Talking Steeple

Tom Nohilly — a two-time member of the U.S. World Championship team in the steeplechase — will conduct a free steeplechase clinic at The Armory on Thursday, April 12, beginning at 4:30 pm.

Nohilly was a CHSAA champion at Monsignor McClancy Memorial, a Southeastern Conference and NCAA Champion at the University of Florida before chasing world and Olympic dreams. He twice finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Now an assistant coach with the New Jersey-New York Track Club, Nohilly has a pair of former Ivy League champions who are running for a spot on the U.S. team in London. He recently sat down with both Delilah DiCrescenzo and Ashley Higginson to talk about the event with Ian Brooks. Higginson ran a personal-best 9:50.54 at the Sam Howell Invitational in Princeton, N.J., this weekend while DiCrescenzo broke the meet record in the 1500m run (4:18.84) with a win over Julie Culley, Stephanie Charnigo, Frances Koons and Nicole Blood.

Thursday's clinic will involve the phases of the steeplechase. The foundations component will cover active isolated flexibility and strength training. The specificity phase will give insight into hurdle drills and plyometrics. Finally, the adaptations phase will cover the water jump techniques, lead and trail leg resistance and water jump landing.

The Armory recently acquired two steeplechase barriers, which shall be used in conjunction with the clinic. Additionally, those barriers will be used next season for an unusual event — a one-mile steeplechase run held at the New Balance Games at The Armory. Details on that event are sure to come.