Michael Hennelly Reflects on His Final Cross Country Season in Riverdale

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Michael Hennelly returned to Riverdale for one final season representing Manhattan College this year.

The cross country standout turned in a fantastic year in his final season running cross country collegiately. Knowing that it would be his last season changed his mindset.

“Yeah, it was definitely a different mindset than years past. I finished cross country and track last year with the mindset that I had more left in me,” said Hennelly in a sit-down conversation with GoJaspers.com. 

“It was really why I wanted to return; I felt like I had unfinished business. And I felt like I had a lot more I could do as a collegiate runner. Knowing and understanding that this will be my last chance to accomplish those goals I have in mind.”

“And I just wanted to do the best I could. And help the team and these young guys who are new to collegiate running. And I wanted to show them how we do things based on the Jasper Way and how to succeed in college.”

That mindset he carried into the first meet of the cross country season, the Marist Opener on September 3rd. The team finished fourth while Hennelly clocked in a top-10 finish, coming in 10th, finishing his 6k in a time of 19:34.3. 

“Last year, I ran about the same time. I could tell my training over the summer would lead to a better finish. But, I think strategy-wise and just getting the rust off. I didn't overthink it. It's always nice to get top-10 and stuff like that and score for my team.”

The team’s next meet gave them a preview of the course they would return to at the end of the season for the MAAC Championship, the Crossings at Colonie for the Siena Invite. Getting a preview of that course gives a unique perspective to the meet. The Jasper runner talked about how getting a preview of the course served him for the eventual return for the MAAC Championship. 

“Especially because you see a lot of the same teams. A lot of the MAAC teams were there. And, just understanding whom you're running around, and you try to get a better understanding of the course. Even though it's a relatively flat course, it's unique in its own way, and you want them to understand it. So come MAACs, you know which turns to take tight, where the divots are, where there's stuff like that. So, you are just going in with the mindset of trying to learn, and if your time that day isn't great, or your place that day isn't great, that's fine. Just being able to leave there with an idea of what you're going to do at MAACs. And it makes it easier to visualize come the day of the championship.”

The Jasper runner used that preview he got to his advantage. At the Siena invite, he turned in a time of 26:17.0, a time that he would shatter later upon his return. Still, there was one other large meet on the schedule prior, the Metropolitan Championships (Mets) at the legendary Van Cortlandt Park just down the hill from the campus of Manhattan College.

Before Mets, Hennelly competed in the team’s only home meet of the year, the Jasper XC Fall Classic. Hennelly finished in third in 25:36.2, a personal best at the time of the race, and it was a good confidence booster for the runner with what he knew was on the horizon. 

“Probably the first race that I left happy with. It was a PR for me, just knowing that I could help the team and get some placement. And there were kids there who had beaten me at the previous meet Siena whom I'd now beaten. So, I knew I was heading in the right direction. Like you said, anytime we're running something like that when our name is attached, it's nice to go out there and have a good day.”

Mets is a yearly cross country and track and field meet that brings together all of the schools in the greater NYC area. It is always a highly anticipated meet, one that the Green and White took home first place last year. This year, Hennelly finished third individually in 26:54.0.

“I'm very proud to say that I was part of the group that won in cross country, indoor and outdoor,” remarked Hennelly when thinking about Met’s. “That meant a lot for us as a program. I feel like. I was thrilled to be able to say that we did that. This year I was hoping to come away with the win.”

“Anytime you go out there, and you get to run the Van Cortlandt course, it's a good day. It's tough and challenging, but it makes you a better runner. Usually, we run it at IC4As, but they changed the way they did things which was a little sad because I would've loved to get a chance to go on it and run sub-26 [minutes], but I was happy with finishing third.”

Two weeks later, Hennelly and the team returned to the Crossings at Colonie for the MAAC Championships. That preview they got earlier in the year played a large part in Hennelly smashing his previous PR by over a minute, finishing the course in 25:10.1, which slotted him 19th.

“One hundred percent that made a difference. I knew what to expect. I knew what part of the course I had struggled with the last time. I knew how to do better this time and which kids I wanted to run with. These guys have all beaten me by maybe 20 or 30 seconds the first time. And I was like, these are the kids you're running with, so I put myself in a position to be with them. And I knew that if I ran with them, I'd have a good day.” 

His season did not end at MAACs as Hennelly had two more races in front of him, two more chances to run the course he enjoys, VCP. The first would be at IC4As, a meet that saw some changes this year for the first time, according to the Jasper runner. 

One of the significant changes this year was the date of the meet; this time, the organizers of the meet shifted the meet to occur after conference championships had already been run instead of before conference meets in prior years.

“I think that people kind of use it similar to how we ran at Siena to get a preview of the course; people did the same thing for regionals because regionals were here, but it was a flat loop and then three freshman hill loops and then IC4A's which is three freshman hill loops. So you didn't go into the back hills or hit the cemetery. I think it enticed more people to come and bring their teams to it, making it a much more competitive meet. I was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't the normal, Van Cortlandt and everything like that, but it was great to run against some of those guys. It was the best guys in the region, even in the country. That helped me prepare for regionals when I again went up against these guys. I think I did much better at regionals than IC4As. I underestimated the course the first time, and I learned from my mistakes.”

His last collegiate competition at VCP would see him tackle a 10k at the NCAA Northeastern Regionals. That day, conditions were not ideal, with rain coming down just minutes before the race was set to begin, something that might deter some runners but not Hennelly; it was something he reveled in.

“I was thrilled with the day, and I think that I was just in Van Cortlandt; I run out there every day. I make that loop all the time. I had an advantage, I’d say, and I prefer some of the poor conditions."

“I think it will psych some people out, and a few years ago, I was probably one of those people that it hurt. As I’ve gotten older, I recognize that I could use it to my advantage if the mindset is correct. I was happy to see that it was raining and windy.” 

“I said bring it on, I was happy with how I ran, and just I feel like everything kind of came together, and it was a great way to finish my cross country for a year.”

While his collegiate cross-country career may have concluded at regionals, he still has one last track and field season ahead of him. The Jaspers’ first indoor meet is set for Dec. 7 at the Crowell Open hosted by Army West Point.