Profiles Page

"Profiles and interviews of key members of the Shaker Running Programs"

Profile and Interview-Michael Libruk (September 2011): When the name Mike Libruk is mentioned, one can't help but smile. Whether because of his consistency and success as a runner or because of his fun-loving personality, Mike always leaves an impression on those with whom he interacts. His talent, experience, determination and work ethic is a combination rarely matched. Shakerrunnng.com recently interviewed Mike Libruk to learn more about him as he begins another successful year...Full Profile and Interview

Profile and Interview-Jonathan Vallecorsa (September 2011): Beneath his quiet exterior, a highly competitive fire burns inside Jon Vallecorsa. Maybe it started in the race to enter the world, when he was born two minutes before his twin sister Erica. It may not always be obvious, but if you watch Jon in a race, you can be sure he will give it all he has got to give... right to the finish line. The desire to compete and excel has helped him to reach levels of academics and athletics that are seldom achieved by the same person...Full Profile and Interview

DAVE MARTHY:

If you have met Dave Marthy, you probably like him. The popular Shaker senior came to North Colonie as a freshman and was drawn to running because his brother had been successful at Shaker and running was a way for Dave to meet new people. His high school running career reached a new level in his junior year. He finished the Cross Country season that year with several strong races which was just a warm up to an even stronger finish to the Indoor Track season. In Dave’s last Indoor race as a junior, he was a member of the Shaker 4x800 relay team that won the National Championship race in that event. Each of the relay team members earned All-American honors for their performance, which was the second fastest indoor time ever run by a Section 2 team in that event.
As he competed during the Outdoor Track season he was weighing the same options for the future that many other juniors were facing. Among the wide range of choices, he was considering a career path that might include military service. He decided to enlist in the Army National Guard at 17 years old and spent last summer at Fort Benning in Georgia for basic training. He returned to Latham at the end of the August and was hoping to catch up with his teammates who had been training hard in preparation for a run at the school’s first New York State Championship in Cross Country. Maybe he was trying too hard or maybe it was the grueling challenges of Boot Camp, but Dave was injured just before the first cross country meet and spent the rest of the season trying to return to his form from the previous year. Despite a valiant effort late in the season, Dave was not back to his top form and did not make the varsity seven who went on to win the New York State title and qualify for a trip to the National Championships in Oregon in December. This might have discouraged someone with less character, but it only seemed to motivate him. Dave seemed to get stronger as he approached the final meets of his high school indoor track career. He won the Suburban Council and the Section 2 1000M races. He also ran on the Shaker 4x800M relay that was at one time, the #1 team in the nation in that event this season. In a subsequent meet, they dropped to #2 in the country, but beat the time of last year’s National champions for a new #2 all-time in Section 2 history. In the Indoor National Championships, Dave ran a great lead off leg in the 1200M and helped the team to shatter the old Distance Medley Relay school record by over 12 seconds. For the second year in a row, Dave was part of a team that earned All-American status and completed the race in the second fastest indoor time in Section 2 history...Full Profile and Interview

KYLE FOSTER:

3/6/11-In the winter of his 8th grade year, Kyle Foster made up his mind to join the Indoor Track team. His dad had encouraged him to join a school sport with hopes that Kyle would one day overcome his extreme shyness. While still quiet compared to some of his teammates, Kyle is more confident and talkative than he was back in Jr. High. He recognizes that joining the track team was one of the best decisions that he ever made. Kyle was a member of the 2010 Cross Country Suburban Council, Section 2 Class AA, New York State, and Federation championship team. In addition, Kyle was a member of that same cross country team which qualified for Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon this past December. But Kyle is not only a cross country powerhouse, but also a strong force in track. He was a member of the 2010 Nike Indoor Nationals 4XMile Relay team that set a school record last season and took 5th at Nationals, earning All-American status. At the end of February, Kyle was a member of the 4X800M Relay team that won the Section 2 State Qualifier, advancing the team to the NYS Meet....Full Profile and Interview

 

CHRISTINE COUGHLIN

Profile-Christine Coughlin (February 2011): Shaker Senior Christine Coughlin followed the same path of many athletes...first competing in other sports and eventually finding her greatest talent is her outstanding ability as a runner. Her transition may have taken longer than others, but as she increased her running seasons, she has risen to increasingly higher levels of excellence. In her first year of Cross Country this past fall, she was the top Shaker finisher at the Manhattan Invitational and her individual second place finish at the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina led the team to first place in their division. Christine finished 12th in the Girls Suburban Council Championship in the third fastest time ever by a Shaker runner and she was recognized with the Most Valuable Award for the Shaker Girls team. She was named a Suburban Council All-Star this past fall in her one and only season of Cross Country. Christine is a member of the team that set a new Shaker school record in the Outdoor 4X800M Relay last spring. She is also a member of this year's Distance Medley and 4x800M relay teams that already this season have come close to the Indoor School Records.

Her leadership on the team is equalled by her leadership in other activities at the high school. She serves as the President of the Shaker Key Club and is also an active member of student government while regularly earning scholar athlete recognition for academics. Christine often helps out the team when not running, like when she traveled downstate to this years NYS Cross Country Championships to help Coach Gansle, who is the NYS Girls Cross Country coordinator. Christine is well liked by her teammates and her competitors and when she is not racing she can often be heard cheering for other Shaker runners. Shakerrunning.com recently caught up with her to learn more about Christine, her high school running career and her plans for the future...Click here for full Profile and Interview

REUBEN FEINMAN:

(1/18/11) When you first hear about Reuben Feinman, you might hear that he is a talented athlete or an outstanding student. When people get to know him better, they often find it hard to describe him in such simple terms. As a student at Loudonville Elementary school, he excelled academically, especially as an award winning math student. It is also where he first showed an interest in track and field. By his freshman year of high school, he was setting Shaker grade records in the long jump for both the indoor and outdoor season. He was also honored that year with the award for Outstanding Freshman Field Event during the Indoor season and received a Rising Star award for Outdoor. During his sophomore season, he began to stand out as a sprinter and during his junior year he was recognized with the award as the Outstanding Junior for both Indoor and Outdoor Track. He is a member of the 4X200M and 4X400M indoor track relay teams that set Shaker school records. Recently, he was a member of the 4X800M relay team that had the third fastest time in the history of Section 2.

Reuben's interests extend far beyond track and academics. He has a wide range of talents including music and a sense of adventure that he has enjoyed while traveling with his family over the last several years. He is a role model for many of the younger athletes and well-liked and respected by his teammates. He is highly regarded by all his coaches and has continued his steady improvement to the top tier of Section 2 runners. He has helped Shaker to earn three Section 2 team titles in track over the last couple years. Reuben was recently accepted under Early Decision at an Ivy League school where he plans to compete as a runner for the next four years. Shakerrunning.com recently interviewed Reuben Feinman to learn more about him and his plans for the future...Full Profile and Interview

CASEY GILBOY

(11/23/2010) Shaker senior Casey Gilboy has been an important part of this year’s Championship Cross Country team. Casey has been running since he was in elementary school at Blue Creek and during his first two years of high school was also a member of Shaker’s Swim team. He began using his diverse talents a few years ago as a volunteer at a youth adventure summer camp where he worked as counselor, lifeguard and Coach-in-Training. He also spent his summers training for triathlons, something he put on hold this year in order to concentrate on the 2010 cross country season. Casey has helped to set an example for his younger teammates by his hard work and his perseverance.

His performances this season have earned Casey a spot on the Shaker All-Time lists for several different courses. He ran the 6th fastest time ever by a Shaker athlete at Saratoga State Park, #11 All-Time for Shaker at Colonie Town Park and 5th All-Time for Shaker at Niskayuna’s home course. Casey’s #10 All-Time for Shaker at Van Cortlandt Park helped the team capture the Eastern States Championship at the Manhattan Invitational last month. His consistent contributions throughout the season have helped the team remain undefeated and recently earn the school’s first ever New York State Cross Country Championship and first ever NYS Federation title.

Casey has also been a key contributor to the team championships earned by the Shaker Boys Indoor and Outdoor Track teams in recent years. He earned Suburban Council All-Star recognition as the league’s Steeplechase Champion when he was a sophomore and again last year as a junior. He was a State Meet Qualifier and a National Qualifier in the Steeplechase. He also earned All-American Status at the Nike Indoor Nationals as a member of Shaker’s 4xMile relay team that set a school record in March of 2010. Casey was recognized as the Most Valuable Sophomore for Shaker two years ago and last year earned an award as the Outstanding Distance Runner for the Outdoor Track team.

His accomplishments as an athlete are even more impressive when you look at his academic course load that includes challenging senior year courses such as AP Calculus, AP Physics and Computer Science while also balancing college visits in his busy schedule. Shakerrunning recently interviewed Casey Gilboy to learn more about him, his high school running success and his future plans...Full Profile and Interview

BRENDAN DOLAN

4/6/10: When Brendan Dolan moved from Schalmont to the North Colonie School District for ninth grade, he really didn't know what to expect at Shaker. As he talked about during the recent Indoor Track Banquet, he thought he was pretty fast until he quickly realized there were a lot of runners who were faster. His emergence to become one of the team leaders over the last couple years can be traced to his incredibly strong work ethic. Anyone who knows him, understands his emphasis on effort on the track and in the classroom. He is recognized by his teachers and classmates for his high academic standards and his role as a student leader. His name can be found on the school record list for both the Indoor and Outdoor Track 4X400M Relay teams. Brendan is also one of the top hurdlers in the region. He finished in the top six on this season's Section 2 leaderboard for the 400M and 55M Hurdles. In addition, he is part of the fastest Shuttle Hurdle Relay and 2nd fastest 4X400M Relay in Section 2 this year. With his impressive improvement over the past year, Dolan is letting other local runners know that he'll be ready to go this Outdoor Season. After helping his team finish 3rd at the NYS Championship Meet in the 4X400M in March, he went on to compete as part of both the 4X400M and Shuttle Hurdle Relays at Nationals.

Brendan was recently named "Outstanding Senior" at the Indoor Track Banquet, when Coach Couture emphasized his incredible work ethic. He is among a group of seniors who have been extremely successful in their relays over the past couple years and which is a direct result of their talent and strong work habits. He offers continued encouragement for the young runners on the team, which was obvious to anyone who heard him speak at the Indoor Track Banquet. Besides incorporating intense physical workouts and weight training, Brendan has recently been part of a group of middle distance runners who have undergone mental training sessions in order to reach higher levels of performance. As he completes his senior year and his high school running career, he will look to finish strong on the track in an attempt to break the Shaker Outdoor 4X400M record for the second consecutive year. Shakerrunning recently interviewed Brendan so you could learn more about him....Full Profile and Interview

CHRIS HERMAN

2/28/10: Shaker senior Chris Herman is difficult to describe in a few words. He may be best known for his outstanding performances as a star middle distance runner on the Track team. Yet he is also a serious student who enjoys “techno-music” and dancing. Last year as a junior, he sent a message to Section 2 competitors that he would be a top 800M runner with career best performances in big meets late in the season. Last year he was named “Outstanding Middle Distance Runner” on the undefeated Shaker Track team and he was also named to the Suburban Council All-Stars for his 800M performances. During this year’s Indoor season, he was part of the Distance Medley Relay team that set a new Shaker school record in that event. In the recent Eastern States Championship, Chris finished a close third in his 800M race and then came back within an hour as part of the Shaker 4x400M relay that set a school record and ran the second fastest indoor time in the history of Section 2. He is the second member of the Herman family to earn a place in the Shaker Track & Field record books. He is the nephew of 1970’s Shaker record holder and former Athletic Director Dave Herman.
Chris is currently within about one second of this season’s fastest Section 2 times in the 800M and 600M. He is among a group of seniors who have been extremely successful in their relays over the past couple years and which is a direct result of their talent and strong work habits. He recently qualified for the New York State Championship meet as an individual in the 600M and as part of the 4x400M relay. In mid-March, he will travel with several of his teammates to compete in the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston. As he completes his senior year and his high school running career, he will also be choosing the college that will best match his athletic and academic goals for the future. Shakerrunning recently interviewed Chris Herman to learn more about him and his plans for the future...Full Profile and Interview

MATT CONTI

1/24/10: There are many adjectives that come to mind when Shaker senior Matt Conti's name is mentioned. Confident, determined, talented, focused, and competitive just to name a few. As Coach Couture mentioned at last year's Track Banquet, Matt Conti is one of those guys that you want running your anchor leg in a relay because he refuses to lose. For Indoor Track, he holds the Shaker 300M grade record for three different grades and the 400M grade record for sophomores and juniors. Last year, he was a member of the 4x400M relay team that established a school record and was a member of the Distance Medley Relay team that just recently set a new school indoor record in that event. For Outdoor Track, he holds the 400M grade record for 9th, 10th and 11th grade and was a member of the 4x400M relay team that set a new school record last year with Matt running an amazing anchor leg against several strong competitors. He was a key contributor last year as the Shaker Indoor and Outdoor Track teams swept the local Championship meets and brought home sectional titles in both seasons...Full Profile and Interview

RYAN EGAN

(11/1/09) Ryan Egan’s running success has improved dramatically in the last couple years. The distance runner has been a member of the Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track teams every year since he was a freshman at Shaker. While his performances early in high school could be described as ordinary, he began to show signs of his potential during his sophomore year. Last year as a junior, Ryan emerged as a valuable contributor to the team’s success. He qualified as an individual for the New York State Cross Country Championships with a strong performance over the Saratoga course at the Section 2 Championships last year. During last year’s Indoor season, his contributions as a member of Shaker relay teams at Eastern States in February and at the NSIC Meet in March helped propel the team to strong performances. During the Outdoor season in 2009, Ryan’s versatility as a runner led to several major accomplishments. He was the individual Suburban Council Champion in the 1600M, he ran legs on the winning 4x800M and 4x1600M relays at the Ithaca Relays and was a member of the Shaker 4x800M relay team that qualified for the New York State Championship meet. As he moves through his final season of Cross Country, his name continues to move higher on the All-time performance lists for Shaker runners. His winning performance at the Albany County Championships was the second fastest time ever recorded by a Shaker athlete over the Colonie Town Park course. Among individual Shaker runners, he moved to #5 all-time at Saratoga State Park, #6 all-time at Grout and #7 all-time at Van Courtlandt Park in the Manhattan Invitational. His relaxed manner has supported his role as the leader of a young Shaker team that has continued to improve throughout the season. Shakerrunning.com recently interviewed Ryan Egan to learn more about this student athlete who continues to steadily improve with the experience he gains as he moves through his final year of high school. Shakerrunning.com recently interviewed Ryan...Full Profile and Interview

EBUBE ABARA

(6/21/09)-There are few athletes in Shaker history who have impacted a sports team as much as Ebube Abara has done in his two years at the High School. His easygoing manner and amazing talent have made him a popular leader and role model, despite his short time at Shaker. Over the last two years, he has a long list of accomplishments that were key factors in helping the Shaker Indoor and the Shaker Outdoor Track & Field teams win their first Sectional titles in decades. As a junior last year, he set a school Indoor record in the 300M and 11th grade records in the 55M Hurdles and the 400M. A couple of months later in the outdoor season he tied a 37-year old school record in the 200M. During his senior year, he added to the impressive list with a new school record in the 110M Hurdles and the second fastest time in Shaker history in the 400M Hurdles outdoors. He is a member of the school record indoor 4x400M relay team and also the school record outdoor 4x200M relay team and the school record 4x400M relay team. He qualified in two individual events and as a member of the 1600 relay team for the New York State meet earlier this month. Ebube was named as MVP of the undefeated Outdoor Track & Field team in recognition of his outstanding performances and unselfish commitment to the team. He has also announced that he will be attending the University at Albany next year and run Indoor and Outdoor track. Shakerrunning recently interviewed Ebube....Full Profile and Interview

CRAIG WEISS

(5/4/09)-Early in his senior year at Shaker, Craig Weiss was selected as the Most Valuable Athlete on the Cross Country team while also being named one of the top scholar athletes for his performance in the classroom. As he nears the end of his high school running career, his accomplishments as an athlete are impressive. He holds the Shaker school records in the 3000M Steeplechase and as a member of the Indoor 4 x 1 mile relay team. He was a member of the Cross Country team with the fastest ever Shaker time at the Manhattan Invitational and also at the Section 2 Championships. He has the second fastest individual time ever run by a Shaker athlete at the Colonie Town Park and the third fastest time ever run by a Shaker athlete at Saratoga State Park. Craig has developed into a quiet leader who is ready to help and support others. He can be found after practice helping prepare a young runner for his first steeplechase or at the annual elementary mile run encouraging the young athletes competing in their first race. He recently decided to continue his studies and his running career at the University at Albany. Craig recently agreed to answer questions for shakerrunning.com...Full Profile and Interview

COACH STADTLANDER

Coach David Stadtlander has been involved with the Shaker Track program for the past 10 years. One of the school’s most popular coaches, he can usually be found on Saturday mornings during November running alongside the Shaker distance runners at the Colonie Town Park. Even on those long one hour runs, he will often create word games to make it fun and help distract runners from the cold and discomfort…all before he serves up a breakfast of bagels and bananas as a reward. He can also be found every year participating with his Shaker team at the Troy Turkey Trot…a race he began running while growing up in Lansingburgh outside of Troy. His enthusiasm, encouragement, knowledge and concern for his team have contributed to the success of the Shaker track teams for the past decade. While always trying to bring out the best performance from each athlete, Coach never stops trying to develop the best in each person. Coach Stadtlander recently agreed to be interviewed for shakerrunning.com.....Full Profile and Interview

 

RJ SNIFFEN

1/22/08-Senior R.J. Sniffen is in the middle of his final year as a Shaker runner. During his scholastic career, he has earned a reputation as one of the most outstanding runners in school history. As an 8th grader, he was a member of the Championship Freshman Cross Country team at the Manhattan Invitational in 2003. The next year, he completed the Freshman XC course at Colonie Town Park in the fastest time (7:51) ever run by a Shaker freshman. As part of the Shaker XC team that won the Championship at the Manhattan Invitational in 2006, he ran the 2nd fastest time (12:46) ever by a Shaker runner at Van Cortlandt Park. He completed the SPAC course at the 2007 Sectional meet in the 2nd fastest time (15:25) ever by a Shaker runner over that course. In early 2007, he was part of the Distance Medley Relay that set a new Shaker Indoor school record. He recently completed the mile at the New Balance Games in NYC in a near school Indoor record time of 4:20:86 (See video below interview). His easy smile and strong work ethic have made him a popular team leader. R.J. recently answered questions for Shakerrunning.com about himself and his running...Full Profile and Interview