Fall 2017 Track and Field Newsletter

YALE TRACK & FIELD and CROSS COUNTRY FALL 2017

From the Associates

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Dear Alumni and Friends of Yale Track & Field and Cross Country,

If you would like to plan a gathering, whether informal, or surrounding a YTFCC event, please let us know!

The cold has hit New England and we're ready for winter and the Indoor Track Season. The Cross Country Teams have wrapped up their seasons with a 6th place HEPS finish on the men's side and a 3rd place finish on the women's side. Trevor Reinhart, Andrea Masterson, and Sevanne Ghazarian earned All Ivy Honors and Kayley DeLay earned 2nd Team All Ivy Honors. Both programs raced in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships where top 25 finishes from Reinhart, Masterson, and Ghazarian resulted in All-Region honors for those athletes. Andrea Masterson earned the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky where she had a strong ending to her season finishing 50 places higher than she did last year.

The fundraising work of our Association is crucial to the overall success of our program. Last year we saw a 10% increase in alumni participation, and we are THRILLED to announce that we were able to raise enough money to buy the athletes a complete set of new hurdles. The new equipment will arrive in Coxe Cage in January 2018.

Stay tuned for photos!

We are excited to report on several alumni gatherings that have already taken place across the country so far this year. In August, Anne Martin '05 organized a happy hour with the coaching staff in NYC, where coaches and NY area alums spent a great evening catching up and swapping stories.

This fall, while the athletes were training on The Course at Yale and on the trails of Van Cortlandt Park, Coach Shoehalter was busy recruiting for next year. While he was on the West Coast, he made time to visit with alumni in Seattle, WA and Los Angeles, CA. A big thank you to hosts Sarah Smith ('91) & Bobby Lesko ('91) in Seattle, and Jessica Thomas ('02) & Ralph Haberli ('00) in LA. Both gatherings were a great opportunity for alumni to reconnect, and also to hear program updates directly from Coach Shoe.

We hope you will consider a gift this year. No gift is too small to help the program. Your donation is used to support: • Coach travel to the most competitive meets in the country to recruit student-athletes • Student-athlete visits to New Haven to experience Yale first hand • The purchase of state of the art equipment for the Track & Field weightroom including stationary spin bikes and treadmills • Out of region team travel essential for competition at the hest levels of NCAA track & field and cross country.

• Rehab equipment such as stationary spin bikes, treadmills and weightlifting equipment for our Track and Field weight room in Coxe Cage.

Thank you in advance for continuing to support Yale Track & Field and Cross Country.

We hope to see you at a meet this year!

Sincerely, Larry Kreider ‘69 Kim Fulton ‘91 Yale Track & Field Association Co-Presidents

Coach’s Corner David Shoehalter, Mark T. Young ‘68 Director of Track & Field and Cross Country

“As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for all that you have done for our program. Your annual contributions to Yale Track & Field and Cross Country allow us to compete with the best in the nation.”

It’s hard to believe the fall semester is already coming to a close. It seems like I just got back from Cross Country Camp in Woodstock Connecticut, but we already winding down 2017!

Our Cross Country teams continued to do us proud, picking up many post season accolades, achieving national rankings once again and of course beating Harvard along the way! As has been the case for the last several years, we have established ourselves among the top cross country programs in the nation on both the Men’s and Women’s sides. Coaches Amy Gosztyla and Paul Harkins continue to produce top notch teams year in and year out and this year was no exception.

Our men were led by Track and Field All-American Trevor Reinhart and a bevy of very young, eager and impressive underclassmen. Sophomore Jonathan Lomogda and first years Charlie Gardner, Nick Dahl, Will Laird, Patrick Perry and Neil Braganza were consistent top performers for the team that took down Harvard in our first meet of the year has shown some real potential for future success! Junior Reinhart was our top finisher at the Heps (6th overall - 1st Team All Ivy) and earned all- Northeast Region Honors with his 25th place finish at our NCAA qualifier in Buffalo.

The women are also young and finished an impressive third place at the Cross Country Heps in Van Cortlandt Park at the end of October. We had three all ivy performers (all of whom will return for the Blue in 2018): Junior Andrea Masterson finished an agonizing .6 seconds away from the championship as she was edged out in the final steps by a Princeton runner. First-years Sevanne Ghazarian and Kaley Delay were also extremely impressive in their Heps debuts

running to 6th and 12th places respectively and garnering all-Ivy honors. The next week in a frigid, windy and muddy Buffalo, Masterson earned her first trip to the NCAA Championship gaining an automatic bid as a top 10 individual in the race. She went on to finish in the top half of the NCAA Championship field in her debut performance at the national level.

We take a very brief break and the indoor season begins with the Yale Season Opener at Coxe Cage on December 9th! I am very much looking forward to seeing our newcomers and sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers and throwers have at it! Our coaches have brought some exciting talent to New Haven and along with a gaggle of high quality returners, it should make for a fun and exciting indoor and outdoor year!

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for all that you have done for our program. Your annual contributions to Yale Track & Field and Cross Country allow us to compete with the best in the nation. We are able to travel far and wide to attract the top recruits not only in the US but in the wider world. Because of your generosity we are able to put together a national class schedule which allows us to compete against the top talent in the NCAA on a regular basis. Because you give, we are able to compete on the best facilities in the nation in Coxe Cage, (newly surfaced) Dewitt Cuyler Track and The Course at Yale. Please keep us in mind as the year comes to a close. If we are going to continue to thrive as we have, we need your continued support!

Yours in Yale Track & Field and Cross Country, Shoe

Meet the Captains

Dana Klein Women’s Track

How would you describe this year’s team in one word?

Potential. We're a really young track and field team on the women's side, with our largest numbers coming from the first- year and sophomore classes. We have a lot to be excited about over these next few months as this team has so much opportunity to grow and improve with the experience of competition.

What meet are you most looking forward to this winter, and why?

As always, the Heptagonal Championship is the meet on a season.

There's nothing quite like the opportunity to wear the Y on your chest and compete against your biggest rivals. There's something particularly special about the Indoor Heptagonal Championship, as all eight Ivies compete and cheer for their teammates under one roof. It’s always a bit crowded having all eight teams in an indoor facility but I think it only heightens the energy and excitement of the meet.

What does it mean to you to be a captain at Yale?

Being a captain at Yale carries with it such an immense honor.

Representing an institution like Yale in any capacity will always be a privilege but having the unique opportunity to also represent a group of talented women who I have the utmost respect and love for is something I cherish everyday. I’m so excited to see what we accomplish this season, and can really see big things coming for the women’s side of the program over the next few years.

How would you describe this year’s team in one word?

Fearless What was your favorite moment from this past fall?

My favorite moment was at the HY meet, when Matt Chisholm had a dominant win followed by a long string of blue jerseys. Besides Matt, almost all of them were sophomores or first-years.

Adam Houston Men’s Cross Country They carried the team this year, and in the years to come they will do incredible things.

What does it mean to you to be a captain at Yale?

Being a captain means looking out for people outside of practice and always checking in. Being a student-athlete is tough, and it’s a captain’s job to help people through difficult times and support them in their victories, however big or small.

Paedyn Gomes Men’s Track

How would you describe this year’s Team in one word?

I would describe this year's team as "dedicated."

What meet are you most looking forward to this winter, and why?

I am most looking forward to the indoor Heptagonal Championships because it always has a great atmosphere and I think it always brings some great performances out of everyone involved.

The team always shows a lot of support for each other and the high-energy environment makes it a lot of fun. Last year, we had a lot of great performances on our team, and I want to follow last year up with another good meet.

What does it mean to you to be a captain at Yale?

Being a captain means a lot to me. I always want to approach things in a way that shows that I want to be the best I can be. Being a captain means that my teammates respect the way I approach my athletic career here at Yale. It gives me some extra motivation to do my best every day and to be a good example.

How would you describe this year’s team in one word?

Two words: Confident and Tough.

Our top seven competed with incredible strength over the course of the season, culminating in a 5th place team finish at the Northeast Regional Championships.

What was your favorite moment from this past fall?

Kelli Reagan Women’s Cross Country My favorite moment from the past season was cheering on the Bulldogs at the 2017 Heptagonal Championships. Andrea Masterson fought to the line for a 2nd place individual finish in one of the most exciting cross country races I can remember, and three of my teammates (Andrea, Sevanne, and Kayley) earned all-Ivy honors.

Finishing 3rd as a team in such a competitive field (following second place finishes in 2015 and 2016) really defines the steps our program has taken over the past four years. I can say with full-faith that we are in a position to contend for the Ivy title and an automatic qualifying spot at Nationals next fall.

What does it mean to you to be a captain at Yale?

Being a captain at Yale has truly been an honor. My teammates and coaches mean the world to me and having the opportunity to represent them through a competitive season has been an absolute privilege. This fall has taught me a great deal about faithful leadership, love for the sport, and total belief in all of the ups and downs a season may bring. Over my four years, the Yale Track and Field program has solidified many of my most fulfilling relationships and has provided an array of challenging, beautiful, and formative moments. I am forever grateful for the experience.

Save The Dates Annual Dinner

at the Yale Club of New York April 27, 2018

Home Meets

YALE COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL Saturday, January 13th

GIEGENGACK INVITATIONAL Friday, February 2nd and Saturday, February 3rd MARK YOUNG INVITATIONAL Saturday, April 7th YALE HARVARD Saturday, April 14th SPRINGTIME INVITATIONAL Saturday, April 29th

Supporting Yale Track & Field Thank You! We are thrilled to announce that we have met our $40,000 fundraising goal for the special hurdle fund! Thanks to the support of our generous alumni, and a contribution from the athletic department, we have secured the funds necessary to purchase new hurdles for the 2018 season.

The hurdles are scheduled to arrive on campus in mid-January.

How to Make a Gift Visit:

yale.edu/giveathletics

•Enter gift amount •Select ‘view teams and other funds’ •Select ‘XC/Track&Field’ •Fill out the rest of the form

Mail a Check

Mail a check payable to Yale University, with Yale Track Association in the memo to: PO Box 208216, New Haven, CT 06520 Questions about making a gift? Email: support.athletics@yale.edu or 203-432-1434