LiCursi, Conway, Shelby, Persic run fastest time since spring 2008
Ater averaging 8:00 from 2003-2008 the boys 4x8 has a rebuilding year last season, not cracking the 8:35 barrier all year long. The prospects haven't looked great recently for the year as top runner Robert Gorecki is out for an extended time period and Albert Tunas continues to struggle to stay healthy. On this day Scott Friedman was also being held out for a 4x4.
So what was in essence "three subs" from the relay that was expected to race Saturday night came out on Sunday and turned in an exceptional race, finishing in 8:28.9 to place 2nd to Warwick Valley, an old foe.
Frankie Licursi ran a fantastic 2:08.3 PR leadoff to set the stage. Licursi was focused right from the gun and handed off in first. Charles Conway turned in his best race since the XC season with a 2:05.3 PR effort. Conway had run 2:08 a year ago but stalled for most of the last 12 month. He proved he's back in a big way.
Isaac Shelby has always been on the outside looking in when it came to the 4x800. The 4th man from the XC team, Shelby had started looking very good of late in the shorter stuff. He came back from a sub par effort on Thursday in the 3200m to run a 2:06.0 PR, going out in 59 and hanging on.
Mike Persic brought the squad home. Persic was passed by Warwick with 100m left but he hung on the best he could, falling right before the finish and actually crawling across it. His time would have been 2:09.0 had he ran another 1 meter, which would have been a PR.
With Scott Friedman back on the team this Friday the boys will try and place in the top three at Yale without Gorecki and Tunas. Truly a fantastic progression. The goal of qualifying for The Penn Relays seems within reach.
