By Sr. Friar Cate Cappalmenn
?

Senior Mason Gatewood continues his remarkable season with an outstanding first-place victory in the Boys Eastern States race at the Manhattan Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 14th. With a time of 12:16 on the 2.5 mile course, Gatewood had the honor of breaking the tape in the most anticipated race of the day.

“We prepared really well for this race,” Gatewood said of his victory. “I definitely wanted to put myself in the position to win, so that was the expectation going in. I’m happy it happened.”

As a result of this impressive, though expected outcome, Gatewood moved up in the national standings. He is now ranked 11th in the country among high school cross country runners.

The excitement of Gatewood’s win on October 14th only added to the already hectic day at Van Cortlandt Park. The Manhattan Invitational, or “The biggest and the best meet in the U.S.A.,” is known for the immense crowds of runners it draws. This year, it was reported that 475 teams, or around 10,000 runners, gathered to race the rolling back hills of the famous Bronx course. Races composed of hundreds of eager runners went off within minutes of each other. A total of forty of these packed races ran continuously from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon.

Gatewood crosses the finish line with an impressive time of 12.16

Because of the scale of the meet, as well as the quality of competition, a runner could easily feel lost or overwhelmed before the race. Mason, however, maintained his usual quiet confidence and competitive edge.

Gatewood explained the mindset he brought to Manhattan: “This race is always really competitive, and I have a lot of respect for the guys in the field and what they have accomplished so far. Having the right frame of mind, [staying] positive, and never thinking that you’re less than anyone else is important. Again, nothing but respect for the guys in the field, but eventually, if you want to make that next step you have to believe that you’re one of them.”

The varsity team as a whole placed 21st in the Boys’ Eastern States race. The junior varsity teams were split throughout several races and finished in respectable positions. The team that raced in the junior varsity “C” race placed 5th, and the team in the junior varsity “B” race placed 7th. The sophomores and freshmen, who raced separately, came in 3rd and 6th, respectively.

The Friars’ next race is League Championships at Sunken Meadow State Park on November 1st. The team is in a good position to win, but they will face strong competition from close rivals Kellenberg, Chaminade, and St. John the Baptist.

By Sr. Friar Cate Cappelmann

Friday, October 6, was the annual Saint Anthony’s Cross Country Invitational at Sunken Meadow State Park. The Friar boys’ team left directly from school for the afternoon meet, where schools from all over Long Island and Connecticut gathered to compete.

Most who are knowledgeable about cross country are familiar with the notorious Sunken Meadow 5K course, home to Cardiac Hill and regarded as one of the most difficult courses in the state. This challenge, however, posed no threat to the Friars because, not only have been practicing there since July, but they also have been racing there at least once a week since September. And, unlike the previous few years when runners have had to brave strong winds and torrents of rain, the weather that afternoon was unseasonably pleasant. Coach John Braile, who has attended the Invitational for the past seven years, noted, “The weather was slightly warm, but otherwise it was a perfect day to run.”

Once again, the star runner of this meet was senior Mason Gatewood, who came in first for the boys varsity race. With a time of 16:03, Gatewood was more than thirty seconds ahead of all others, making a highly competitive race of almost 350 runners look easy.

When asked if this race came with any extra pressure, being that Saint Anthony’s was hosting, Gatewood replied, “It wasn’t exactly pressure, but I was definitely aware it was our meet, and I wanted to do well.”

Varsity placed 4th of 49 teams in the race, but they did manage to achieve the lowest average time of all the teams racing with a solid average time of 17:33. The other members of the varsity team who helped secure the impressive possession include: Brendan Dearie, Hunter Vierling, Patrick Kutch, Michael Barbaro-Barnett, Brennan Lopez and Matthew Payamps.

This race was actually junior Matthew Payamps’ season debut after a knee injury that has kept him from participating thus far. Payamps has been a crucial factor for the boys team in the past -even placing first in the Saint Anthony’s Invitational last year- so eyes will be on him as he recovers and works his way back his full capability.

The freshman team was also very successful at this meet capturing a first place victory on the 1.5 mile course among 21 other teams.

Unfortunately, the junior varsity races were unable to be run due to an unexpected occurrence after the girls’ varsity race. Ambulances had to be called as daylight was slipping away so officials felt it best to cancel the races. Depending on who was asked, runners felt anything from frustration to relief at being spared a tough race. Senior Thomas Schmidt, speaking on behalf of the Saint Anthony’s JV team said, “We are disappointed that we didn’t get to race, but what happens happens, and our prayers are with the person who got injured.”

by Senior Friar Cate Cappelmann 

Friar Boys Cross Country Compete in the Ocean State XC Invitationa? l on Sept. 23rd.

The Saint Anthony’s boys’ cross country team participated in the Ocean State XC Invitational last weekend, on September 23, in Warwick, Rhode Island. At Goddard Memorial State Park, the Varsity and JV teams competed in a 5K race, while the freshmen ran a 4K.

All three teams displayed a strong showing in the heavily populated and competitive races. In a single race, the number of runners could range from around a hundred to over 450. The freshmen team placed 7th of 22 teams, JV placed 5th of 37 teams, and the Varsity team placed 7th of 15 teams in the Championship race, the most elite race of the day.

The standout runner of the meet was undoubtedly senior Mason Gatewood. Gatewood finished less than a second short of first place with a truly impressive time of 15:32. Other notable racers include juniors Brendan Dearie, Hunter Vierling, and Michael Barbaro Barnett.

The 5K course at Goddard Memorial State Park is a favorite of many cross country runners for its limited hills and beautiful views of Greenwich Bay. Though the team only visits once a year, most are fairly comfortable and successful during this race. “The course is a pretty fast one with only one major hill,” said Gatewood. “I ran there last year and we went over it the day before so that helped a lot.”

Despite months of summer training, it is still fairly early in the Cross Country season and many hold high hopes for upcoming races. “One of my big goals for the remainder of the season is to make it to Nationals in Oregon,” said Gatewood.

Cate Cappelmann: Cate is a senior at St. Anthony's who runs Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track. This is her first year writing for the Friar Scoreboard, and she is also a writer for the school newspaper, The Paduan.

With a team 7th place finish overall out of 15 school.

Senior Mason Gatwood lead the way not only for his team but the pack of 105 runners right to the line before meeting St. John's Prep senior Tristan Shelgren? who nipped him at the line with both runners clocking a time of 15:32. for the 5K. 

Practice will be at Sunken Meadow this week Starting Monday August 21st. at 5:00pm.
We will meet at the Large Field between the front and back parking lots closes to the beach. 

ST. ANTHONY'S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE
NAMED GATORADE NEW YORK BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (February 12, 2018) — In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, today announced Mason Gatewood of St. Anthony's High School as its 2017-18 Gatorade New York Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Gatewood is the first Gatorade New York Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from St. Anthony's High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Gatewood as New York’s best high school boys cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Gatewood joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Lukas Verzbicas (2010-11, 2009-10 Carl Sandburg, Orland Park, Ill.), Megan Goethals (2009-10, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Mich.), Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Prep., San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Donn Cabral (2007-08, Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury, Conn.) and Chris Derrick (2007-08, Neuqua Valley, Naperville, Ill.).

The 5-foot-10, 133-pound senior raced to the New York Federation Championship this past season in a time of 15:52.4. Gatewood also finished first at the Manhattan Invitational, the St. Anthony’s Invitational, the Regis Invitational and the Catholic High School Athletic Association Intersectional championships. He finished 10th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships and 36th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

A member of his school’s leadership team, Gatewood has donated his time raising funds to benefit a local hospital and breast cancer awareness. “This was only Mason’s second year running cross country and he made incredible improvements,” said St. Anthony’s coach Tim Dearie. “He was our captain and leader on and off the course, and he beat all the state public school champions at both the Eastern States (Manhattan Invitational) and the New York State Federation meet.”

Gatewood has maintained an A average in the classroom. He will attend the University of Pennsylvania this fall, where he will compete in cross country and track and field.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Gatewood joins Gatorade New York Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Ty Brownlow (2016-17, Liverpool High School), Ben Petrella (2015-16, Liverpool High School), Bryce Millar (2014-15, Fayetteville-Manlius High School), Mickey Burke (2013-14, RushHenrietta Senior High School), Nick Ryan (2012-13 & 2011-12, Fayetteville-Manlius High School), Edward Owens (2010-11, The Packer Collegiate Institute), Alex Deir (2009-10, Honeoye Falls-Lima High School), Joe Whelan (2008-09, Hamburg High School), and Patrick Dupont (2007-08, Fairport High School) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Gatewood will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/.

Gatorade Press Release

CONGRATULATIONS!

Team Scholar Athlete:
 Sr. Patrick Kutch also league runner up

Team MVP:
Sr. Mason Gatewood: Ended season ranked #1 in NY
Won the Catholic League, Catholic States and New York State Federation Meets
Named Newsday XC Runner of the Year, Newsday First Team All Long Island and Honorable Mention All American 

Coach Tim Dearie '79 has now finished his 100th season as a cross country coach and track an field coach. The team has won a total of 41 League Championships and 20 State Catholic Intersectional Title. Dearie is the winningest coach at the State Federation XC Championships with 5 team titles.

All League: Micheal Barbao-Barnett, Brendan Dearie, Mason Gatewood, Patrick Kutch, Brendan Lopez, Matthew Payamps and Hunter Verling

Congratulations to All Academic Awards Winners

Senior Mason Gatewood completed his last high school cross country meet ranked 36th in the nation. Crossing the line with a time of 16:37.9 and running with a very competitive crowed the winner finished in 15:19.7 

Sr. Mason Gatewood, 

In under a year, Gatewood transformed himself from an above-average distance runner to a powerhouse who was nearly impossible to beat. Take last year's finishes in the three major meets for catholic school runners: the CHSAA leagues, Intersectionals and Federation championship. Last year, Gatewood finished 13th, 5th and 109th. This year? First, first and first.

Most impressive was his 108-place improvement to win the Federation championship, a race that pits the best runners in the state against each other, regardless of classification. Gatewood ran 15:52.4 on the Bowdoin Park 5-kilometer course in Wappingers Falls. His push in the final 1,000 meters put him five seconds ahead of the field.

Gatewood won the CHSAA league championship in 16:57.95 and the Intersectional championship, run on Van Cortlandt Park's 2.5-mile course, in 12:40.81. Gatewood ran 15:54.8 and placed tenth at the Foot Locker Northeast Cross Country Regional at Van Cortlandt Park on Nov. 25. The finish qualified him for the Foot Locker National Championship in San Diego, California. 
By Jordan Lauterbach

Finishing with a time of 15.54.8 at the Footlocker Northeast Regional Cross Country Invitational Sr. Mason Gatewood earned the 10th and final northeast spot to qualify for nationals. Gatewood will travel to San Diego, CA. to run on Dec. 9th at Balboa Park in the National Cross Country Championships. He will race each regionals (northeast, southwest, midwest, and west) top 10 totaling an elite pack of 40 runner. 

Congratulations!!

By Jordan Lauterbach
Newsday Nov. 15, 2017

A year ago, a bit of underestimation led to a disappointing end to Mason Gatewood’s inaugural cross country season. The St. Anthony’s distance standout was still a bit of a 5-kilometer novice when he stepped on the line at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls for the state Federation championship.

The inexperience manifested itself in forgettable fashion, a finish outside the top 100 racers.

“Last year, the hills were a huge factor in the disappointment I had there,” Gatewood said. “I was unprepared for the race and how hard it went out.”

That doesn’t figure to happen again. The senior has transformed himself into one of the best distance runners in the state and is a favorite to take home gold at this Saturday’s Federation meet, a race that pits the best runners in the state, regardless of class, against each other, at Bowdoin Park.

Gatewood, who opened the week ranked second in the state on tullyrunners.com, is coming off a dominant victory at the 89th CHSAA Intersectional championships at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx last Saturday. Gatewood ran the 2.5-mile course in 12 minutes, 40.81 seconds, 9.8 seconds faster than the field. The performance earned him Newsday Athlete of the Week honors.

It didn’t take long for Gatewood to break away from the pack, taking the race out fast and daring his competition to keep up.

“I figured I’d run my own race plan,” Gatewood said. “My coach [Tim Dearie] and I talked about it before the race and he instructed me to run hard from the gun and give the race a solid effort. I was just planning to adapt to whatever happened in the race. As it turned out, I did end up breaking away fairly early in the race, which we were prepared for.”

Gatewood lowered his time from last year’s Intersectionals by nearly 30 seconds, a shining example of how far he’s come on the trails.

“It was definitely a special moment,” Gatewood said of winning. “Obviously, the Intersectional meet is really important to us as a team, and a school, because we’re racing all the Catholic schools. It’s something that [Dearie] and I identified as a feasible target. We definitely gave it a good go as a team and ended up finishing second, which was also really special. We’ve had our ups and downs and to come that far as a unit was really great.”

Besting the entire CHSAA is great but now, a runner who spent last fall getting his distance sea legs has a serious chance test to win one of the top meets of the year.

So, with all the cards on the table and warm-up races in the rearview, does he think he can do it?

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I always want to put myself in a position to win the meets that I’m in . . . I’m confident about my chances. Obviously, I know that’s going to be a really tough race and a lot of great competitors are going to be in there. But, if I’m not confident in my chances to win the race then I might as well not be lining up.”

By Mike Kiernan 
Nov 8, 2017 Mile Split

Twelve months ago, Mason Gatewood had personal best times of 17:45 at both Bowdoin Park and Sunken Meadow State Park to go along with a 13:29 at Van Cortlandt Park. Not many people outside of Suffolk County knew much about the new St. Anthony's transfer student.

Fast-forward a year, and the Friars senior is a household name. After taking official visits to Stanford, Georgetown, Michigan, and Columbia, Gatewood has committed to run both cross country and track & field at the University of Pennsylvania. An astronomical rise in a very short period of time.

Gatewood has become accustomed to moving and not staying places for long periods of time. Some moves have been shorter distances than others. Some, easier transitions than others.

The common theme in each of those has been the same. Success. 

Whether it has been on the track, the soccer field, or in the classroom, Gatewood has found success. When it comes to distances, you could be referencing the moves from Georgia to Texas to Colorado to Kentucky to New York. Living in five states in seventeen years. Or you could be referencing race distances ranging from the 600-meters to the 5K.

Regardless of the challenges faced, Gatewood has met them all head on.

"He's a pretty determined kid," St. Anthony's coach Tim Dearie said.

That determination is one of the things that led him to St. Anthony's and in particular, to running cross country at St. Anthony's.

After attending Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky for his first two years of high school, Gatewood moved to Long Island due to his mother's job, when she accepted the position to be the President of Adelphi University.

The original plan was for Gatewood to attend Garden City High School. However, one of the coaches at Lexington Catholic had cousins that swam at St. Anthony's and enjoyed their experience there. The coach suggested Mason look into the school. Once he visited the school, he decided that is where he wanted to be. It could not have worked out better for both athlete and team.

Now the soccer player and track athlete made his second key choice. He gave up soccer.

"I knew that I was better at running than soccer," Gatewood said. "I realized that I was really starting to enjoy running and wanted to take it seriously and knew running cross country would make me better in track."

Those results took a little bit of time to come to fruition. With the relocation of his family that summer, combined with a lack of summer training and a lack of experience, Gatewood's inaugural cross country campaign did not go as well as he had hoped.

"It was definitely a learning experience," he said. "I really didn't know what to expect, both being my first year in cross country and also my first year in New York. I was disappointed and felt like I should have made a better impact."

Gatewood talked to Dearie once the season was over to express that disappointment and the coach focused on the positive with his new athlete. Gatewood took that conversation and ran with it, beginning to put his name on the map that winter.

"I remember watching him run a 200 on the track in the middle of cross country season and you realized he had the speed and could be very good," Dearie said.

How good? There was nothing up to that period in time that would point in the direction things have gone. But that changed quickly.

"During the indoor season, he was running a 4x800 and he made so many good decisions during the race," Dearie said. "He was such a savvy runner. He was doing what you wanted him to do before you could even tell him."

Gatewood had run 1:59 his sophomore year in Kentucky, but that was nothing compared to what was beginning to emerge. The times kept dropping, 1:56, 1:55... Then he dropped a 1:53 when anchoring the 4x800.

"That was another step, but I still knew the mile was where he was going to be," Dearie said. "I just kept telling him to not get wrapped up in the 800, that he could be a really good miler."

"I remember him (Dearie) telling me after that that he thought I could run 4:12 and 1:52by the end of the spring," Gatewood said. "I was like 'yeah right coach!'".

So he finally got to run his first mile as a Friar at his league championship. He placed fourth. In 4:36.62.

Admittedly, Gatewood said the mile took a little transitioning to, sometimes questioning whether he could go with certain packs or not.

"It took a few races to get it under my belt and figure out pacing," he said. "Once I got used to it, I really liked it."

Gatewood's focus also started to change. Instead of focusing on times, the focus shifted to winning races and letting the times come. He started believing in himself, getting into positions throughout the race that left him in position to strike at the right time.

At the State Championship, the junior had a personal best of 4:18 for 1600-meters, but there he was in the thick of the race. With a large pack entering the last lap, it was a kicker's race. And as people in the crowd started talking about who was going to win, one Suffolk county coach said "watch out for the St. Anthony's kid with the way he's been racing."

He was beginning to make his mark, running 4:13.84 that day to place third and following up that performance the following week at New Balance Nationals with his true breakthrough weekend. He won his heat in the Emerging Elite 800-meters, running 1:52.92 to place third overall and used his savvy racing and finishing kick to win the Emerging Elite Mile in 4:12.87.

"It isn't just the times he runs, it's the way he runs them," Dearie said. "Even after those races, it looked like he had something left in him. He recovers faster than any kid I've ever coached."

"He's an extraordinary kid, a once in a lifetime kid."

So as the spring season came to a close, Gatewood had run the 4:12 and 1:52 he had laughed at halfway through the winter season.

"He's a genius," Gatewood said about his coach. "He's got such a track mind."

Having successfully made the transition from the 800 to the mile, it was time to see if those improvements would translate to cross country success.

"I anticipated there would be a drop in the times because of the spring season and the difference in the summer," he said. "I never would have expected how much."

The combination of 'genius', determination, and ability, with a summer of training as well, has paid off, and then some this season.

He opened his season with a smooth victory, running a 13:04 at Van Cortlandt Park that he said felt easy, to win the Regis Invitational. He followed that performance up with his lone loss this season, a second place finish by a couple of tenths of a second at the Ocean State Invitational in Rhode Island. Despite the loss, it opened his eyes to where his fitness and ability levels were at relative to last year.

"I didn't win, so it was disappointing," he said. "But I ran like two minutes faster than last year so that gave me a lot of confidence."

The senior took his vengeance out on Sunken Meadow, running a blistering 16:03 his next time out to win the St. Anthony's Invitational. He followed that up with an even better performance at Van Cortlandt Park.

"About two or three weeks before Manhattan, Coach Dearie talked to me after practice and asked me what I wanted to do at Manhattan," Gatewood said. "I said I think I can maybe put myself in the top three or so and then try and go for it. He listened and then looked at me and said 'yeah, I think you can win'."

"That was what the goal was from then on."

As has been his trademark over the past few months, Gatewood put himself into that top pack and in position to strike at the right time and on that long last straightaway took command, running 12:17 to win the prestigious Easterns States Championship.

The Sunken Meadow and Van Cortlandt performances have put him on the radar at the top of the state and among the top runners in the country as well. As the championship season approaches, he is keeping everything in perspective.

"I don't look too far into results or speed ratings or make predictions," he said. "I really just take things by feel."

"I'm trying to focus on one meet at a time."

That focus at this point is on the team, pointing at this week's CHSAA Championship at Van Cortlandt, where they always see top competition. This year, the focus is on a very complete Xavier squad.

"Intersectionals is pretty big for us as a team," Gatewood said. "We've had a rocky season in terms of things coming together so far, but we had a good race at leagues and we want to make a run at winning. Then run well at Federations as well."

Once the team season is completed, Gatewood will focus on himself. For now, team is the focus, consistently commenting on his hopes for the team over the next few weeks. As for Nationals, that will be determined in time, based both on team and individual goals.

"I definitely want to make it to a national meet, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into that yet," Gatewood said.

Which national meet is up for debate. Dearie said that decision will be made in the next couple of weeks, but that they will do what is in his best interests. The coach is looking forward to it.

"After running 18 minutes for 5K last year, the opportunity to potentially be an All-American would be unbelievable," said Dearie.

Gatewood is just continuing to do what he does on a daily basis, coming to practice and getting to work and letting the chips fall into place. Dearie couldn't be more pleased with his young star.

""He couldn't be more coachable," he said. "If I asked him to run backwards on the track, he wouldn't ask why, he'd just say ok."

By Jordan Lauterbach
Oct. 28th. 2017

In only his second year running cross country, St. Anthony’s Mason Gatewood is a major contender for a state championship. Gatewood, a senior who is turning heads all over as the postseason dawns, was the top ranked runner in the state after last weekend’s action, according to tullyrunners.com.

As a child of academic professionals, Gatewood is well-traveled. He was born in Georgia and lived in Texas, Colorado, and Kentucky, before moving to Long Island last year. Gatewood’s mother, Dr. Christine M. Riordan, is the president of Adelphi in Garden City.

Gatewood began his track and field career as a high schooler in Kentucky, but played soccer instead of running cross country. He had a fine first year at St. Anthony’s, garnering a fifth-place finish at the CHSAA Intersectional championships, but has really become a force on the course during his senior year.

Gatewood had the second fastest 5-kilometer time in the state, at 15:32, at the Ocean State Invitational in Rhode Island in September, as of Monday, according to milesplit.com.

“The year of experience has helped a lot,” Gatewood said. “The first year, I was kind of just learning how to race longer distances and how to race the courses in New York, which are pretty tough. This year, I was able to transition smoothly. I followed [St. Anthony’s coach Tim] Dearie’s training plan pretty strictly throughout the summer and it’s been good.”

Gatewood won the 4-kilometer Eastern States championship in 12:17.4 at the prestigious Manhattan Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Oct. 14.

“My coach mentioned a few weeks ago that I should be running with the top group there and put myself in a position to win,” Gatewood said. “That was the goal coming into it. I wanted to give myself a chance to come out with the win. We raced at Van Cortlandt a few other times this season, so I knew the course decently well. I didn’t go in with a straight race plan, but I’m just happy with how it worked out.”

That familiarity was enough to lift Gatewood through a highly competitive race, one that winded through a course that alternates between vast open space and narrow passages.

“You have to be pretty aggressive from the start,” he said. “The course starts off pretty wide for the first 100 meters. Then, it rapidly gets pretty narrow. You have to go out really hard, at least in the first 100 meters, to get into the position that you want before the course narrows.”

Gatewood was able to run himself into a favorable spot and make a move late in the race to leave a decently-sized pack behind. “When we reached the bridge, which is when there’s half a mile left, I knew I was feeling good and thought ‘I could win this thing,’ ” Gatewood said. “When I made my final move on the back straightaway coming home, I gave it everything I had and it worked out.”

Gatewood’s postseason kicks off Wednesday at the CHSAA championships at Sunken Meadow State Park. If the rankings hold, it could be the start of a special month for the senior distance runner.

“I want to help the team, first and foremost,” Gatewood said. “We always want to win our league and intersectional meet. If we could make a run at [a Federation championship], that would be great. That’s always what comes first at St. Anthony’s and that’s the mentality that I have as well . . . As an individual, it’s just seeing how far I can go. I don’t like to put limits on myself or make predictions.”