Millbrook Goes 3-2 at Williston Multi-School Meet
At Williston-Northamptopn in MA, 6 schools competed in a single race scored like several concurrent dual-meets. The result was 3 victories for the Mustangs over Salisbury, Bershire, and Canterbury, with losses to Williston and Suffield. Many personal bests today on this flat course.
First, a lesson in scoring Cross Country meets. Imagine Millbrook is running against Gunnery. Add up the place-numbers of the top 5 runners on each team and you will get a number. The lower the number, the better the score.
i.e.
Millbrook: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 = 26
Gunnery: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 = 29
Millbrook wins! Hooray!
It's more complicated than that, but that's all the casual bystander need know. This is called a 'dual-meet'.
In a meet where 3+ teams run against each other at once, the meet can still be scored like this by comparing how any 2 teams did against each other, to the exclusion of any other teams' runners.
i.e. Imagine that Millbrook, Gunnery, and Berkshire run against each other at once, and the first 5 runners in are 1 Millbrook, 2 Gunnery, 3 Millbrook, 4 Berkshire, 5 Gunnery.
If you score Millbrook vs. Gunnery, you take out the Berkshire runner. Thus the Gunnery runner who came in 5th actually counts as coming in 4th place, because that 4th place Berkshire runner doesn't count.
Have I lost you? No matter.
The Williston meet scores 5 simultaneous dual-meets, giving teams a chance to evaluate themselves individually against several other teams at once instad of just seeing how a team averages out in a larger field. Millbrook beat 3 of its 5 opponents: Berkshire, Salisbury, and Canterbury. Williston and Suffield claimed victory over the Mustangs.
Williston has a MUCH flatter course than Millbrook and most of the schools Millbrook runs against. For an explanation of why, see this topographical map of the northeast united states. The flat course at Williston meant A LOT of personal bests. Kazuki Unayama broke 17 minutes after struggling to break 18 minutes on our home course all year. That's a testament to how hard these boys have worked. Let them loose on flat ground and they are gone!
What we did well: Ran hard and obtained some personal bests.
What we need to improve on: Pre-race warm-up was completed with less urgency than our time restrictons demanded. Once we get off the bus we need to be all-business until the finish line is crossed and we cool down. Also, many runners admitted to not having studied the course map provided by Williston the week before, leading to some Millbrook runners not knowing where the finish line was! Study up! Knowledge is power!
Kudos to: The Wilkins family and all others who have provided delicious snacks for our runners after races!
It's been a great season and we are looking forward to New Englands next week in Maine!
Coach Brown, signing off!
Back
i.e.
Millbrook: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 = 26
Gunnery: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 = 29
Millbrook wins! Hooray!
It's more complicated than that, but that's all the casual bystander need know. This is called a 'dual-meet'.
In a meet where 3+ teams run against each other at once, the meet can still be scored like this by comparing how any 2 teams did against each other, to the exclusion of any other teams' runners.
i.e. Imagine that Millbrook, Gunnery, and Berkshire run against each other at once, and the first 5 runners in are 1 Millbrook, 2 Gunnery, 3 Millbrook, 4 Berkshire, 5 Gunnery.
If you score Millbrook vs. Gunnery, you take out the Berkshire runner. Thus the Gunnery runner who came in 5th actually counts as coming in 4th place, because that 4th place Berkshire runner doesn't count.
Have I lost you? No matter.
The Williston meet scores 5 simultaneous dual-meets, giving teams a chance to evaluate themselves individually against several other teams at once instad of just seeing how a team averages out in a larger field. Millbrook beat 3 of its 5 opponents: Berkshire, Salisbury, and Canterbury. Williston and Suffield claimed victory over the Mustangs.
Williston has a MUCH flatter course than Millbrook and most of the schools Millbrook runs against. For an explanation of why, see this topographical map of the northeast united states. The flat course at Williston meant A LOT of personal bests. Kazuki Unayama broke 17 minutes after struggling to break 18 minutes on our home course all year. That's a testament to how hard these boys have worked. Let them loose on flat ground and they are gone!
What we did well: Ran hard and obtained some personal bests.
What we need to improve on: Pre-race warm-up was completed with less urgency than our time restrictons demanded. Once we get off the bus we need to be all-business until the finish line is crossed and we cool down. Also, many runners admitted to not having studied the course map provided by Williston the week before, leading to some Millbrook runners not knowing where the finish line was! Study up! Knowledge is power!
Kudos to: The Wilkins family and all others who have provided delicious snacks for our runners after races!
It's been a great season and we are looking forward to New Englands next week in Maine!
Coach Brown, signing off!
