Dispatches from Eugene Part II
Correspondent George Kochman jr continues his reports on New Jersey HS alumni competing for berths on the US Olympic T&F team that will take on the world in London later this summer.
George caught up with 2 former Colts Neck HS runners, Craig Forys and Ashley Higginson, both of who qualified for the finals in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase as well as 1500 Meter semi finalist Renee Tomlin who starred at Ocean City HS..
Craig Forys - Colts Neck HS '07
He was once the king.
That was at Colts Neck HS, where Craig Forys was a legend. The King of Holmdel Park,Van Cortlandt Park, and a host of other venues. He was descended from royalty, as his father, Chuck Forys tore up courses in upstate New York at Washingtonville HS.He has a brother Matt, a star in his own right, who recently competed at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
But high school fame is fleeting, and it was off to the University of Michigan, where you are surrounded by royalty. Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis was the big name, leading a squad of international stars that included Nate Brannen and Andrew Ellerton.Forys disappeared from the limelight, and by his own admission, somewhat underperformed.
Things changed after his second year, when Forys and new coach Alex Gibby mapped out a plan to take the Howell resident back to the top. “I wasn’t where I should be,” said Forys, “and we got this thing going.”“This thing” involved what Forys calls “100% commitment, and a change of lifestyle decisions.”
Forys had moved from the mile to the 5,000 with mixed success. There were injuries to contend with as well, including an Achilles tendon injury and a strain of the upper hamstring attachment. But when he turned to the steeplechase, “everything began to click.”The training began to pay off, and Forys was rewarded with a Big Ten title this year, and a runner-up finish at the NCAA outdoor championship meet.
In the first round of the steeple on Monday, Forys easily qualified- maybe too easily. He ran next to last for three laps, waiting for a gap to open, and then suddenly moved to fourth, slicing through a slew of runners.“I was laughing to myself when I made that move,” he said later.
Yesterday was no laughing matter, and it was all business. Forys was out of contention early. and struggled home in 13th place, running 8:46.81, 18 seconds off his best. “It’s tough to end a season like that,” he said. “I got disconnected early, and I competed poorly.” But later, Forys offered some insight into his performances this year. “Right now, I’m disappointed, but I’m sure when I look back on this thing,” I’ll feel differently.”
Analyzing his season, he said, “The season is so long, that I felt I was running out of juice a bit.”
But he’s positive about the future. After a break at the Jersey Shore, it’s back to Ann Arbor, and his training group. “We have a good thing going,” he said. “I made progress, but the consistency needs to continue.” He added, “I need to take the next step in development. I know how to compete in the trial races. Now I have to learn to get ready, mentally and physically, to compete in the big finals.”
‘Someday I’d love to be on the squad. I’ll have my chances.”
Renee Tomlin - Ocean City HS '06
“There’s a lot of room for improvement,” said Renee Tomlin, minutes after being eliminated in the semifinals of the 1,500-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. The 1,500 is a relatively new event for Tomlin, the former Ocean City HS and Georgetown University standout. She’s relative novice to the longer race, having concentrated on the 800 meters while in high school and college. The results were great. Included in Tomlin’s impressive portfolio are seven Big East championships, and four All American awards.
But she’s coming to the slow realization that the 1,500 “might be more my event.” “I may have been immature about the 1500,” she said. “it probably took a year to get that mindset that every event makes you better. And you get that positive energy.”
After college, Tomlin found it difficult, saying, “In college, the coach makes all the decisions. Suddenly, I was on my own, making the decisions. There was a big learning phase I went through.” Helping make the transition is no stranger to middle distance running, coach Frank Gagliano, who gives Tomlin the needed “positive energy.”
In a short year, Tomlin, through consistent training, had made it to the Trials, and she ran well in her heat, though she said, “it was a little nerve-wracking out there. I knew the girls behind me were no joke.” In the semifinal, there was no playing around. Qualifiers for the final in her heat included internationalist Morgan Uceny, World Champion Jenny Simpson, Anna Pierce, and her Hoya teammate Maggie Infeld.
She finished 10th in her semifinal race (4:11.39), fading in the final 100 meters. But she was only three places from making the final. Behind her were NCAA champ Katie Flood of Washington, Phoebe Wright, the former Tennessee great, and local favorite Jordan Hasay of Oregon.“The race was all right,” she noted. “It was pretty much right around my PR, and I didn’t have that pop in the last 100.”
“I’m happy,” she said. “I’ll stay with Gags- he prepared me for this meet, and I couldn’t ask for a better mentor.”She added, “it’s been quite a journey just to get here. I’m happy, glad to be here. I’m taking this thing day by day, and as long as I’m having fun, I’ll do it. I’ll leave and move forward.”
Ashley Higginson - Colts Neck HS '07
So close and yet so far.
But there were no tears from Ashley Higginson, who lost out on an Olympic bid, finishing fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at yesterday’s U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.
Higginson, the former Colts Neck HS and Princeton University standout, completed a year where she bettered her personal best in each race. But against the nation’s best, it just wasn’t enough. Her time of 9:38.06 was a personal best by seven seconds, and less than three seconds off an Olympic berth. Emma Coburn of Colorado was the winner in 9:32.78, as former Penn State star Bridget Franek finished in the runner-up position in 9:35.62, edging Shalaya Kipp of Colorado, who ran 9:35.73.
Higginson, who wears the Saucony singlet, is training under the watchful eyes of Frank Gagliano these days. “Gags” with Jersey roots (Roselle Catholic, Rutgers and now the N.Y.-N.J. group of athletes), also guided Higginson’s training mate, Jerseyite Julie Culley to an Olympic berth in the 5,000-meter run on Thursday evening. The bubbly Higginson noted after her trial race on Monday, “I’m really excited to be here.”
And she ran confidently, close to the pace all the way, and was rewarded with a one second personal best. “I knew I was ready physically, and decided to run physically,” she said, “because mentally I could mess it up.”Relatively new to the steeple, the guidance from Gagliano gave her confidence. “The man has seen it all,” she said. “I have to listen and learn.” And she praised her training partners, saying, “They’re all inspirational.”
Higginson was under no illusions heading into yesterday’s final, saying, “It will be good, but it will take a PR to make the team.” She ran fourth for most of the race, before dropping to sixth with two laps remaining. A strong finish propelled her back into fourth, but she fell short.
Fourth usually means great disappointment, and sometimes a venting of emotions. Higginson was having none of that. “I put it out there, and just stayed in position,” she said, “but they were better than me today.” With an attitude that showed self-realization, she added, “I pr’ed each race, and I don’t need to be anywhere but where I’m at now. I’m improving.”
“No one expected me to be in it this long,’ she said. “I’m leaving here with no regrets.”