:48.44 3K PB, 4:22.24.36 1500m PB, 1500m national eighth grade record holder
Alexandra Harris SR - 18th at NY State Champs 2015, 7th at NY Federation Champs 2015, 19th at NXN NY 2015, 69th at NXN 2015, 2016 NY state runner-up in 2K steeplechase, 6:47 2K steeple PB, 4:35.84 1500m PB, 10:17.45 3K PB, 18:23.2 5K XC PB
Haleigh Morales FR - 23rd at NY State Champs 2015, 27th at NY Federation Champs 2015, 36th at NXN NY 2015, 78th at NXN 2015, 18:29.3 5K XC PB, 10:50.53 3200m PB
Kerry O'Connor JR - 77th at NY State Champs 2015, 100th at NY Federation Champs 2015, 48th at NXN NY 2015, 145th at NXN 2015, 19:19.9 5K XC PB, 11:11.58 3200m PB
Noelle Feeney JR - 88th at NY State Champs 2015, 90th at NY Federation Champs 2015, 83rd at NXN NY 2015, 163rd at NXN 2015, 19:35.3 5K XC PB, 11:51.74 3200m PB
North Rockland after taking runner-up honors at the New York Federation Championships in 2015.
Q&A with North Rockland head coach Brian Diglio
How long have you coached at North Rockland?
This will be my 21st season coaching (I started at Clarkstown South), my 20th teaching history at North Rockland HS, and my 19th coaching at North Rockland HS. I have been the head XC coach since 2003 (I think!).
What is your meet schedule this fall?
Red Raider Run (home meet) 9/9, McDaniel-Baxter Invitational 9/24, Manhattan Invitational 10/8
How has summer training gone for your team? What do you focus on during the summer months?
Our summer training is going well. It has been a little disjointed for me since I just spent the past two weeks in Alaska, but the girls trained well without me. We have the same primary goals as every other team over the summer, accumulating mileage and cardiovascular strength. We never seem to have a very deep team (my teams usually have between 14-20 girls on them), so injury prevention is a key! Our first official practice begins on Monday, August 22nd - along with the rest of NYS.
Which athletes do you see as the probable top five this season?
Luckily for me, our top 5 finishers at NXN all return, so I am expecting Katelyn Tuohy (9), Alexandra Harris (12 - my captain), Haleigh Morales (9), Kerry O'Connor (11), and Noelle Feeney (11) to be my top 5. One of my big goals is to try and bridge the gap between these girls and the rest of the team.
Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?
Alex is my captain, but I encourage ANY upperclass girls (or varsity girls) to take leadership roles. Alex is a great captain, leading by example in both her racing and her training. She has been a great resource for the rest of the team, particularly Katelyn. They have a very strong bond and are great training partners. One of the qualities that I most appreciate about Alex, is how seriously she takes all aspects her training. While she is very talented, the girls see how hard she works to improve as well.
Who are some new faces who will make an impact on your team this year? (i.e. freshmen, transfers, runners who have improved a lot)
It is too early to tell about new faces, but we do have the largest freshman class of runners I have ever coached! Including Katelyn and Haleigh, I have 8 freshmen and one 8th grader (and that is on a team with a roster of 20).
What are some staple workouts your team does during the season?
I am a big follower of Jack Daniels, and I was lucky enough to have tremendous coaches in HS and college, so I have stolen most of my workouts from them! Why re-invent the wheel, when coaches far more successful than I, have a litany of workouts to choose from? The one thing I do emphasize, is that each runner I coach is unique, has unique training needs, and finding the right combination of workouts for her is key. We are not a one-size fits all team! If you want one workout, probably my favorite is 5 x 1K on a minute recovery (or so, depending on the athlete) on an XC loop. We repeat the workout throughout the season, always running it at least once with Coach Goodwin (one of my best friends) and the Monroe-Woodbury girls XC team (my HS).
What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?
We will be successful this season if we remain healthy and focused on our training. While we had our most successful season ever last year, I have been emphasizing that this is a new team with new opportunities. Our most important day is simply our next day of training.
What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?
Our biggest obstacle is clearly our lack of depth! I was amazed and impressed with the coaches and teams we met last December at NXN - so many of them had teams of 40+ girls and their biggest question was how to pay enough attention to everyone. My biggest question is always - how do I keep everyone healthy while training at a high level? I often feel like I am balancing on a high wire with our training!
How would you describe your team's culture?
Our team culture is all business while training and often goofy when not! Haleigh and Kerry are two of the funniest girls on the team and that is a great skill to have - it keeps the atmosphere from getting too serious (which is a fault of mine!).
What are your top three goals for the team this fall?
I don't set our goals, we have a team meeting where the girls set the goals for the team, but I will keep that a secret for now.
Top Returnees by 5K Time from 2015 XC Season
| 43* | North Rockland (NY) | 1337 | ||
| 1) Katelyn Tuohy | 18:11.60 | 69 | ||
| 2) Alexandra Harris | 18:23.20 | 103 | ||
| 3) Haleigh Morales | 18:29.30 | 124 | ||
| 4) Kerry O'Connor | 19:19.90 | 458 | ||
| 5) Noelle Feeney | 19:35.30 | 583 | ||
| Average Time: 18:47.86 Total Time: 1:33:59.30 1-5 Split: 1:23.70 | ||||
*North Rockland ranks #43 in the nation
Top Returning 3K Times from 2016 Outdoor Track Season
| 16* | North Rockland (NY) | 809 | ||
| 1) Katelyn Tuohy | 10:08.45 | 16 | ||
| 2) Haleigh Morales | 10:23.51 | 29 | ||
| 3) Kerry O'Connor | 10:33.02 | 47 | ||
| 4) Sara Leonard | 11:51.90 | 306 | ||
| 5) Gianna Marchitelli | 12:15.30 | 411 | ||
| Average Time: 11:02.44 Total Time: 55:12.18 1-5 Split: 2:06.85 | ||||
| 6) Jessica Hernandez | 12:16.03 | 416 | ||
*North Rockland ranks #16 in the nation
Top Returning 1500m Times from 2016 Outdoor Track Season
| 4 | North Rockland (NY) | 485 | ||
| 1) Katelyn Tuohy | 4:24.36 | 3 | ||
| 2) Alexandra Harris | 4:42.41 | 33 | ||
| 3) Haleigh Morales | 4:47.60 | 53 | ||
| 4) Kerry O'Connor | 4:57.94 | 175 | ||
| 5) Noelle Feeney | 5:00.99 | 221 | ||
| Average Time: 4:46.66 Total Time: 23:53.30 1-5 Split: 36.63 | ||||
| 6) Kailee Stephens | 5:13.96 | 456 | ||
| 7) Kathryn Konopko | 5:21.80 | 643 | ||
*North Rockland ranks #4 in the nation
The top returning times were generated using the MileSplit XC Team Scores calculator found here. Teams are scored against every team in the nation. Girls in New York state typically run the 3K and 1500m, instead of the 3200m/1600m.