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Pittston Area graduate Ronnie D’Eliseo is still working on breaking Jack Goldowski records in the 400 hurdles. But while he’s working to that milestone, D’Eliseo has been an effective force for East Stroudsburg University’s indoor track and field team.
Recently, at the 2015 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at Edinboro University, D’Eliseo marked his personal best in the 200 run and the 60 hurdles, grabbing sixth place in both events.
A 2013 graduate of Pittston Area, D’Eliseo currently holds the No. 3-best time in the outdoor 400 hurdles at East Stroudsburg. The top time is held by the 1981 Pittston Area graduate Goldowski, which was set in 1985. D’Eliseo broke Goldowksi’s records in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles in 2013.
“It’s going really good so far,” D’Eliseo said of his first two years at the school. “I’m picking up where I left off last year — just trying to improve on my times. I’m trying to improve on those freshman times.”
While working toward Goldowski’s record in the outdoor season, D’Eliseo made another slash at this year’s PSACs.
In the preliminary round in late February, D’Eliseo ran a personal best time of 8.33 in the 60 hurdles. Also in prelims, he ran a personal best in the 200 with a time of 22.41, marking only the second time he ran the 200 all season long.
In the finals, however, D’Eliseo ran an 8.43 and finished sixth. His time was better than last year when he finished fourth.
“I ran a good race on day one,” he said. “I was feeling pretty good. I got through it pretty clean. The next day was just a bad day, but not terrible.”
D’Eliseo and teammate Steven Morgan went into the finals ranked 1-2. Morgan won his second straight PSAC title with a time of 8.19.
Morgan, a sophomore, and D’Eliseo have spent a lot of time running the hurdles in the last two years. There isn’t anyone else, beside himself, D’Eliseo would rather see win the title, he said. The two push each other on and off the track.
“Outside of the track, we are great friends,” D’Eliseo said. “When it comes time to race, we just push each other to go harder and harder. It’s great competition.”
The 60 hurdles isn’t D’Eliseo’s top track event. That’s the outdoor 400 hurdles. While a senior at Pittston Area, D’Eliseo won four District 2 gold medals and advanced to states. There, he took home fourth place in both individual events — the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.
The 60 hurdles is something new to him, but it’s not a big deal. The difference in his two times at PSACs is equivalent to just two body lengths, he said.
“In a short race, it’s a couple body lengths,” D’Eliseo said. “I probably ran a full two or three body lengths the day before. It’s such a short race and you’re going so quick.”
D’Eliseo also competed on East Stroudsburg’s 4×400 at PSACs this year. The team finished fifth at 3:23.02. However, they should have done much better. It wasn’t because the effort wasn’t there.
When ESU’s Damien Boham came around a turn, he was tripped by a spectator who ran onto the track. Bohman fell down and lost all momentum.
D’Eliseo said he’s never seen anything like that and the team was on its way to a high finish. The first place-team finished just seven seconds ahead of East Stroudsburg.
“It pretty much cost us the whole race and a shot at nationals,” he said. “It would have been really close if he didn’t get run over. We definitely would have hit that national (qualifying) time.”
With the outdoor season on the horizon, D’Eliseo is excited to get back out on the track and take another crack at Goldowski’s mark.
D’Eliseo said the indoor season is a lot more congested than the outdoor season, with more laps because of the tracks being smaller.
“You have to deal with running into a lot of people,” he said. “I’m more excited than ever for the outdoor season. I’m going to try harder than ever. I’m going after Goldowski’s record.”
The son of Ron and Brenda D’Eliseo, of Duryea, D’Eliseo is studying Computer Science at East Stroudsburg.