No. 6 - Running For Records
Junior Jessica Lawson of Corning gave us a lot of moments to cheer about in 2016. She ran the 4th fastest time ever on the track over 3000m. She crushed the fields at both Sectionals and Feds in XC. She went toe-to-toe with the nations best, taking 3rd both Indoors and Outdoors at Nationals, in the 2Mile and 5000m respectively. But above all else, there was one mark more coveted than the rest. Despite the years of the top talent on the East Coast descending on the Bronx the second weekend of October for the past twenty years, Jessica Lawson stands as the fastest girl to ever run at Van Cortlandt park.
The Manhattan College XC Invitational is the premiere Invitational in the fall season. No other meet across the country brings together the regional talent that VCP commands. Although the course is only 2.5 miles, it attracts athletes far and wide looking to test their strength. 2015 was an exceptional year for individual talent, a race which ultimately spawned over 15 Foot Locker and/or NXN finalists. The team that has won the ES has gone on to take the national crown at NXN in 8 of the last 12 years, plus two other times that the runner-up has claimed the national title. Winning alone, would not be easy.
Lawson was on a mission from the gun, part of which included not wanting the race to play out like McQuaid had, where her pace had been exhausted with a half mile to go left in the race. Into the cowpath, it was Lawson and Rachel MacArthur, alongside Katelyn Tuohy and Kaitlyn Neal. Tuohy and MacArthur were proven track athletes, and the shorter course would play to their advantage. Lawson knew this, and pushed the pace hard to the hills, in an effort to drain their legs. The pace settled in on the approach of the bridge, with some of the pack regaining the leaders. The pack was catching their breath before the real racing began, on the backhills of Van Cortlandt Park.
Expecting separation that never came, Lawson still had a pack of five at the apex of the ascent in the backhills. The racing began on the decline, as the strength athletes began to kick in, able to push the pace and run the downhills. Soon, Lawson had separated, with only Neal holding on. The race emerged from the dogpark, with Lawson at a 20m advantage. The gap wasn't uncloseable, and the junior from Corning knew she still had to push. 200m out, and the gap had been closing, but Lawson pushed through the pain, and crammed to the line.
Exhausted, Lawson took a minute to realize what had happened. The time was under 14mins, something only three girls had ever done in the history of the sport. But the finish line clock was deceptive, and an official FAT clocking would be needed to verify the time. It was only after the mark came across the speakers that she understood what had happened. She had broken one of the sports most coveted course records by nearly 2seconds, etching her name into history. She would go on to qualify for Foot Locker on the same course later in the season (different configuration), as well as many memorable races on the track, but nothing compares to a Manhattan Invitational Course Record.
