Brian Registe, Marcellus Moore, Brendan Hanneman, Joe Stiffend

A Clear Path to Win it All: How PN went from Bad to Good in the 4×2

My track-coaching sons, Quinn (PN relay coach) and Alec (Edwardsville hurdle coach) both struggled in formal, institutionalized math. However, both are savants when it comes to track math. Between them, they texted me the news, “There’s a clear path for Plainfield North to win the state championship.” This was news to me as I suffered through my post-Sectional depression. If you take out the Marcellus shock-the-world sprint times of 10.33 and 20.88, we had a miserable Sectional. Of our 15 all-conference athletes, only six would be competing at the state meet. In my meet write up, I quoted 18th century French writer, Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, “A man should swallow a toad every morning to be sure of not meeting with anything more revolting in the day ahead.”  I also quoted Voltaire, “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”  I was sad. I was pissed. My great team was a shipwreck. 

The news of a “clear path to the state championship” buoyed my spirits. How can six guys win it all? Alec and Quinn shared their simple plan. Win the 100, 200, 4×1, 4×2, and high jump 6’6″ for 7th place. 43 points. Last year’s champ (ironically Alec’s Edwardsville team) won the state championship with 42 points. Is that all we have to do? Ha. I was born at night but not last night. No one performs their season-best in five of five events in withering heat, in front of 25,000 people, while sleeping in closets (dorm rooms) for two nights and eating concession food. The state meet is a place where dreams die (hard) for 99% of those competing. Scoring 43 points in five events was a pipe dream.

In spite of our long-shot odds, I chose to sing in the lifeboat.

The plan was put into place. We would focus on a CNS recovery for Marcellus after his mind-blowing performances at Sectional. (Charlie Francis believed it takes a couple weeks for an elite sprinter to recover from a PR). We would hope for the best from our high jumper, Dylan Webb, who had jumped 6’5″ once and 6’6″ once during the season (Dylan qualified at Sectional by clearing 6’2″ on his FINAL ATTEMPT). Our 4×1 was undefeated. We knew we had a shot at winning. That left our 4×2. Our under-achieving 4×2. Our 4×2 that got beat at Sectional running a sloppy 1:28.91. How in the hell are we going to fix the 4×2?

Heading to the bus after Sectional, my jumps coach, Brian Damhoff, and relays coach, Quinn Holler, both had the same advice. We must substitute Anthony Capezio for Joe Stiffend. Anthony is the #3 leg of our 4×1. Anthony had run on our IL #4 indoor 4×2 but outdoors we used him in the 400 and 4×4. Anthony had run on our state qualifying 4×2 team as a sophomore in 2017. But, Joe Stiffend was a senior and was a 2016 4×2 all-stater before blowing out his knee the following summer. Joe ran 22.50 in the open 200 two years ago. In addition, Joe is one of my all-time favorites.

I wrestled with the question of love and loyalty vs “we play the game to win”. I’m a guy with love and loyalty feelings but my decisions are based on winning. I’m an ultra-liberal Democratic Socialist (Todd Vohland called me the love-child of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren), but I believe in competition and rewarding achievement. We play the game to win.

My philosophy stems from a situation back in 1977, my senior year in high school. I had shoulder surgery three days after my basketball team lost to Naperville Central in the regional finals. I was unable to sprint effectively until May of my senior track season. My junior year (1976), my Oswego track team won the Little Seven Conference and I ran on the winning 4×1, 4×2, and 4×4 relays. Two of those relays set school records. My coach, Roger Wilcox, had also been my football coach. It’s safe to say, I was one of Roger’s all-time favorite athletes. However, Coach Wilcox ran me in only one race at the 1977 conference meet, the 4×4. I ran 50.8 and passed four guys running the third leg. After the meet, I told Roger I wanted to run the 4×1 and 4×2 at Sectional. He said no. I said, “Let me race those guys in practice, I will beat ’em all.” Roger told me to to shut the f*ck up and walked away. I love Roger to this day and attended his funeral a few years ago, but I vowed that day back in 1977 I would always PLAY TO WIN THE GAME. Roger Wilcox put loyalty over winning. By the way, both 4×1 and 4×2 failed to qualify at Sectional. My 4×4 team placed 3rd and failed to qualify. I ran a 50.2 split but never got the opportunity to run at State.

So, what do we do with the 4×2? Do we replace Joe? Do we change the order? Do we do nothing and pray to the track gods?

The answer was not as simple as choosing between Anthony and Joe. Senior Brian Registe had run a dismal 23.4 split into the wind at Sectional. The only guy who seemed to have a spot locked up was, of course, Marcellus Moore.

Check out our four alternates. Each of them could have been an all-stater if they were given a chance to run at state. Here’s an interesting fact, we were so deep, our four alternates would have run 1:28-high and would have placed in the state finals. Our 9th-best guy, Ezra Docks, ran hand-held 11.3 and 23.1, and ran on our FS school record 4×1 two years ago (43.34).

Alternates:
Anthony Capezio (jr) – ran on Top Times 4×2 championship team (1:31.57), 50.89 in 400
Canyon Bownes (jr) – ran 11.44 in 100m and 23.18 in 200m, also ran anchor on 4×2 conference champs (without Marcellus)
Nolan Anderson (soph) – won FS 55 at SPC Indoor (6.77), long jumped 21’7″, ran 22.1 anchor split in 4×2 at City Championship running IL #1 time.
Oliver Fisher (sr) – ran 11.1 hand-held in 100m, ran 50.9 split in 4×4

Most of you are thinking, “good problem to have”. Yes it is. But it’s still a problem. We had do do something, but what?

After lots of thought, I had a plan. I sent a Sunday text to my sprint group.

Our under-achieving 4×2 will probably change in order, personnel, or both. 

We are seeded to place 3rd in the state as a team. In other words, if every team repeats their Sectional times/distances at state, we get 3rd. Our 4×2 is seeded to score ZERO. Therefore our 4×2 becomes our opportunity to win the TEAM STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. (Along with Dylan having a good day.)

Therefore we are going to have a time trial to help determine who runs the 4×2 at state. The trial times along with other factors such as consistency, previous performances, and experience will factor-in. With Capezio free of the 400 and 4×4, we need a timed 200 fly from Anthony. No one has a guaranteed spot. The 4×2 team is a team of eight. We will maximize our chances of winning the 4×2 at state by making sure we have our best four guys running. 

Tuesday will be like an important meet for our 4×2 guys. Run a fantastic time trial, run at State. ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE. Start planning NOW to be the best you can be TUESDAY. 

All eight of our 4×2 team members could conceivably run a terrific split this weekend. My job is to make sure the best guys run the race.

Here was our practice week:
Monday – speed day (10m fly, indoors)
Tuesday – 200m fly time trial, including alternates! (Not Marcellus)
Wednesday – awards, then a 30 min practice (handoffs)
Thursday – seniors leave at 7:30, everyone else leave after 3 exams (no practice, total rest)
Friday – prelims (and “Race at State” for all alternates)
Saturday – finals

Our 10m flys on Monday looked like this:
Registe 0.97
Moore 0.98
Stiffend 1.00
Hanneman 1.00
Capezio 1.01
Fisher 1.02
Bownes 1.03
Burke 1.06 (14.93 junior hurdler)
Pearson 1.09 (50.4 split in 4×4 as soph)
Givan 1.10 (freshman hurdler, 43.28 in 300)
Anderson (injured)

Monday really wasn’t a time trial, but then again, every speed practice is a time trial when you “feed the cats”. Registe was “stock up”. Moore ran 0.98 three times. Stiffend and Hanneman held serve. If you aren’t a max-speed guy, I really don’t understand you. The top five guys on that list made up our 4×1 and 4×2 teams. Max speed doesn’t lie.

Leaving practice, I wanted to speak with Joe Stiffend. After being hawked from 30 meters by Courtney Lindsey (20.94 in open 200) at Sectional, I was pretty sure Joe would not run at state. I told Joe that no matter what happened in Tuesday’s time trial, I loved him and thanked him for all he’s done at Plainfield North. I will never forget Joe’s response.

“Coach, as long as I do the best I can do, I will not be sad. I will understand.”

As I fought back tears, Joe added, “But you’ll like what you see.”

Music from Rocky started playing in my head. I shook his hand and told him I would see him the next day.

Tuesday came.

I had a talk with my guys. I told them about my high school coach putting loyalty above winning. I also told them about my college basketball coach who kept choir boys to fill out his team while relegating me back to the purgatory of a D-3 JV team. Coach Harley Knosher strongly believed that love and harmony won basketball games. He wanted guys sitting on the bench who would put team first and never worry about playing time. In his opinion, I would never be happy with a lack of playing time, and he was damn right.

We set up the time trial by putting a Freelap start cone at the 200 start and a Freelap finish cone at the finish line. We ran in lane four. I put cones on the curve to prevent guys from running on the line. We ran in single file from slowest to fastest. Every guy got a 10 meter run-in (just like the 4×2). The next guy took off when the guy ahead of him hit the cone. The spacing simulated a 4×2 race. Everyone ran in the same lane, with the same wind, on the same day.

Our projected slowest to fastest was Pearson, Burke, Bownes, Fisher, Stiffend, Capezio, Hanneman, and Registe. Notice that we projected Anthony Capezio faster than Joe Stiffend.

Nolan Anderson was injured and did our video. (By the way, all our core sprinters and hurdlers with a couple exceptions buy into RPR and would never consider running in a meet without getting reset (activated). The couple exceptions were banged up all year. Might just be a coincidence.)

Marcellus Moore was in street clothes, still recovering from running 10.33 and 20.88. If you are a coach who believes that everyone does the same workouts and “we have no superstars”, then your are not feeding the cats and you were probably a “try-hard-slow-guy” who hated the guys who had “God-given talent” back in high school. Get over your pettiness and learn to feed the cats.

We ran our trial and I shouted encouragement like I would in a meet, “LET’S GO!”, “FINISH”.

The results of the 200 trial:
Stiffend 21.80
Registe 22.09
Hanneman 22.15
Capezio 22.24
Bownes 22.80
Fisher 22.93
Burke 23.46
Pearson 23.57

These numbers came from everyone running in same conditions, same wind, same competitive situation, same lane, same day. Alec warned me that times would be around 0.40 seconds slower that actual 4×2 splits in meets. After all, it was “just practice”.

Joe Stiffend was right. I liked what I saw. Stiffend, Registe, and Hanneman had won their spots on our state 4×2 team.

I brought everyone together and we sat on our new turf and talked. Jordan Gumila and Carlos Baggett (2017 all-staters), visited practice and joined our circle. The moment reminded me of the Simpson, Weiss, Segraves, and Garnett days 20 years ago.

I told my team about our 2015 4×2 team who placed 3rd in the state running 1:27.05. I told them, “WE ARE BETTER AT EVERY POSITION”.  I told Marcellus that he must simply take care of business in the prelims of the 100, 200, and 4×1, but he must circle and emphasize the 4×2. I told my team, we have a chance to win the team championship but it all boils down to the 4×2.

Our 4th place 4×2 team from 2015 ran 1:27.05 with less talent. Harris, Hrobowski, Shelton, and Ruscitti.

Then we discussed order. Quinn and I are still haunted by our under-achieving 4×2 team of 2017. Our first three guys ran sub-par and Marcellus was out of the race by the time he got the baton at the anchor. This year we played around with running Marcellus at the 2-leg to give our next two runners a shot of adrenaline (most runners run best when in the lead). We were strongly considering running Marcellus lead-off to give our 2,3, and 4 legs front-runner excitement.

I had not planned to do this, but, I asked Marcellus, in front of his teammates, “If you could choose your leg, what would it be?”. He started the to give the typical Marcellus answer deferring to my judgement and what was best for the team. I cut him off. “In your heart, what leg would you want to run?” His answer, “ANCHOR”. Again, I heard the Rocky theme song echoing in my brain. Before I could register what was happening, Joe Stiffend said, “I want to run 3”, and Registe said, “I want to run 2”. I looked at Hanneman and said, “It looks like you are stuck running lead-off.”

I felt as though we were sitting in a mystical vortex, a swirling energy of positive vibrations. We finally had answers to all the questions that troubled us since Sectional. I gave Jordan Gumila $200 and told him to take everyone to dinner. I walked away with no remembrance of my feet touching the ground.

Prelims

Marcellus took care of business in the 100 and 200. Our 4×1 took care of business. All three won their heat. Dylan Webb qualified along with 21 other high jumpers (6’3″). Our 4×2 took care of business too. Running out in lane-7 with only Huntley in front of us in lane-8, we ran like demons and won our heat, 1:26.78, a new school record. Splits: Hanneman 22.3, Registe 22.0, Stiffend 22.1, Moore 20.2. I guess Marcellus bought into making the 4×2 a priority. Brian Registe ran effectively against one of the state’s best sprinters, Eric Mooney of Huntley. Wow. Only Hoffman Estates and returning 100-200 champ Declan Rustay ran a faster time (1:26.58).

Finals

We were seeded to score 32 points going into the finals and place 3rd in the team standings but we were thinking 43 points and winning the whole thing. Neuqua and Homewood-Flossmoor were the favorites, but anything can happen in the finals.

The 4×2 remained my primary concern going into Saturday. My concern went up 22 notches when I saw Brendan Hanneman in our team meeting sitting in the corner looking like “The Unibomber” with dark glasses and a hood. I asked Quinn what was wrong with Hanneman (Brendan usually mumbles answers). Quinn said Brendan had the flu. I almost told Capezio he would replace Hanneman, but instead, I told Brendan to get over it. “If you don’t have a fever or chills, you’ll be just fine.”

The day started out with a 41.29 state record in the 4×1. I was on the field doing photography for Milesplit but I couldn’t help running and skipping like a ten year-old when I saw the unforgettable finish by Marcellus Moore (9.4 split).

About an hour later, Marcellus ran a state record 10.31 in the 100m. 25,000 people stood in awe of the new 15 year-old king of Illinois track and field.

The 4×2 came next. We were in lane-six with Hoffman Estates in lane-five. Arguably, the fastest set of sprinters in the state, Homewood-Flossmoor was running in lane-three. Brendan Hanneman ran 22.2 lead-off, his season-best. Brian Registe ran the race of his life putting us near the lead but then disaster struck. The exchange between Registe and Stiffend was late in the zone and was nearly a standstill handoff. We went from maybe in the lead to a distant fifth. But we had Joe Stiffend running 3rd. Joe put us right back into the hunt and Marcellus did the rest running an incredible 19.9 split. Here’s an amazing fact: Registe and Stiffend both split 22.0 in spite of the standstill exchange. All four guys ran the race of their life. With a good second exchange, we would have run a state record time, something like 1:25.50. Oh well.

Marcellus took care of business in the 200, running a tired 21.30. He said he got a butt-cramp at the 100-meter mark. Four gold medals.

Dylan Webb equalled his season-best in the high jump (6’6″) and placed 7th.

We scored 43 points.

However, there’s no defense in our sport.

Neuqua Valley scored 52. Homewood-Flossmoor scored 48. Ironically neither team won an event. These track & field juggernauts scored a combined 100 points the hard way.

In a post-meet interview, I said, “We pitched a perfect game. This was the best third-place finish in state history.” We won all eight races and Dylan Webb cleared a height ten inches above his head.

I’ve never had so much fun in my life. Of all the memories, the 4×2 will be the greatest.

There’s still time to sign up for the our 7th Track Football Consortium, June 8-9, at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL (20 miles from O’Hare and Midway). The featured presenters will be Erik Korem and Dr. Ken Clark. Sign up at Track Football Consortium.

Tony Holler
Honors Chemistry Teacher
Head Track Coach
Plainfield North High School (Illinois)

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