Beating her own coach

Haddonfield Memorial High School freshman Dylan Hosty broke the South Jersey record for the girl’s mile with a time of 4:42.21 at this year’s Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, Washington, on June 7.

The record Hosty broke – she placed fifth overall – was set by none other than her current coach, Erin LiVecchi, who did it back in 2001 as a senior. Her time was 4:42.96.

“Which took me to the last race of my senior year to run that time,” LiVecchi recalled. “So for her (Hosty) to do it as a 14-year-old freshman is extremely impressive … Working with Dylan, nothing really surprises me of what she is capable of anymore.

“Slightly saddened, but not surprised at all.”

Hosty said her training with LiVecchi paid off when it came to breaking the record and beating her own personal best time by seven seconds.

“I think it was amazing timing that it’s my freshman year and also her first year,” Hosty said. “And so it was the beginning of my real, like, running journey. And so I think she’s really played a big part in helping to guide me through how to race. Because I didn’t really have a coach before this year.”

Hosty’s dad told her about LiVecchi’s record, so she contacted the coach.

“And when I called her, she was like, ‘You just broke my record,'” Hosty recalled. “And I was like, oh my goodness. I can’t believe that.'”

LiVecchi became head coach of the track team in February. Hosty also did track in the fall and cross country in the winter, the latter of which she wasn’t used to, according to LiVecchi.

“I think cross country’s a little bit of a tougher season for her cause she wasn’t used to competing at the 5K distance,” LiVecchi explained. “So I don’t think people maybe noticed her quite as much in cross country. But once she got on a track where she could just focus on (the 800) and 1600, which I think are more her natural events … she really came out.”

LiVecchi acknowledged that she didn’t think her own record would stand as long as it did.

“I was sure it would go eventually, but for (Hosty) to do this again as a freshman is pretty outstanding,” LiVecchi marveled. “I thought I’d have a little bit more time with it (her record). It was a good run. 25 years.

“It’s OK.”

Hosty said she didn’t she’d beat her coach.

“I kind of look at coach Erin as like this amazing Olympian,” Hosty said. “Almost like a superhero. And it was crazy to me that I was able to break one of her records. Like that just seems unreal.”

The Brooks PR Invitational included high-school students from the U.S. and Canada. LiVecchi remarked that since she set her record, student athletes have gotten a lot better.

“It just shows you how well trained I think a lot more kids are today than they were way back in my day, the turn of the century,” she joked. “I was way out there. I didn’t have people. She (Hosty) has to actually go and race – like a lot. I was kind of way out there.

“So I could just kind of cruise a little bit more,” LiVecchi noted. “She’s (Hosty) got to really learn how to race and compete a lot more often than I did.”

At the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Meet Of Champions on June 3, Hosty broke another record, set by Haddonfield Memorial alumna and Olympics contender Marielle Hall, in the 800 meter. Hosty ran it in 2:06.04, beating Hall’s time by a second and a half.

Hall made it went to the 2016 games in Rio, Brazil.

Hosty said she most appreciates the team that she gets to run with.

“I just think that not only have I obviously excelled at running so far and I’ve been having a really good time, I think just the team as well,” Hosty said. “The team aspect. Just being part of such an amazing group of girls has just been so much fun and I couldn’t imagine like spending my time after school with anyone else or doing anything else at this point.”