The All-American is one of the most prolific runners in CHS history. As a senior he earned All-State honors for indoor and outdoor track. He set the Western New York record in the 3,200 meters and holds school records for both the 3,200 and 3,000. He claimed a Catholic state championship and went on to place fifth at the overall NYS Federation meet and sixth at the New Balance national meet. Townsend was also an All-WNY Cross Country runner who set the CHS record for the 3-mile.
Townsend's words of thanks:
I am so honored to join the esteemed ranks of athletes in the Canisius Athletic Hall of Fame. It’s incredibly hard to summarize in a single page.
I couldn’t have made it here without the unwavering support of my family. Thank you to my sisters for the bike support during solo runs, I cherish those hours. Thank you to my mom, Barbara, who made sure I held back, took care of myself, and rested when needed. Thank you to my dad, Steve, who supported me when I pushed myself, but never pressured me to do more than I wanted. My family made it easy for me to commit fully to academics and athletics.
I was lucky enough to have so many inspiring coaches and teammates throughout my time at CHS. My rowing coaches, Justin Farrington and Nick Zinter ’01, instilled in me confidence and resilience.
I wouldn’t have been able to leverage those traits without the coaching of Brian Lombardo. In his health class my sophomore year, we set personal goals for the year. Brian saw my goal was to break 11 minutes in the 2 mile. “I think we can do better than this,” he wrote in my notebook. Brian guided my passion for running, letting me challenge myself in workouts, working with me on setting both attainable and lofty goals. Even after he moved on from coaching at Canisius, he was happy to help, celebrating my wins and coaching me through struggles. Brian developed a culture of excellence extending beyond his tenure.
Our assistant coaches played equal parts in our team, and my personal success. Without Bob Duggan, I’d have never gotten through nearly as much training. He was one of the most consistent people through three years of my running at CHS. He was not just a coach, but a training partner and a friend.
I was lucky enough to have competitive and caring upperclass leadership through Jordan Hamm ’09, Elias Dawli ’10, Colin Bogdan ’10, Cameron Gallivan ’09, and Barry Fitzgerald ’09. They made hard work seem cool, and they welcomed me into their workout group and morning runs. I had a vision of what was possible because of their successes. I had amazing teammates but want to single out Tim Hartigan ’11, Paul Riester ’11, and Rob Patterson. They held me accountable to my goals and my training, meeting up with me on early summer mornings, weekends during the school year, and on snow days when school was cancelled. They made the miles and workouts something I got to do rather than something I had to do.
I’m thankful for all my teachers at Canisius who recognized my pursuits on and off the track but cared most for my personal development. Adam Baber ‘01, who led my Kairos and Emmaus retreats, taught me about what it meant to be a man for others, to be introspective, to be a whole individual. One thing that left a lasting impression was that all my teachers talked to me as a person; these teachers are invested in the lives of their students and their growth as individuals.
Running is the backbone of my life. It structures my days, weeks, and years. It has given me lifelong friends and a network that carries beyond the Blue Doors. Thank you for recognizing my passion early on and helping me build a well-rounded foundation.
