Nick Carleo on the rise in Massachusetts

By Chris Lotsbom of Dyestat/RunnerSpace

(30-Sep.) -- Nick Carleo, a junior at Newburyport (Mass.) High School, has had a September to remember. Collecting wins and records in the first month of the season, Carleo has established himself as one to watch for as the cross country season begins to heat up in the northeast.

Nearly two weeks ago, Carleo broke a 23-year-old course record at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, timing 14:59 for a very hilly, 2.95-miler. He dominated the race wire to wire, winning easily by more than a minute and 20 seconds.

Then on Saturday at the MSTCA Frank Kelley Bay State Invitational -- facing some of the top teams in Massachusetts -- the sub-4:20 miler took the Division II varsity race (5 km) in 15:35, looking cool as could be over the final two miles.

"I'm happy with where I am right now," said a smiling Carleo, speaking with Dyestat.com after his win on Saturday.

This early in the cross country season, Carleo has caught some by surprise. The vast improvement from over  his 2012 sophomore campaign, when he was 20th at the NXN Northeast Regional, is evident. Beginning with his course record run on Sept. 18, Carleo knew things were on the upswing.

"My goal this year was to beat the [Maudslay State Park] course record a little. It was 15:11," he said, taking a momentary pause. "And I ran 14:59, so I knew I was in way better shape than I thought."

In that race, Carleo was told to go out at a relaxed pace. He wound up hitting the mile in around five minutes and just cruised from then on.

"Yeah, it was a big surprise. I didn't expect to break 15 [minutes] at all," he added with a laugh.

On Saturday, Carleo seemed poised and in control the entire race, splitting the mile in roughly 4:50 alongside Burlington's Paul Hogan and Swampscott's Matthew Mahoney. Waiting until a mile remained, Carleo hit the gas pedal and simply separated from the pair, his smooth and fluid stride not changing one bit.

Carleo's winning time of 15:35 was 21 seconds faster than when he won on the same Wrentham Development Center course in 2012. The time is made even more impressive knowing that the course is a challenging one filled with many turns and rolling hills.

So what has been the key to Carleo's improvement and consistency in September? A mix of things, he said, among them team chemistry, better mileage and confidence.

This year, Carleo and his Newburyport teammates are entering races with a relaxed mentality. Carleo described his first two seasons as having phenomenal captains who were "insanely" committed to the sport in a good way. Perhaps the group was overly focused.

In 2013, however, the team -- ranked second in Division II by the Boston Globe -- is taking a more laid-back approach.

"This year we are still really committed, but we are just trying to have more fun with it. I think it keeps us more relaxed before races," he explained. The change has shown not only in Carleo's results, but in the team standings as well: Newburyport placed second as a team on Saturday with 102 points, just five shy of winner Tewksbury.

Also different this year is the amount of miles under Carleo's belt. Consistently running around 50 miles per week, Carleo has a base volume unlike in his freshman and sophomore years, when he admits he barely ran during the summer.

"It isn't that high," he said. "But this year I definitely bumped it up."

Between the team chemistry and his improved training, Carleo said he has found a renewed confidence, something sure to help him later in the season.

Though Carleo and the Newburyport team are seeing early season success, none of them is willing to rest on their laurels. After all, September wins don't guarantee a podium finish come State Championship time.

Clear on his mind is 2012, when Carleo won the MSTCA Bay State Invitational before finishing a disappointing seventh at the Massachusetts All-State Championships.

"I'd love to win a state championship," he said, the hope and desire clearly audible in his voice. "There is still work to be done."