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Aaron Lippman Runs 27:53 for 8k at Aubrey Shenk Invite

Aaron Lippman Runs 27:53 for 8k at Aubrey Shenk Invite

Gettysburg Pa. - October 20, 2024
 
After last weekend's results at Goucher College, Head Coach Mark Pryor was confident his cross-country athlete was ready for a breakthrough performance. Training has been going well and the pieces have been slowly coming together.  The only aspect Coach Pryor could not control was the mental readiness. But the workouts and times gave the confidence needed. The Aubrey Shenk Invitational hosted by Gettysburg College was the perfect setting.
 
The day was beautiful with clear, sunny skies under a 73-degree weather that felt like a grand Fall day. 20 schools lined up for this year's race over grass and trails.  226 total competitors in the men's race were ready to test themselves against the 8-kilometers (5.0 mile) distance. Among them was CCBC Catonsville freshman Aaron Lippman who didn't really contest cross-country in high school. Lippman ran the 3.1 mile distance at Parkville High School in Baltimore County but didn't specifically train for it. Here at CCBC Catonsville, cross-country has become a staple by which T&F athletes gain much needed strength and mental toughness.
 
The 1st mile was fairly quick for the lead pack. Coach Pryor had instructed his young freshman not to get caught up in the quick early pace. The racecourse consisted of two loops. One loop measured 3k (2-miles) while the adjacent loop measured 5k (3-miles). It was the 5k loop that Coach Pryor wanted his athlete to focus on. Lippman's first mile was a controlled 5:23. But it was miles #2 and #3 that Coach Pryor witnessed his athlete grow up. Lippman ran the 2nd mile in 5:43 and then the 3rd mile in 5:43. His split for 3.0 miles was 16:49. The consistency of Lippman's efforts over 3 miles was exactly what Coach Pryor has been preaching and trying to get his athlete to execute. It meant that Lippman would have energy and reserves to finish off the last 2 miles.
 
The course was wide open as Coach Pryor could encourage his athlete at several key points during the race. With 1,000 meters to go, Coach Pryor instructed Lippman to start his drive for home.......a steady push in effort towards the finish line. There were plenty of competitors ahead that Lippman could use as motivation and that's exactly what he did. Lippman's final time over the 8k (5.0 miles) distance was 27:53. Lippman has run his last 2 miles at 5:30 pace. Last weekend at Goucher College, Lippman ran the 8k distance in 30:07.4. At Gettysburg, Lippman improved his time by 2 mins and 14 seconds. That's a tremendous breakthrough performance by a freshman who is just now realizing how good he can be.
 
Coach Pryor was ecstatic for his athlete which meant his pain threshold level had been increased well above it's previous levels. Those are in intangibles that make track and field performances improve by leaps and bounds. In looking at the NJCAA Region 20 Performance list for this year's cross country season (see below), Lippman is now ranked #1. That's great news for CCBC Catonsville heading into the Region 20 Championships scheduled for next Saturday at Hagerstown Community College.
 
Coach Pryor is beyond excited and hopeful his young charge can continue his excellent running in his first college season of cross-country.
 
Here is the link for the full results of the Aubrey Shenk Invitational:  TFRRS | Aubrey Shenk Invitational - Meet Results
 
NJCAA Region 20 Men's Cross-Country 8k Performance List (as of 10/21/2024)