Junior will run nationals today
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
With each season this year, Elyssa Gensib has been a bit more impressive.
The Princeton High School junior finished her New Jersey racing season with an encouraging 11:00.44 clocking for 11th place in the girls 3,200 meters at the Meet of Champions on Monday.
”My goal was to break 11 minutes,” Gensib said. “I got exactly 11:00. That was a little frustrating. I’m not upset with the race. I think it was a good race. There were some girls that had good races and were faster than they were at groups. And then there were girls that were slower at groups. I was glad I didn’t get slower.”
Gensib has been getting faster and faster with each race. In the fall, she was 96th at the Meet of Champions cross country final. In the winter, she ran 12:14.64 at the Group III indoor championships. Then Monday, she lowered her outdoor personal-record another three seconds from her group performance.
”I’m pretty excited,” Gensib said. “That was my original goal to try to get to 11 minutes. I’m kind of surprised that it did end up happening because didn’t get to my mile goal. I wanted to get around five minutes, but I didn’t. I’m not too worried. I have another year, and I like longer distances anyways.”
Gensib was one of three PHS athletes to compete in the MOC. Rebekka Vuojolainen tied for 12th in girls pole vault at 10-feet-6. The Bucknell-bound senior equaled her personal-record with the clearance.
Eric Shorter placed 22nd in the boys long jump with a leap of 20-feet-6½. Like Gensib, he is a junior who will be able to come back next year even better.
Gensib is still learning with every race. She picked up some more pointers during the MOC race Monday.
”I was proud of how fast I did the first mile,” Gensib said. “I learned a couple things about racing strategy in the first mile. I got, as our coach calls it, pinned on the rail. I was really close to the line. Everyone was sitting for a little bit, then everyone started passing me and I couldn’t get out. The pack I was stuck behind, it wasn’t like they were going slow though.
”The first five laps I was doing well. The sixth and seventh weren’t that great. My coach said I got stuck in a race with this one girl. When she slowed down, I slowed down. And mentally, when everyone started passing me, I had my doubts that I could go with them and that slowed me down.”
Gensib did not feel affected by the postponement of her race from Thursday, when thunderstorms pushed back the remaining nine events of the meet after the boys 3,200 meters had to be stopped mid-race.
”It was kind of nice on Thursday to have a practice thinking about timing and when I should be drinking water and when I should warm up,” she said. “It ended up not being too big of a deal. Thursday was a little more stressful. It was so hot, which made me kind of nervous. Monday, it was nice weather and I didn’t have anything to worry about it. It didn’t have any bad effects on me. It made me appreciate Monday’s weather even more.”
Gensib still has a chance to break 11 minutes and work on her race strategy. She will compete today in Greensboro, N.C., in the nationals. She had originally hoped to be competing as part of the 4×1,600 meters or the distance medley relay, but the Little Tigers did not qualify.
Instead, Gensib will race in the emerging elite race for runners that have finished in under 11:10 this season.
”I think I’ll even be able to break 10:50,” Gensib said. “I have one more chance. I think it’ll be a good race Friday and I think next year will be even better.”