March 20, 2008

AHEAD OF THE PACK

Charles Torpey has been coaching cross country and track and field at La Salle since 1993. He has been at the helm of 13 Conference titles and guided some of the Atlantic 10's best. Never in those 15 years has he coached a more talented men's distance runner than senior Sean Quigley.

While Torpey is quick to point out that he's had several extremely gifted runners while at La Salle, he credits Quigley's versatility to perform well in numerous events for his high praise. That range received its one of its greatest challenges to date as Quigley raced his way to a third-place finish in the 5k at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 14.

"I was really looking forward to Nationals," said Quigley. "It was my last indoor competition and I wanted to leave on a good note."

Quigley, the top American finisher in the 5k, picked up Division I All-American honors in the event (13:54.05) and followed it with another All-American performance with a seventh-place showing in the 3k (8:05.20) the following day.

A six-time All-American from Braintree, Mass., Quigley has been competing for the La Salle cross country, outdoor and most recently, indoor track and field teams for the past four years. Entering nationals, he was ranked in three different events nationally, which included a No. 5 ranking in both the 3k (7:52.47) and the 5k (13:50.76).

With his collegiate career nearing its impressive end, Quigley recently reflected on his first days at La Salle and the success that followed.

"I chose La Salle because I was impressed with the program," said Quigley. "When I visited, I really liked the coaches and guys on the team. I felt like I could fit in."

Quigley did more than fit in during his freshman year. After the first of what would be many records fell during his reign at La Salle, he was named the 2003-04 A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie in both the indoor track and cross country. He broke the Explorers' all-time record in the 10000-meters (28:53.84), then set the Conference record in the 5000-meters (13:49.62). In just his first year, he had already set himself apart as one of the top runners in the A-10.


The same level of success continued into 2005 and then 2006, a year in which Quigley became the first runner in La Salle history to earn three All-American selections in cross country only after being crowned the A-10 Individual Champion. Before entering nationals, Quigley was fresh off his record-setting run in the 5000-meters at the Conference's 2008 Indoor Track and Field Championships, a run which garnered the A-10's Most Outstanding Track Performer award.

"We didn't have to rush his process," said Torpey of Quigley's progression since arriving at La Salle. "The focus on our program is to bring student athletes along at their own rate. For Sean, he was initially with some really good older guys so there was a nice development, without as much pressure. Mentally, though, he was always there - always where he needed to be."

Quigley spends much of his spare time with his Explorer teammates, the same student-athletes who endure the seemingly endless competition of cross country and indoor/outdoor track. He is quiet, unassuming and according to his coach, you'd never know he was the squad's top distance runner.

"His demeanor relative to other really good runners is pretty low-key," said Torpey. "If you walked into our track office, you couldn't pick him out if you tried. But once he's on the track and starts running, you can definitely pick him out...right away."

It seems Quigley's only regret this season would be a slight disappointment with his blazing NCAA-provisional time in the mile of 4:01.35, which is among the tops in the nation and leads the A-10's nearest competitor by nearly nine seconds. So close to the coveted "four-minute barrier", he carries the focus and confidence needed to join one of the most recognizable and benchmark times in running.

"I didn't accomplish exactly what I wanted do in the mile," said Quigley. "I really wanted to get past that four-minute barrier. But still, coming from high school and cutting it down from 4:20 to 4:01, it's definitely become a reality. I know I have the ability to break four minutes and as of today, I look at it as something that isn't untouchable. Now it's just about getting in the right race and making it happen."

Now that he has finished his final indoor season, Quigley will begin his final season of A-10 Outdoor Track and Field competition, which will end in his home state of Massachusetts. On May 3, he'll return to the same area in which he was crowned a two-time state champion, as the 2008 A-10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships take place in Amherst, Mass.

"There's nothing like racing in my home state," said Quigley. "We usually don't get to travel up there for outdoor, so it's going to be really nice to get back to Massachusetts. I really look forward to it."

Until then, he'll remain as he always has, focused on the next race.