November 14, 2005

The early Fall forecast for the resurfacing of the Ellington track by the end of October was a bit optimistic in light of subsequent contractor and weather delays. I took a walk over from McDonough last week with head track mentor Ron Helmer to see what shape the track is presently in. With about one-third of the oval now finished off with a spanking new layer of red rubber, you can get an idea of what the facility will finally look like. What an improvement!

Revised estimates have the renovation being completed by the end of November. Of course, it still remains to be seen how well the Hoya track team workouts at Ellington will be welcomed into the midst of the rights-empowered neighborhood of Burleith. Despite being a property under the jurisdiction of the DC school system, local residents tend to regard the open acreage as their own communal back yard.

Out and about in the neighborhood, I had to stop at the corner of 35th and Prospect to take in the renovations underway at the old Pell house, now under new ownership. The painted brick has now been sandblasted down to its natural reddish hue. For much of the latter half of the 20th century, the stately Georgetown period house was the home of Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. Pell often welcomed GU students into his abode and was a good friend of the University during his years of service in Washington. Once painted gray, the house felt almost like one of the Georgetown campus buildings.

When I wrote about the restoration of Healy gates several weeks ago, I correctly identified the movers and shakers of that initiative as Ed and Irene Shaw of Mamaroneck, NY. What I didn't accurately report was that the plaque on the gate refers to John Ryan and the Ryan family of Pittsburgh. I want to report for the record that John Ryan was Irene Shaw's beloved father.

My picks for most interesting contests this coming week:

> Cross Country: One week from today: the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. The entire men's team qualified to compete by winning the NCAA Regionals last weekend. The women's team finished third, but will also qualify, having earned an at-large bid.

> Sailing: Two huge competitions this coming weekend: the intercollegiate single-handed national championship in Kaneohe, Hawaii; and the mid-Atlantic intercollegiate championships in Charleston, SC. Look for the Hoyas once more to make their mark in both events.

> Basketball: The season opener on Friday evening takes the men's team to Annapolis to play the Naval Academy. There, they will be greeted by over 500 Hoya fans who will also make their first road trip of the year. The women's team travels just a bit further, heading to Savannah State for their opener next Sunday.

> Football: The 4-6 Hoyas conclude their season at home when they host conference opponent Colgate (7-3) next Saturday at the Yard. The Red Raiders have only lost to Lehigh in Patriot League competition.

Last week, the Hoya athletic teams posted an overall win-loss record of 0-5 and earned a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, a 5th, and two 7th place finishes in standings competition.