Marc My Words!

Marc Maturo’s official sports column
Philadelphia Marathon: Here come Seidenfrau & Co.
Mike Seidenfrau and his brother completing The Hook
Mike Seidenfrau and his brother completing The Hook

The fabled New York City Marathon has come and gone, but many long-distance devotees who were unable to gain entry are turning their attention to The City of Brotherly Love’s Marathon onNovember 23.

       Several members of the Rockland Road Runners have been training for that special day in Philadelphia, including first-timer Mike Seidenfrau of New City, a 40-year-old broker at Morgan Stanley and a graduate of Clarkstown North High School and the University at Albany.
       Seidenfrau, who came late to competitive running, stayed in relative shape with gym workouts, which including some running, and made his official debut in the 2011 Turkey Trot at Rockland Lake State Park.
       Seidenfrau then competed in The George Wodicka Hook Half-Marathon at Rockland Lake, his longest race to date, in 2012 after following a training schedule for the first time.
       “I was ready,” said Seidenfrau, who has run eight half-marathons and is certain that he is also ready for Philadelphia.
       “If I don’t get hurt, I will definitely finish the race,” offers Seidenfrau, who will be accompanied by his girlfriend, Carissa Coslit, a Nyack HS alumna who only recently completed the Marine Corps Marathon in Quantico, Va., her first attempt at the 26-mile distance.
       “She did good, 4:35,” related Seidenfrau, who ran the 10k in that same event, which served as a workout.
       Coslit will accompany Seidenfrau to Philadelphia as a moral supporter, and other RRR runners will also be helpful prior to the start.
       “Once the gun goes off we’re on our own,” laughed Seidenfrau, who has been helped by attending RRR summer workouts, getting firsthand input from veteran roadrunners Jamie Kempton and RRR president Jonathan Farrell, both of Nanuet.
       Farrell’s first marathon was in New York in 2011, and he has since added seven others.
       “I’m 8-for-8, knock on wood,” said Farrell, who attended Rockland Country Day School in Congers and then Stony Brook University on Long Island. He expects to be 9-for-9 after Philadelphia.
       Seidenfrau, who vows to one day get into the five-borough New York Marathon, has completed a pair of 20-mile runs and two 18-milers in preparation for Philly.

Besides club president Farrell, other RRR representatives in Philadelphia are expected to include veteran marathoners Ayako Yamazaki of Chestnut Ridge; Teresa Kenny, who recently joined Seidenfrau on a 20-mile training jaunt; and Matt McKenna, Michael Nusblat of Stony Point, John MacKenzie, Gary and Alyssa Holland of Congers, and Russell Del Ray.

Michelle Neiman
Michelle Neiman
Jacob Silver, Yeshiva fencer
Jacob Silver, Yeshiva fencer

EN GARDE! The men’s and women’s fencing teams at Yeshiva University will be quite busy when they open the season on Nov. 9at the Vassar College Invitational in Poughkeepsie. Among the Maccabees’ competitors are senior sabre specialist Michelle Nieman of Suffern, and senior epee specialist Jacob Silber of Monsey. Joining Yeshiva at the Walker Field House will be Cornell, Wellesley, Army, Haverford, Sacred Heart, Queens and Tufts. The Maccabees open the day against Cornell at 10 a.m.

QUICK HITTERS: Rockland Community College sophomore forward Christian Diaz, a graduate of Ramapo HS, was named the Mid-Hudson Conference athlete of the week in men’s soccer. Diaz scored two second-half goals to lead the Hawks to a come-from-behind 3-2 upset at Queensborough in the Region XV quarterfinals. Diaz has scored 17 goals this season. … Pearl River HS graduateTaylor Hodges of Nanuet is a sophomore swimmer at St. Bonaventure University. The Bonnies host Cleveland State on Nov. 7. … Defensive back Akwasi Degraft of West Haverstraw was one of 10 seniors honored by Pace University before the Setters lost to the New Haven Chargers, 40-0, in a Northeast-10 Conference football game. … Clarkstown South HS graduate Shane Cronin of West Nyack booted two more field goals and Gabe Ostrow of Nanuet had six tackles, but the host Cortland football team fell to NJAC-leading Montclair State, which capitalized on four interceptions to post a 30-20 victory. The Red Dragons travel to Wayne, N.J., on Nov. 8 to meet William Paterson College at noon. … McKenzie John of Lafayette, La., led all attackers with a career- high 37 kills and completed a double-double with 19 digs as the Dominican College volleyball team elevated its record to 15-7 after defeating Chestnut Hill College of Philadelphia, 3-2, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match at the Hennessy Center in Orangeburg. … The New Paltz field hockey team scored three goals in a 5:12 span, including one by senior midfielder Deirdre O’Neill of New City, to beat Vassar College, 3-1, in the regular-season finale for both teams at the Old Turf Field in New Paltz. The Hawks, third-seeded, were to take a 12-6 record into the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament, visiting second-seeded SUNY Oneonta. … The Dominican College women’s soccer team honored its seniors after closing the season with a 3-0 loss to visiting Goldey-Beacom College of Wilmington, Del. Playing in their final game for the Chargers were Samantha Cala of Deer Park, Melissa Messina of Hillsdale, N.J., and Jennifer Becker and Nicole Reilly, both of Hawthorne, N.J. … Junior Kyle Collins of Suffern scored for the Fredonia State men’s cross country team at the SUNYAC Championships in Brockport.  Zakk Hess of Clyde finished eighth as the Blue Devils placed fourth in the 10-team race over 8,000 meters. Also scoring for the Blue Devils were Chris Shatrand of Ballston Lake, Jed Kovalovsky of Lisle, and Cody Martini of Palmyra.
Fredonia closes the season on Nov. 15 in the NCAA Atlantic Regional, hosted by the University of Rochester at 11 a.m. at Genesee Valley State Park. … No. 3 seed in the 133 lbs. division Senior Paul Fields of New City went 1-2 as the Cortland wrestling team finished third in a 14-team field at the season-opening King’s College Monarch Invitational in Wilkes-Barres, Pa. Roger Williams won the team title with 140 points, followed by York (Pa.) with 120 and Cortland with 116.5. Cortland had won the team crown each of the last two seasons. … Victoria Grix of Pearl River and the Cortland volleyball team faces Buffalo State in the SUNYAC tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 7, at 3 p.m. at New Paltz, which is hosting the six-team league tournament Nov. 7-9. … SophomoreTaryn Colon of Suffern was the Hawks’ sixth runner as the New Paltz women’s cross country team placed fourth at the SUNYAC Championships at The College of Brockport. Senior Terisa Woychof Kingston was 13th overall for the Hawks, who will compete at the NCAA Atlantic Regionals on Nov. 15, hosted by the University of Rochester at Genesee Valley State Park at 11 a.m. … Emily Lopez of Staten Island and Renee Roncace of Valley Cottage were the one-two finishers for Dominican College as the Lady Chargers placed 13th place at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Cross Country Championships at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. Other place-scorers for Domincan wereMary Curatolo of Staten Island, Khadijah Cox of New Milford, N.J., Felicia Walker of the Bronx, and Katie Duggan of West Nyack. … Midfielder Meg McNally of Hillburn and the Mercy College women’s lacrosse team raised $3,000 as they participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island.

THIS & THAT: National Hockey League Hall of Famer Mark Messier and golfer Michelle Wie, winner of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, will be honored as Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively, by the March of Dimes at its 31st Anniversary Sports Luncheon on Dec. 3 at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. For information contact:

[email protected]. … Fairfield University, a Division I college in Connecticut, seeks an assistant sports information director. Email: [email protected]. … The New York Road Runners welcomed its fourth Hall of Fame induction class, led by former club president Allan Steinfeld, who many years ago coached at Rye Neck High School in Westchester County. Also inducted was George Spitz, the major force in bringing the marathon out of Central Park into the five boroughs; two-time New York champion German Silva of Mexico; and women’s running pioneer Kathrine Switzer.

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