Track

Demons dispersed

Sullivan West’s Colin Seidl wins OCIAA steeplechase in great contrast to disappointing finish a year ago

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WARWICK, NY — It’s been a year since Colin Seidl ran the steeplechase at the OCIAA championships and, in that time, he has become a state champion and set a national high-water mark in the event.

That said, returning to the scene of last year’s debacle where he ran what he would tell you was the worst race of his career, the prospect of taking to the track on May 23 wasn’t all that appealing. In fact, Seidl wasn’t feeling much like running. It’s been a long grind and the pressure is building now toward sectionals, state qualifiers and the defense of his state championship title.

Coming in as the number-one seed a year ago, after winning the Cornwall Steeplefest on May 4 with a startling 9:42, Seidl had a dreadful race and finished sixth in 10:12.56.

But, those with championship mettle have to learn to consign demons to the past and, once the gun went off, with the talented field of runners just itching to knock Seidl off his pedestal, the feisty veteran did what he has learned to do in the past year: he won.

Though his time of 9:33.56 was more than eight seconds slower than his national milestone, it was good enough to hold off Warwick’s David DeWan (9:36.03) and Washingtonville’s Vinny DiSalvo (9:37.63). Monticello’s David Wilbur finished sixth in the event.

The race was a good elixir in another sense.

There are days when runners feel a bit off and are concerned that they just might not have it for a particular race. Oddly, Seidl felt that way just prior to the Cornwall Steeplefest, an indicator of the illusory nature of such thoughts. When push comes to shove, you’ve just got to go out there and lay it on the line. After years of running, Seidl has learned to do that and though his competitors pushed him constantly and irked him as they momentarily passed him from time to time, Seidl knew this was his race to win.

Visit riverreportersports.com for the full story on how Sullivan County athletes fared at the OCIAA championships and an album of photos.