With the holiday season over, it's now time to get back into the heart of what makes our sport move: the real start of the indoor season. Although there have been several meets already back in December, the month of January usually calls for many athletes to get a fresh start on a new season.
This weekend will be no different with many meets ready to go around the country, including the Clemson Invitational, Dartmouth Relays, George Mason Father Diamond Invitational, Penn State Relays, Razorback Invitational, Virginia Tech Invitational and many more. The list of meets on the ducket are below. As always, visit the Trackshark schedule page for the most recent updates and information.
We've been busy at Trackshark ready to provide you the most complete and comprehensive coverage of the collegiate and professional indoor track & field season. Stay tuned for the following updates...
- Interviews with Tyson Gay, LaShawn Merritt, Bershawn Jackson, Shannon Rowbury and Christian Cantwell.
- Video interview with Evan Jager.
- Indoor training update with the Auburn Tigers and USC Trojans.
- Preview for the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Houston.
- NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor track & field season previews.
- Much, much more...
The Road To Eugene
For all U.S. elite track & field coverage, visit The Road To Eugene which will host the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 24-28.
2008 was a long, yet exciting year which saw plenty of moments that will shine on forever. With 2009 around the corner, let's count down the best moments from the past collegiate track & field season. Stay tuned for the 2009 NCAA Division I indoor men's and women's preview to be published in January.
Moment #10 - Erica McLain jumps to new levels in the triple
It may have been a wind-assisted performance, but that doesn't mean you can discount the tremendous capping of a collegiate career by one of the best triple jumpers the sport has ever seen. Stanford senior Erica McLain leaped to 47-11 (14.60m) with a 3.4 wind reading on her way to winning the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 14. It was the third triple jump title for McLain in her career as she also claimed the NCAA Indoor title in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 15.
Podcast with Erica McLain after her performance:
Moment #9 - Sally Kipyego finally gets her 10,000 meter record - again
If winning NCAA titles were not enough for Texas Tech senior Sally Kipyego, the one record that she always wanted to break was her own. At the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, California on May 4, the eight-time NCAA Champion broke her own collegiate record in the 10,000 meters by over 30 seconds in 31:25.45. The fitting end to her collegiate outdoor track & field career happened on June 13 in Des Moines, Iowa when she claimed the NCAA title in the 5,000 meters in 15:15.08.
Moment #8 - Kyle Alcorn helps lead Arizona State to improbable indoor team title
The Sun Devils claimed the men's indoor title thanks in part to the heroics of distance star Kyle Alcorn. The first day of action saw Alcorn take the stick for the final leg in the distance medley relay as Arizona State was in the back of the pack. With a late charge, Alcorn nearly helped the Sun Devils to victory but were edged at the line by Texas. With 8 points in the bag, Alcorn came back the next day to win the 3,000 meter race in 8:00.82 to cap off his senior season.
Moment #7 - Cory Martin makes history in shot put and hammer throw
Auburn senior Cory Martin pulled off a unique double at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Martin was the shot put winner at 66-09.25 (20.35m) and also won the hammer throw with a mark of 243-02 (74.13m) . Martin was the first man since California’s Jack Merchant in 1922 to win the unusual double. Behind senior Jake Dunkleberger's second-place mark of 239-05 (72.98m) in the hammer, Auburn was able to secure 18 points in the event alone en route to their second-place finish of 44 points overall (tied for second LSU).
Podcast with Cory Martin after his shot put title:
Moment #6 - Thrilling finish in the NCAA outdoor men's 800 meters
In perhaps the greatest race of the season, Texas junior Jacob Hernandez and Oregon sophomore Andrew Wheating provided a thrilling ending that would send everyone home happy. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 14, the men's 800 meter final saw Hernandez build a solid lead after the first lap. Trailing at the back of the pack, Wheating danced around the last turn and threw down the gauntlet to try and catch the field. With 50 meters to go, everyone could see Wheating charging to the tape while Hernandez was simply trying to hold on. At the line, Wheating simply ran out of room as Hernandez managed to hold on by .01 seconds. A few weeks later, Wheating would end up making the U.S. Olympic team in the event by placing second in one of the more memorable races of the year as well.
Podcast with Jacob Hernandez afer the win:
Podcast with Andrew Wheating after finishing second:
Moment #5 - Richard Thompson displays speed all over the track
NCAA indoor meet record in the 60 meters? Check. NCAA outdoor champion in the 100 meters and 4x100m relay? Check. As the fifth-ranked performer in collegiate history at 60 meters, LSU senior Richard Thompson became the first collegiate athlete to accomplish the 60 meter and 100 meter titles in the same season since Justin Gatlin of Tennessee in 2002. Thompson would later win the two silver medals at the Beijing Olympic Games for his performances in the 100 meters and anchoring the 4x100m relay for Trinidad & Tobago. Thompson will go down as arguably the greatest sprinter to ever wear the LSU uniform.
Podcast with Richard Thompson after winning the 100m:
Moment #4 - Ryan Whiting sets new collegiate indoor record in shot put
On a day which saw Arizona State punch in 19 points en route to the team title, Ryan Whiting took charge in the shot put for the Sun Devils by hitting a new collegiate indoor record heave of 71-03.50 (21.73m) in the shot put. The previous mark was held by Stanford's Terry Albritton, who hit a toss of 70-06.50 (21.50m) in 1977.
Moment #3 - Texas men set world record in DMR
The quartet of Kyle Miller, Danzell Fortson, Jacob Hernandez, and Leo Manzano set a new world record of 9:25.97 in the distance medley relay at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 16. Miller ran the 1,200 meter leg in 2:54.11 before exchanging with the second leg, Fortson, who split 46.90 for the 400 meters. Hernandez was timed at 1:47 in the 800 meter leg of the race, while Manzano ran the final 1,600 meters in 3:57.96.
Moment #2 - Bianca Knight sets new collegiate indoor record in 200 meters
As just a freshman for Texas, Bianca Knight sped to a new collegiate indoor record of 22.40 seconds in the 200 meters at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 15. The old record was held by Veronica Campbell of Arkansas, who clocked 22.43 on the same track back in 2004. This would be the last race that Knight would run for Texas as she turned professional just a few weeks later.
Moment #1 - Jacquelyn Johnson makes history in heptathlon
The greatest female collegiate athlete of all-time? That's what Arizona State fifth-year senior Jacquelyn Johnson may have proved after winning an unprecedented fourth NCAA heptathlon title in Des Moines, Iowa on June 14. Johnson scored 6,053 points to become the first female in NCAA history to capture the event four times in a career. In the process, Johnson also become only the fourth female to win the same event four times in a career.
Podcast with Jacquelyn Johnson after her heptathlon title:
by Tom Borish
Answers by TCU head coach Darryl Anderson
Darryl Anderson enters his fifth season as the TCU head coach (TCU Sports Photo)
How have the past few weeks gone in training for the sprinters since Thanksgiving?
We ended our fall training on Dec. 1 and our practice sessions up to that point were extremely productive. Our training year is broken into three week segments after a six week general conditioning segment, which covers: flexibility, general strength, speed technique development and mobility exercises.
This is a great time of year to conduct testing after the fall training. What kind of times have the sprinters been able to put in? Do you also test what they can do in the weight room?
We use the following tests in the fall to evaluate physical and psychological fitness. I have also attached our workout material for week 11 with this article because 90% of our weight training is done between 70-80% of an individuals max lift.
The long sprinters, which are the quarter milers, do a controlled test during week seven in which they have guidelines on where they need to be at during certain parts of the testing. They do a 600 and a 300, where they take five minutes rests in between the six and the three. Overall, I want the guys to be at 1:24 for the 600 and 36 for the 300, while the ladies should be at 1:39 for the six and 41 for the three. They have to be at certain checkpoints on their way to the 600. This is done to check general fitness.
On week eight, the quarter milers do a controlled 800 where the men have to be clocked at 55 seconds and the women are at 66 at the quarter. We finish up with some speed development stuff after a five-minute rest.
In week nine, the quarter-milers do a 600 and we want it to be run a little faster. The guys should be under 1:20 and the girls should be at 1:33, which we were able to do this fall.
In week 11, we do a 450 and a 250 where we take 12 minutes of rest in between the two. This fall, the guys were at 47 seconds and came back and clocked 22 on their way to the 250. On the women's side, they ran 54 seconds on their way to the 450 and 25 seconds on their way to the 250.
Overall, that's the way we train the quarter-milers. We don't do much where we just come out and do a one shot deal. A lot of the stuff that we do in the fall is a two-effort test because I am a firm believer that in the quarter you have to get to the point where you can improve your ability to handle discomfort.
With our short sprinters, in week nine we have a 300-meter test in which we do two 300's. We usually want the guys to be 36 seconds and the women to be 41 seconds.
We then come back in week 11 and measure their 30's and 60's. We mainly just test their initial reaction out of the blocks from about 15 to 20 yards out. In week 12, we do a Flyin' 30 and a Flyin' 60. On that, Jessica Young ran 3.15 seconds this season for a Flyin' 30.
Normally, we do our testing in the weight room during the fall, but because we have so many new kids this season we didn't do any testing this fall. We have done a lot of teaching on how to do things the right way. We have been progressively moving them up and it varies from athlete to athlete.
Jessica Young redshirted the 2008 season after transferring from Richmond. How has she looked this past fall and just how eager is she to compete again?
Jessica sat out last year, but she really had a good year in 2008. She went over to the Tyson Invitational and ran 7.19 to start out the indoor season, which was outstanding. In Fayetteville, she kind of hurt her foot a little bit, which slowed her down for the remaining indoor, but she went to the USA Championships and ended up getting fourth. At the end of the day, she ran with a little discomfort during the indoor season, but came back outdoors and ran 52.25 in the 400 and 23.30 in the 200. She didn't get any opportunities to run the 100 for various reasons, but to say it was a void year, it wasn't. Overall, she set personal-bests in the 60, 200 and 400, while not having a really competitive schedule, so that just shows that she trained really well and got a lot of things done. Last year was kind of a breakthrough for her.
Is she eager, well in an interview her and I did the other day she talked about how Christmas vacation was just a waste of time and she just wanted to bypass it so she could start the season today. I would say that she is extremely excited to get this thing going. I think she has done a good job in handling the redshirt year and keeping her wits about her for this 2009 season.
The throwers are really coming around as well. I've heard that Candis Kelley bench pressed 300 pounds. Is this typical for your throwers to max out in the weight room this time of year? When will most of them open up their indoor season?
Coach Kenneson has a total plan in the weight room for the throwers and typically he likes to check their fitness just before Thanksgiving. We were excited to see Candis Kelley lift 300-pounds in the bench press. Candis and the other throwers have lifting programs, which are specific to their events. Their levels of fitness will dictate the approach to the beginning of the indoor season and then the adjustment to an in-season routine. The throwers will open up in mid-January with the rest of the team and begin competing on a regular basis.
Who are some of the athletes that have shown great signs of improvement in their fall training for the indoor season?
Jessica Young has done a great job in both her fall training and in the weight room. From a technical standpoint, she has cleaned up a lot of her technical issues from a year ago and has made some improvements.
Kishelle Paul looks to step in as the leader of the sprint team in this her final season at TCU (Errol Anderson)
Senior Kishelle Paul has done a good job in getting ready to run the 400 hurdles this outdoor season. She has also become a leader over the last couple of months, which has been nice to see and really helped her take off on the track. Her short hurdles are tremendously better. Overall, her training has been better then it was a year ago, so she has had a really good fall.
Jessica Clarke is a girl that last year never really did any 400 training, but we got to the conference meet and she was the ideal candidate for the 400 because she leads off our mile relay. She was slightly resistant to it as anyone would be at first, but got in the conference meet and won with a time of 52.52. She followed that up by doing well at regionals and then getting in a little over her head at the NCAAs as a 400 novice. It was more of a mental-block then a physical thing for her where she couldn't get back to 52. This fall, she has worked only with the quarter-milers and has put herself in a position to do well.
Neidra Covington, our long and triple jumper, has had an exceptional fall. Physically, she looks as good as she ever has. She is making adjustments to her jump mechanics and is a lot faster on the runway then at anytime since she has been here. You have a girl that at one-point in time was a USA junior champion in the long jump and we are expecting a lot out of her.
Candis Kelley has had a great fall. She benched 300-pounds the other day and it wasn't like she struggled with it. Her other lifts have been good as well and she is continuing to improve her movement inside the ring to be able to utilize the power. Coach Kenneson has really been working hard with her.
On the men's side, Tommy Killen has had a good fall. He is primarily a discus thrower outdoors, but he throws the shot for us and has done a good job. He hopefully will be able to break the 200-foot barrier in the discus.
Mychal Dungey on the men's side has improved himself drastically. Last year, he was coming out of high school as a high school All-American and worked hard, but physically wasn't prepared for what we do. This year he has stayed focused the whole way through and done a super job.
I think our quarter-mile guys Dell Guy and Matt Love have both had really good falls. Both of them have had to work on two different elements of their race and both of them have some race management issues, but they both have done a super job in trying to iron out their problem areas. Neither one of them like the strength training we do, but have done a better job in the weight room this fall.
Festus Kigen had a good cross country season until he got to the NCAA meet, but that happens to a lot of people. We just have to get him to function at that level. Overall, we feel good about where he is at.
Mark Barnes has had an outstanding fall. He has been significantly better then what we expected. For a freshman, he has gotten to the weight room and changed his body around. We think Richard Knotts is going to be a pretty good jumper by the time he is done here. He is trying to figure everything out. On the women's side, Whitney Gipson is talented and trying to figure this thing out. She is an athlete and did a lot of different sports in high school, which has taken her some time to get adjusted to just focusing on track and field, but I think she is going to do some good things for us in the future.
Having said that, I left out Andon Mitchell on the men's side who has had a good fall as well.
What are some of the plyometric exercises that your athletes have endured during training? What do you think are some of the best that can transition over to the track and field?
The plyometric activities that our jumpers do consist mostly of a progression of skipping, alternate and single leg bounding, RR-LL bounding, short bounds (including hurdle hops), speed bounding (for speed) and power bounding (for distance). Also, we mix in box-ground-box jumps, as well as lateral bench hops in the weight room. All these activities can provide a positive stimulus and strengthen postural integrity, speed of movement, explosive power and muscular endurance.
With the Christmas break here, many of your athletes will spend time with their family and friends back home. Since they'll be away from TCU, what's your approach to make sure that they get the proper training in so they don't lose any of what they worked so hard for over the past several months?
Our approach is that we have to get them in really good shape before we let them go for break. I don't fool myself into thinking that they are going to come back in better shape then when they left here because some of them are going to go to places where they don't have any training tools or anything like that, but we have taken all of that into account and hopefully have gotten them in the best possible shape that we could. I like to end our fall training ready to race and we feel that way at this point. We ended our fall training on Dec. 1. We give them training for Christmas break and it will be toned down from what we usually do. The main thing is for them to maintain the level of fitness they leave here with.
How are jumpers and multi-event athletes looking this fall? Who do you look to that can double and possibly triple to score points at the Mountain West Conference Championships this season?
Neidra Covington has had an outstanding fall. Overall, Coach Petersmeyer has done a really good job of preparing all of those kids really well. The freshman Whitney Gipson has done well, while Amber Anderson and LaQuinta Ross have also done some good things. All four of those girls are multi-jump kids and have done really well this fall. We expect Amber to do some good things after changing her work ethic a little bit, but I think that the whole group understands what their role is within our program. They are all tuned into what we are trying to do.
At the MWC meet, I believe all four of them will double. I really don't know what we are going to do just yet with LaQuinta Ross, but Gipson, Anderson and Covington will definitely double for us. Covington is a girl that last year she doubled indoors at the NCAA meet.
In the multi-events, Meaghan Peoples has had a great deal of improvement this fall. She is definitely going to be a Mountain West level heptathlon athlete. She is a lot stronger this fall then where she was a year ago and that will help her.
The men's 4x100m relay earned All-American status at the 2008 NCAA Championships. When will you start preparing that squad for the exchanges? Just how big is it to have the senior leadership of Justyn Warner, Andon Mitchell and Otis McDaniel back for this season on the relay?
The first thing we have to do is be able to get all of those guys on the track together. We have had some misfortunate happenings in that area with Otis and Justyn getting hurt, but the key thing is that they are some of the older guys on our team so they are mature. I believe this is kind of a blessing because they will be coming on strong come April and June. We don't do anything relay wise until March. Mychal Dungey and Mark Barnes have done very well in their absence. Andon Mitchell is just steady and because of that sometimes you kind of overlook him because he is so steady. Last year, we never had the continuity within that relay and about 90 percent of the time we were having exchange problems, but we are a year older and have added Barnes for a little bit of competitive flavor, so I feel like we should be in good shape when outdoor season rolls around.
The leadership from Andon, Otis and Justyn are huge for the success of this relay, but we have a lot of guys that can do some things for us. Dell Guy ran on the relay team that went to the NCAA meet a couple of years ago, while Clemore Henry was part of the relay team that got us to the NCAA meet last spring so I think we are in pretty good shape with our relay team.
The distance squad is coming off a long cross country season. How will the next few weeks look for them considering they have to take on yet another two seasons of competition in 2009?
I think for the most part we have to have them take a step back from their training and get rid of the aches and pains that come from the cross-country season. Once they do that, then they will be able to get back to their mileage and start really working on their training progressions and doing the things that will help us during both the indoor and outdoor season.
Considering all that goes into coaching, how much if it is up to the athletes and how they prepare themselves for what they want to accomplish? What is the philosophy that you try to give them so they're best prepared?
It's a dual partnership because obviously the athletes are doing all the physical work, but the coaches are guiding their training, while also working on their improvements technically, physically and mentally. All three of those elements have to show up because mentally if you can't get to the line and compete then you can't get to whatever physical abilities you might have. You have to have a good relationship with the kids. I am a firm believer that you have to have a relationship with each and every kid because then they will be able to understand what the team's goals are.
We have a team philosophy that the kids have a well-rounded experience at TCU. We like to teach them that competing is something that will happen throughout their whole life. Simply put, work hard in the classroom, on the track and have a quality social experience. That is the TCU way!
Trotter competed at the Beijing Olympics in the 400 meters while battling a leg injury (Kirby Lee)
In what has been described as an amazing accomplishment considering the circumstances, you finished third in the 400 meters at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials while running with a broken bone chip in your left leg. How did this come about and how healthy are you right now?
To be completely honest there was no exact explanation for what caused my knee injury. I actually just woke up one morning out of the blue with a swollen knee. However, due to the abrupt nature of the injury there is a very good possibility that it was caused due to some type of direct impact taken by my knee that caused my femur bone to chip, an injury which is known as a “Femoral Chondral Defect.” As for right now I am currently recovering from micro-fracture surgery, which I underwent a little over 5 weeks ago. It is a new breakthrough surgery that involves small holes being drilled into the injured area of femur bone, and I am expected to spend a total of about 8 week on crutches before I will be able to bear weight on my left leg so I will not be able to do any walking or jogging until the bone has heeled from the surgery. All things thus far indicate that the surgery went very well, and I am looking forward to tossing out the crutches and getting down to some serious rehab.
In regards to your injury, are you just going to see how everything goes over the next few months before determining if you'll compete this indoor season? What does your heart tell you right now on if you'll be able to compete?
Well, I wish my heart was the answer to this one but by doctor’s orders, the 2009 indoor season is out of the question for me. I will only have just begun to gain use of my left leg come the start of the new year, and will be entering the second phase of my rehab.
One style to your race in the 400 meters is coming on strong in the final 100 as opposed to going out fast. This seems to be working well for you, even dating back to the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships where you came back to win the title. Is this strategy one that you'll continue to keep or one that you'll look to improve on for seasons to come?
This question makes me smile a little because when I reminisce on all the races that I have competed and placed well in, I always received such amazing responses and questions from spectators, fans and media on how I ran the race. I started running the 400m as a sophomore in college without any training. I literally showed up that year at the SEC meet and won! I didn’t know how to run the 400m so I just ran! I ended up running the last hundred of the race really fast coming from behind to my first 400m victory! Now looking back at my career I would say “that is where it all began!” Would I call my race pattern a strategy? Nope! I’d merely call it my signature and my God given ability, and not a strategy at all. My past coach tried to change this about me but it didn’t work. It always went right back to how I have always run. It’s the only way that I know how to run and I think ill just try to perfect my natural style instead of trying to mimic a scripted style.
Tell us about 'Test Me I'm Clean', a non-profit organization about the pure athlete. How much has it helped others in the sport as well?
Test Me I’m Clean is a non-profit organization, designed to educate and inspire athletes of all ages about the dangers of performance enhancement drugs. I travel to schools and sports organizations, sometimes with other participating elite athletes, delivering the message that if athletes abide by the 3H’s of Hard work, Honesty and Honor, they can reach the pinnacle of success not only in their sport but in their lives. The way that it has helped others in the sport is that by wearing a wristband that reads “Test Me I’m Clean” or by participating in the Test Me I’m Clean events, it gives them an outlet to show the world who they really are as an athlete. It gives them a chance to proclaim that they are in fact competing the fair way, which sets a positive example for young athletes all over the world.
It's still amazing to think that many of the U.S. Olympic athletes were out of the country for nearly a month in Beijing. What did you miss the most after you came home?
My Bed! The beds in China at best are about as soft as a concrete slab! I have never been so sore after a night’s sleep in my life! Don’t get me wrong I thought China did a fantastic job hosting the Olympics. It was like nothing I had ever seen before; however, a hard bed is just one of those things that are part of their culture. Sleeping in my nice fluffy bed was a wonderful welcome home, and the highlight of my return.
Being away for so long can take a toll on any athlete. How did you best prepare yourself for your races in Beijing and what did you learn the most from your second Olympic experience?
I wouldn’t say that the time away from home was difficult at all. As a professional runner, I am very acclimated to the long months spent overseas. I pretty much spend the summer traveling all over Europe and Asia running in competitions. As for my preparations in Beijing, three days prior to the start of the 400m first round, my knee took a turn for the worse and I spent day and night doing everything in my power to get the swelling under control. My preparations became all about prayer and mental strength. The greatest thing that I learned from my second Olympic experience is that no matter how things may have unfolded for me, I made sure to enjoy the lights, the arena, the love and support from family, friends and fans but mostly I made sure to enjoy the experience because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I have been blessed to experience twice.
Trotter won the 2004 NCAA Outdoor 400m title in her final season at Tennessee (Kirby Lee)
You gave up your final year of eligibility at Tennessee to compete professionally after the 2004 season. Looking back at that decision, it seems to be the right one for you. As you know, it's difficult to make a living in our sport. How much did that weigh on you considering it was also an Olympic year by turning professional early? Do you feel it was the right decision at the time?
Because I never had aspirations of going pro in track, making the decision was not very difficult. I really didn't have a strong passion for running. My main reason for going to college was to get an education. I was accepted into the University Of Tennessee academically before I was offered a track scholarship. It was only then that I saw an opportunity to use the talent that God gave me and not let it go to waste. I always saw myself as a basketball player or working a job as a forensic detective using my degree. When my mother told me that I could not only get a contract but that my remaining year of school would be covered as well, it opened my eyes to a new possibility and as long as I could still get my degree on time, crossing over into the professional world didn't sound like a bad idea! I never expected things to manifest in my life the way that they have, and I never thought that I could love this job but I do! I thank God everyday because I am very happy with where following his road and his word has led me.
Looking back at this past outdoor season, it must have been difficult to run 53.99 at the adidas Track Classic which was held about 6 weeks prior to the U.S. Olympic Trials. How did you mentally and physically prepare yourself from that point on considering it was not your best effort that day with the window of opportunity closing to such a high performance meet such as the Trials?
My knee, my knee, my knee! I tell you the truth I went through the trenches trying to prepare for the Trials. This was the most difficult year of my life! I ran three 53-second races back, to back, to back and was pulled out of the Prefontaine competition in Oregon. It was probably the lowest point of my entire career. So many people told me to just shut it down for the season, so as not to destroy my good name and reputation by having such poor performances. I had to decide if I was going to listen to those people or if I was going to keep trying no matter what. The decision was made easy by what my doctor told me about the nature of my injury. He said that without surgery my knee could not be fixed, and that there was a chance as with every surgery that it may not function as it once did before. With that being said I made the choice to continue with my season and through the graces of God, to whom I give all the credit for carrying me through this season, I was able to make the Olympic team. Mentally preparing for the Trails was the only way that I saw myself surviving, because physically I was relying on anti-inflammatory medications to help me. I’ve always been a fighter and to me that situation was just another day in the ring. I tucked my chin down and went after it!
Now that you've had time to exhale after Beijing and the rest of the outdoor season, how would you asses your season overall? What are some of the goals you have for yourself over the next few years?
My season overall was very short. I didn’t run any indoors and with the exception of Beijing I didn’t run any international competitions. In total I ran in 8 competitions for the entire year. This season was somehow the worst season of my career but at the same time it was the season that I am most proud of and respect the most. As for my future goals, what I want is very simple. I would like to see my organization, Test Me I’m Clean, incorporated into schools all over the country. Not only that, I want my presence in the community helping kids be much stronger, and lastly I want to continue to be a top competitor in the women’s 400m, ultimately taking my place at the top of the podium.
How did you spend your Thanksgiving and what are your plans for the upcoming Holiday season?
This was the first Thanksgiving that I did not drive home to Atlanta to spend with my Mom and two brothers. I am still on crutches and it was going to be difficult to get around, so I ended up staying in Knoxville and celebrating Thanksgiving with Hazel Clark (800m) and Treniere Clement (1500m). We put a group together, cooked and had a great time! As for Christmas and New Year’s, I am going to make it down to Atlanta to be with my family, with or without the crutches. I’m really looking forward to the New Year, it’s a blank canvas for making new goals and reaching new accomplishments.
Notes: Virginia Tech senior Tasmin Fanning shattered the school record in the 3,000-meter run. Fanning, who earned her second cross country All-America honor with a third-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 24, crossed the line in first place with a career-best time of 9:08.77. Adjusted to altitude, Fanning’s time came to 9:01.57, more than 14 seconds ahead of the automatic NCAA Indoor Championships qualifying time of 9:15.80.
Top Women's Marks:
• Tasmin Fanning, Virginia Tech - 9:08.77(a) / 3,000m
Notes: Boise State's Ryan Grinell and Simon Wardhaugh were the stars of the meet in their respected events. Wardhaugh posted a NCAA automatic qualifying throw of 73-00 in the weight on his last attempt in the series.
Top Men's Marks:
• Ryan Grinnell, Boise State - 52-06(p) / TJ
• Simon Wardhaugh, Boise State - 73-00(a) / WT
Minnesota State Early Season Open - Mankato, MN [results]
Top Women's Marks:
• Katelin Rains, Minnesota State - 13-09.75 (p) / PV
Princeton New Years Invtiational - Princeton, NJ [results]
Notes: The big story of the Princeton Invitational meet held today at the Jadwyn gym was the amazing display of pole vaulting prowess displayed by two freshmen. Derek Hynes completed his day at a height of 15' 5" taking second overall in the meet. His performance was only overshadowed by classmate and fellow freshman David Solvenski who set a freshmen class and meet record by clearing 16' 4 3/4" or 15m even. - Courtesy of Mike Frye
Southern Illinois Saluki Fast Start - Carbondale, IL [results]
Notes: Louisville's D'Ana McCarty opened her indoor season with a win in the weight throw at 67-00.50. Bianca Stewart of Southern Illinois claimed the long jump with her leap of 20-03.75. Both marks met the NCAA provisional standard.
Top Women's Marks:
• D'Ana McCarty, Louisville - 67-00.50(p) / WT
Texas A&M Early Opener - College Station, TX [results]
Notes: Texas A&M showcased their new indoor track & field facility which will host the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Note: The Trackshark college weekend review is updated frequently over the weekend and completed by every Monday night upon the reporting of all results. If there is anything that we have overlooked, based on our weekend review standards, feel free to contact us and we'll publish it.
The 2009 indoor track & field season is upon us and we at Trackshark.com would like to give you an inside view of what you can expect for coverage.
The Road to College Station - Your one-stop-shop for everything NCAA Division I indoor track & field. Follow coverage leading up to the NCAA Division I Championships in College Station, Texas including results, schedules, performance lists, rankings, weekend reviews, training updates, interviews, podcasts, photos, videos, articles and much more.
Results - The most comprehensive college and professional results found on one page.
Schedules - Know what's ahead on the season at our schedule page.
Performance Lists - Complete rankings of all the athletes who meet the automatic and provisional standards. You can also view the performance lists by conference.
Weekend Review - Back for its fourth year, the college weekend review highlights all the top marks from the weekend in college track & field. Instead of filtering through hundreds of results trying to find the best performances, you can get your fix on the college weekend review.
Training Updates - Get to know how some of the best programs and athletes train during the season.
Podcasts, Interviews and Articles - Features from the top athletes, coaches and everything track & field.
Videos - Starting in 2009, Trackshark will have video races from some of the top meets in the country. You can also expect video interviews and features as well.
Photos - As always, you can expect the best photos from the best photographers in the country. Kirby Lee, Errol Anderson, Spencer Allen, Tim O'Dowd and more will provide the best photo coverage in track & field today.
On-Site Coverage - Trackshark will be present at some of the top meets in the country this season, including the Boston Indoor Games, Millrose Games, Tyson Invitational, New Balance Collegiate Invitational, USATF Championships and the NCAA Division I Championships.
New Website - Coming soon in 2009, a whole new website at Trackshark.com. Stay tuned!
by Tom Borish
Answers by LSU head coach Dennis Shaver
Trindon Holliday will return to full-time indoor training after the LSU football bowl game (Errol Anderson)
When do the sprinters and hurdlers start their fall training and is everyone healthy coming off the summer break?
The returning sprinters and hurdlers begin preparation training for the upcoming season on the Monday following the Fourth of July holiday. It consists of two four-week training cycles to prepare them for the start of our team strength and conditioning on the Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday. Everyone was healthy leading into the summer and returned in very good condition for the beginning of our team training sessions.
At what stage are the sprinters and hurdlers in their training right now?
We have our annual calendar set up to best meet the NCAA training restrictions (156-day limitation) and the academic calendar set by LSU. Generally speaking, the training consists of an annual plan broken into numerous four-week training cycles. The calendar usually requires eight weeks of team strength and conditioning before we begin our “20-hour week” training routine as allowed by NCAA rules. The ninth week is when we begin progressing towards the more technical aspects of moving from general to more specific preparation.
How much speed work and how much endurance work are they going through right now? Do you take the athletes away from the track during the fall by running on trails and anything else that will help their endurance development?
That’s a question very difficult to quantify. Generally speaking, we are a very low-volume and high-intensity training program. Speed work and endurance is relative to the fitness of an athlete. Both of these components are very important and are implemented into every microcycle of our training throughout the entire annual plan. During the fall portion of the training sessions – Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday – a segment of the training session takes place off the track. The segment of the training session off the track consists of a combination of running, jumping, drills, hills, stadium stairs and bleachers in Tiger Stadium, the 92,000-seat stadium which is the venue for our football team. FUN, FUN, FUN!
What role does maximum strength training in the weight room play a role in their development in the fall?
Maximum strength is an important part of training, but not any more important than other components of the training program. We are focusing on power development; therefore it plays a partial role in the overall training program. We will spend a portion of our workout time everyday we train on multiple strength development activities, such as general strength circuits, medicine ball, remedial exercises, jumping exercises, etc.
Perhaps the most talented athlete you have on your team coming back this season is Trindon Holliday. How will you handle his transition from the football season to the indoor season? Does he have a different schedule to adopt to considering he'll be joining the team at a later time in training?
Trindon’s training will be determined after the football bowl selection has taken place. Generally speaking, I give him the option of taking one week off after the bowl game is completed, no matter when the bowl game takes place. Upon his arrival to training sessions, he does the same training the Group 1 sprinters are doing, but at a reduced volume and intensity level for the first four weeks. He normally experiences a high level of muscle soreness from the weight training and sprint training. I always have to remind myself and Trindon that he just finished a training program with football where the volume of training is extremely low and is joining a program where our intensity and volume is high by our standards in the month of January and February.
How are the field event athletes looking right now? Generally speaking, at what stage are they in for their fall training?
Everyone looks good at this point in the jumps. We are three or four weeks into more event-specific technical training. The first 6-8 weeks of technical training is very general commonality training. The vaulters at this point are running from 4-5 lefts and have begun to put into place full approach runs on the track. Long jump practice is at 8-10 steps and triple at 6-8 steps and full approach runs are performed also. High jumpers are doing lots of approach run activities and jumping from 6-8 steps. We continue to move these short run jump distances back. The vault and high jump groups will have 1-3 sessions off of full approach runs before the winter holidays. The horizontal jumpers will go off of 12 steps jumps before break. As a whole, the throwing events are much improved from last year. The throwers are entering a more event-specific training phase, meaning much of our time has moved from general conditioning to more technically oriented practice.
Will you conduct any fall testing? If so, what will each athlete have to test for?
We have tested and kept detailed results of the testing for more than 20 years. During the fall, we test every fourth week, which is a low-volume recovery microcycle. Over a three-day period during the week, we administer the following tests: standing long jump, standing triple jump, 30m + 10m fly one day, the overhead back shot throw, between leg forward shot throw, and finally, the last day one rep max in the power clean and bench press.
The addition of transfer Walter Henning will provide plenty of points in the throws (Kirby Lee)
The 12th week of our training, which is always the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving, we have the team pentathlon competition. The pentathlon puts the groups in a competition against one another as scores of the top three in each event group represents the group team total as their final point totals are added together to give a final score. The indoor pentathlon consists of SLJ, STJ, 30m, OHB, BLF tests conducted in a two-hour period with five groups rotating with our officials association administering the tests in our indoor facility. Records and Top 10 all-time performances are updated annually. This puts the throwers vs. the jumps and multis vs. the sprints and hurdles groups. It is very competitive and is treated as our first competition of the year.
The other test for the sprints and hurdles group is during week 8 and 13, which is the week after Thanksgiving. Group 1 (100,200, 100h, 110h) runs a 35-second effort, and the number of meters they run is recorded with times for each 50-meter interval. Group 2 (400, 200, 400h) runs a 45-second effort, and the number of meters they run is recorded with times for each 50-meter interval.
Obviously, these tests help us to evaluate and access many physical and psychological characteristics for each individual athlete and formulate a plan to enhance their ability to improve.
What is your general philosophy of when to have the athletes lace up their spikes and even get into the blocks? When are you comfortable having them train in this situation?
We incorporate blocks into our training program after the first six weeks of fall training. Things like acceleration mechanics remains in the training every microcycle of the year. As previously mentioned, the fourth week of training includes a test to access their 30-meter and 10-meter fly time, in spikes, with the start position a four-point stance WITHOUT blocks. A touchpad and sensors give us accurate measurements of the performance. Blocks for testing are first used for the indoor pentathlon test during week 12.
Early February seems to be a good starting point for all sprinters to open up their first race. With that in mind, how do you plan to use the months of December and January for their base training so they're prepared for a solid opener for the indoor season?
The training program, as previously mentioned, consists of a three-week (microcycles) increase in training volume and intensity, followed by a one-week “rest and test” week. This four-week period I refer to as a mesocycle. Every mesocycle builds on the previous mesocycle, and the months of December and January are no different. I really do not use “base training” as a term to describe any portion of our sprint/hurdle training. The entire annual plan incorporates all of the many training components throughout the entire year, like power, speed, endurance and technique as an example. The advantage, in my opinion, is by incorporating these components throughout the entire annual plan, the athlete becomes better in all areas, and therefore, improvement should occur every year in their performance. While at different times of the year one component may have more emphasis than at another time of the year, we incorporate all components throughout the entire year. I feel this is a requirement to control multiple peak performances throughout the annual plan, such as setting personal bests at the NCAA Indoors in March, and again at the NCAA Outdoor meet in June, and still again at the World Championships or Olympic Games.
Who are some of the newcomers on the team who have looked good so far during their training? What's the most challenging aspect of coaching any newcomer to the team?
In the men’s sprints, Ryan Penn, Jerel Hill, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Robert Simmons and Barrett Nugent have looked good this fall. We feel like they’re going to come in and help us out right away. And on the women’s side, I’ve been very impressed with Cassandra Tate as a hurdler. I believe she has a very bright future here in our program. I would also mention that in the field events, the throws group has added both experience and depth with the addition of Walter Henning. He will be a legitimate threat in the hammer and weight throws and in the shot put. Ryan Roubion in the javelin and Max Lauro in the hammer have also made tremendous progress. Rachel Laurent has been a big addition for our women’s team. She’s an excellent athlete, and her testing numbers have been better than what I would have expected. It also looks as though freshman Brieanna Kennedy will be a bonafide contributor in all of the throwing events, with discus and javelin being her primary focus. Allison Horner, who was a high school hammer national champion, is also showing great form.
The most challenging aspect of coaching a newcomer is identifying which teaching and motivation method is most effective for each new athlete. Communicating and teaching the techniques and feeling as though the athlete truly understands the importance of performing activity exactly like I would like to see it done.
Take us through a typical training session for this week. What are some of the ideal workouts that you'll have your sprinters and hurdlers go through?
Out on a run with Pat Reagan, Jeff Weiss, Jason Leonard along with their pacer Phil Rector the day before NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. We cruised the streets of Slippery Rock at a leisurely 7:05 pace better known as ‘Phil Pace’. Coming off a great showing at the PSAC Conference Championships.
Interview with Pat Reagan of Slippery Rock by David Bracetty for Trackshark.com.
So what’s the last workout you guys did?
On Tuesday we did 6x200’s, pretty chill at 4:40 pace. Monday we did cruise interval miles at about 5:00 pace. This time of the season is so light for us. I (Pat Reagan) had trouble sleeping the other night because we’re so rested now.
We had a Fartlek two weeks ago. The intervals were 2-3-4-5-4-3-2 (minutes) then a mile. Our pick ups were at 4:40 pace on grass. We tried to run as a team and keep it together which is working well for us. The mile was the last mile of the course. We wanted to hit 4:40 on the last mile incase we need to run a 4:40 last mile tomorrow.
Your XC guys have made trips to nationals over the past couple years. What’s the training like here at Slippery Rock?
We have 5 paces we work with throughout the season, Coach Jack Daniels style. One of our big workouts is 5x mile with full recovery. Early in the season I’d try to hit around 4:32-30 a mile. It’s more of a neuromuscular workout and about getting our legs used to running fast. It’s pretty hefty recovery but we need it. All of our recovery runs are around 6:50-7:20 pace.
Over the summer it’s mostly mileage, tempos and some fartleks. I’ll go out in about 6:30 pace then run the last half around 5:25 pace and really try to hump it.
We do our early interval work all on the track and eventually transition to grass later in the season. Early in the season we basically run ourselves into the ground to recover late in the season. It’s like a gradual build and makes you a better runner.
In season, our long runs vary. I’ll run about 18-19 miles but not as fast as over the summer. Our #6 guy never runs more than 8 on a long run, and he just went 26:15. He had knee surgery last year and thats the mileage that works for him. Jeff (Weiss) is rounding out well and is up to 15 now on Sundays. Matt Grey, our redshirt transfer is up to 18-19 miles with me.
Your last regional race is tomorrow. What are you guys hoping to do?
The PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) and Atlantic Region is getting really competitive. I think last year we may have taken our trip [to Nationals] for granted. This year, with Jeff bouncing back from 8 weeks off and having the underclassmen step up, it means a lot more this year if we can go.
Our goal is to make it to Nationals as a team and repeat last year. We’d like to do really well. I have a lot of faith in our young guys and have good momentum coming off of PSAC’s. We are hoping to develop a tradition of success here.
Did you guys feel this way the whole season?
We did have our doubts early in the season. We weren’t sure how if we could make it back to Nationals. There was talks of red-shirting our team and waiting for Jeff to get back to 100%. He was finishing about 1 minute behind me every race up until the PSU National Meet. I ran a 24:05 equivalent and he really had a break out race running 24:15 equivalent. Thats when we knew he was back.
Your team finished second last week at PSAC’s with you and Jeff finishing third and fourth. Can you tell me a little about the race?
(Haha) Yea. Well there was a mixup at the start. The official didn’t give a 5 minute warning to the start, so I figured I had enough time to run to the bathroom. The gun went off while I was taking a leak. Of all people, Jeff ran over to come get me. We were 20 meters down from the start. I feel it’s a blessing in disguise though because if we would have started at the same time, I think I would’ve really went after it and tired my legs out for this weekend. I feel ready to roll. We are really looking forward to doing well on our home course and trying to bust up that course record.
The NCAA DII Atlantic Regional is tomorrow morning on Cooper’s Lake Campground Cross Country Course in Slippery Rock, PA. Men’s race is at 11am with the women racing at 12:15pm
Engel finished third overall at the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Spencer Allen)
At the NCAA Pre-Nationals, you finished third overall with a
personal-best 6k time of 20:23. How would you rank your season so far
heading into the Big Ten Championships?
I'm pretty happy with my season so far, I'll be really happy if I keep improving every race.
Your coach, Jeremy Rasmussen, said that you're starting to figure out
just how good you can be after the race. Now that you're in your final
season as a collegian, do you feel that's a fair assessment over the course
of your development since your freshman season?
Yes, the past few cross country seasons (and some track too) I've had problems with injuries that have held me back from my training. Also mentally I feel a lot stronger than previous years.
With the Big Ten Championships ready to go at Michigan, how are you and
your teammates feeling heading into the race?
We're all really pumped for Big10's. It's a tough conference, but we're excited to go out there and challenge those top teams.
Now that the cross country season is into the final stretch, what will
your general training consist of so you can be at your peak?
We've actually started to taper a little bit, meaning bringing down our weekly mileage by about 3-4 miles.
Originally from North Gower, Ontario, Canada, you've also had success
running for the Team Canada Cross Country team. How did that experience
help you into your collegiate career and what's been the most beneficial
experience overall as a collegian?
That experience kind of showed me that there are a lot of talented runners out there. I wasn't used to having so many people in front of me, which is what some of the big races were like for me my first few years here.
Looking back at the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships, you placed
58th overall and second for Illinois. What are your expectations for
yourself and the team at the 2008 meet?
This year I really wanted to get All American and I'm thinking our team could place in the 5.
After many times of running on the NCAA course in Terre Haute, Indiana,
how comfortable are you with the course and is it the perfect host for such
an event?
I'm really comfortable with the course, I really love it actually. This NCAA will be my 7th time running it, and I definitely think they are the perfect host for this meet.
As we look forward to the track & field seasons, you redshirted the
entire 2006 season due to injury. How were you able to overcome that
obstacle and how much did you gain from sitting out and earning an extended
year of eligibility?
In terms of overcoming the injury, I started training again once I went home for summer, which was a good thing for me. I could get back into shape on my own and I knew I had all summer to get ready for cross the next year so it wasn't really that bad. In terms of eligibility, I'm definitely going to be stronger as a 5th year than as a freshman.
You really seem to have a lot of range, including clocking a
personal-best time of 2:09.00 in the 800 meters. What event are you most
comfortable with and do you think you've found your zone after all these
years?
I've always like running the shortest races possible, for distance runners 800. But slowly I moved up to the 1500, and now I'm realizing I'll probably move up again.
Confidence is one of the biggest things to have before each
competition. You seemed to achieve that during the NCAA Pre-Nationals. How
much does confidence play a role in your running?
I think confidence plays an enormous role. Having confidence, and being mentally tough could be the difference between our team winning Big10s or coming 3rd or 4th.
How do you like to spend your free time when you're not focused on the
sport?
When I find some free time, I really enjoy just relaxing and doing nothing. I like just sitting in my apartment with friends and hanging out or watching a movie.
by Tom Borish
Answers from Tennessee women's head coach J.J. Clark
Head coach J.J. Clark has his Lady Vols ready for a strong 2009 campaign (Tennessee sports photo)
As we're in the heart of the cross country season, the fall training for your track & field athletes has begun. Let's begin with the throwers. Where are they right now in their conditioning program?
When I walk in the weight room, Coach Frazier has the throwers lifting well. They also are doing some technique work out on the track. They have had some testing in the weight room, and I have seen improvement since last year. Right now, they are doing well.
Annie Alexander had a tremendous 2008 campaign considering she didn't arrive to Knoxville until January. As the SEC indoor and outdoor champion in the shot put as a freshman, how is she being brought along now in her first full fall training program?
John Frazier has done a great job with Annie and our throwing program. There have been good indicators from the weight room that she is being developed very well and getting a base underneath her that should take her through the indoor and outdoor seasons. She seems to be staying very focused and just wants to do better this season at the NCAA Championship meets as she did at the SEC meets last year. She’s working on a lot of technical areas in addition to developing her power, strength and explosiveness.
Taking a look at the sprinters, what phase of conditioning are they in right now?
The fall is traditionally your base phase, where you are doing higher volume. That’s where they are right now. They are also showing good success in the early phase, getting a better start than last year, and I’m excited about that.
Who are some of the sprinters who have shown early signs of success heading into the indoor season?
I’ve had a lot of talks with our sprint coach Pauline Davis-Thompson, who is in her first year with us as a full-time coach this season, and she mentioned that the sprinters all are doing well. Sometimes, some show a little more success than others, but Celriece Law, Lynne Layne and Brittany Jones are really showing some indications of doing great things. We’re also very excited about Ashley Harris and Ellen Wortham, a pair of freshmen who are new to the program and have a lot of room to be developed and be successful at the SEC and NCAA levels.
Do you conduct a fall testing program? If so, what events do you test for and at what point in the fall will this take place?
Pauline is testing certain areas, like the jumps. She’s talked about flying 30s, and some of those have taken place already. She also eventually will do, as she did last year, 300 time trials. Basically, right now, we’re doing controlled training and just building up the process as we’re still very early in the season. Pauline has done a great job so far in directing the sprinters to a successful fall.
With a strong group of jumpers this season, where are they in their fall development?
We have three jumpers, and they are all very capable of jumping over 20 feet, and some 21. We have a great volunteer coach in Charlie Simpkins, who was an Olympic silver medalist in the triple jump in Barcelona. He takes them through their phases, their plyometrics, their technical work and development in that area. Everyone is in the beginning phase, the development phase, the base phase, developing strength and power. That’s where we are, but we are also methodically moving forward at the same time.
How important is the weight room and other non-track exercises to your athletes as they prepare for the indoor season?
Across the board, from the sprints, to the jumps, to the throws to the distance group, the weight room is very important. You must have power and speed to be successful. It also requires ball work, plyos, core work, the whole ‘shebang.’ We put a nice load on them and cycle it. We’ve been pretty successful with it over the past several years.
The fall is a great time for each group to get together and know each other, especially for the freshman and any transfers. Who are some of the new faces that could make an impact this season and how have they done so far this fall for you?
We have a freshman, Chanelle Price, who was the top prep runner in the 800m and a good 400m runner. She’s come along fine, making the transition as a freshman will, into college with more studying and trying to juggle a schedule. She’s done a great job, as she also is a very good student. Ellen Wortham brings a lot to the table for us in different areas. She is a sprinter/jumper type athlete also making a successful transition. Ashley Harris is from right down the road in Georgia, and she has excited Pauline, our sprint coach. She’s done a great job of doing everything she’s been asked to do. She shows room to be developed and a lot of room for her to make tremendous progress. In the throws area, there are several youngsters who have come in. Akeela Bravo, Christine Coppola and Laquoya Kelly are all throwers who are being developed to be able to score in our conference meets. We’re just excited about the new faces, and they have definitely been accepted into our program.
You'll kick off the indoor season on January 16 at the Kentucky Invitational, the same oversized track which will host the SEC Indoor Championships. The schedule also features plenty of opportunities for your athletes to qualify for the national meet on some of the best facilities each weekend. With the schedule in mind, how do you best prepare your athletes for the season knowing that they'll have plenty of chances to get their qualifying marks out of the way?
The objective is to give ourselves the best opportunity to put good marks on the board. That is how the facilities and meets were chosen, and they fit the proper dates that we needed. Actually, we take every qualifying opportunity very seriously, because there are a lot of areas where we have to qualify. We don’t want to miss an opportunity, because when you get to the conference meet, you are many times doing more than one event. We try to encourage our athletes to do their best toward putting good marks on the board every weekend by going out and executing a plan. That way, it opens up the rest of the season and allows us to train them in the fashion necessary, versus just going and chasing marks.
What is the general plan for your athletes training for this holiday season?
Sometimes holidays can become a coach’s nightmare. I just want them to train. I’d like them to go home, do the best they can, understanding that a lot of facilities close for the holidays. I also understand there are family members in town, or there is a lot of traveling being done, but I would just like them to, in some way, prioritize their training and do the best they can. In the past, everyone has done a good job of going home and staying fit, and that shows the kind of commitment that I am looking for from the student-athletes in this program.
Interview at the Spence home in Shippensburg, PA with Neely and her father/coach, Steve Spence. Their beautiful house sits on 7 acres where they ride their horses, let their cat wander, and kids run. Neely has two twin sisters and a younger brother. Everyone in the family runs.
Neely’s interview:
Neely with father/coach Steve at their home in Shippensburg, PA (David Bracetty)
So what were your goals going into Paul Short?
My number one goal was to help the team. I wanted to focus on doing well. I knew every place counted. I knew there was good competition there and that was very exciting because it helped push me. Going in, I wanted to get top 10. I went out and told myself to just hang on. I remember thinking after the mile, ‘Wow, this hurts.’ It was a hard race the whole time. I was surprised to finish second.
Your girls team is ranked 6th in DII right now. What are your goals going into the post season?
Well, we definitely will take it one day at a time. We want to do well at NCAA’s and are really focused. Everyone on our team is on the same page with this goal. It’s exciting to see us move up. First we were 17th then 12th now 6th. The top 4 teams at NCAA’s get trophies. If everything goes well, we hope to be knockin’ on that door.
So you’ve mentioned your goals as a team, what are your goals individually at Nationals?
First we’d like to qualify as a team. I know that every place I can get will be less points for the team so I’d like to place as high as I can. I’d like to finish top 3.
When moving up in ranks, people tend to look at certain people as ‘the fast people’. After finishing second at Paul Short, do you now look at yourself as one of ‘the fast girls’?
After the mile, I looked around and was like ‘Wow! I’m running with Sarah Bowman, Frances Koons, and Nicole James!’ It was so exiting! After the race, I remember thinking, “Wow! Did I just beat people from the Olympic trials? Thats freaky!” I just like to do my best and if I keep working hard I know I can be one of the best girls. But I don’t see myself as one of ‘the fast girls’ yet.
In high school, I had gotten to the top. My first two years, I use to look at Nicole Blood and look at the her times and think ‘Wow! She’s fast!’ But then as a Senior, I was running the times that she ran. I had to look back and see where I came from. You keep taking tiny little steps then you realize you’re one of the best. I like looking back and seeing progress.
So how has your training progressed since high school?
My first two years of high school, I would run 4-5 days a week. My last two years, I ran 5 days consistently. It’s been very gradual. My long run would go up 5 minutes a week and after a couple weeks I was running half an hour longer than I ever ran.
Nothing’s been too different, except now I have more training partners. In high school we did mostly body weight stuff but now we lift twice a week with free weights and machines. I’ve never used machines before college.
Now, I’m a running a little more mileage and the pace is quicker. After every run, we are either doing strides, cruise intervals*, or one of three ab workouts. The thing I like the most is feeling a part of the team. I love the camaraderie.
*Cruise intervals are basically little drills for 20 seconds then sprint 100 meters to do another drill.
You were home schooled in high school and have been Coached by your father. Did going to Shippensburg just seem like the next logical step for you? What other schools did you consider?
My dad has been coaching at Shippensburg since I was 7 years old. Coaching and running have been our lifestyle. When I was younger, I would do the warmup with the Shippensburg girls as my run and I would bike with my mom on her runs. My parents would hire a babysitter so they could go on a run.
I would do fun runs as a kid but didn’t start training until I was in 8th grade. I remember watching the Footlocker XC tape and thinking ‘Wow, I want to do that!’ My dad explained to me that it’s a very cool opportunity. They fly you out, and you get a lot of cool stuff. It was one of my goals going into high school. I told my dad and he said, “You better start training.” I’m very happy I was able to fulfill that dream.
I took classes at Shippensburg my last two years of high school where I was able to pick up 12 credits. I was nervous and thought, “Wow, I might get called on and I’m going to have to talk in front of all these people.” It was an adjustment. Growing up, I went to a montessori school school for 5 years where it was a collaborative learning environment.
I went on several unofficial and official visits, and every time, I would be comparing it (other schools) to Ship in my mind. I considered Baylor in Texas and Colorado. Those were my official visits. I did unofficial visits at PSU and Maryland. I liked Ship a lot. I was use to training with the Ship college girls and now I’m proud that I can wear a uniform with the name Ship on it and contribute to the team that’s helped me train.
Have you declared a major?
I’m undecided right now, but I want to be a coach. I’m taking Communications courses and plan on minoring in Coaching, which I’m taking Human Biology for.
What’s a typical day for you like?
Well, I wake up around 8 am for my 9 o’clock. Then, I either make myself breakfast or dad makes me something. Then, I drive to campus! That was part of the deal- that if I went to Ship, I could have a car.
So no horse and buggy for you?
(Lol) I know how to drive pretty well actually. My basement was also refinished so I have my own space downstairs. After my first class, I have 2 hours in between so I just study. Then, I do lunch with the BF, head to the track office afterwards, and go online for a little. We start practice at 3:30 and that usually goes for two hours. After that, we all roll into the cafe and pretty much are loud and I’m sure everyone thinks we’re annoying. We probably smell too. There’s three tables of us.
So when you not running and living and breathing running, what do you like to do?
Um. (long pause) I like being social with the team, like eating dinner with them. We have study hall hours so studying takes up my other free time. I did ride (horses) for 9 years but when I started training seriously I focused on just running. I like watching movies and would like to go sky diving some day.
Sky diving? That sounds intense.
Yea, I think it would be fun though!
With all the running web sites around, it’s easy to get to know how your competition is doing. Most runners pretty much are online all the time, or don’t do it at all. Where do you fall in?
I’m definitely not online as much as I’d like to be (lol). I do like knowing what my competition is up to but don’t spend too much time on it. I’ll check out the sites to see a couple results during the regular season, but with a month to go in the season I don’t check it at all. I like to focus on what I need to do and not get caught up in how fast so and so has run.
So does that mean no Facebook/ MySpace either?
Well, since we don’t have internet at home, I don’t spend too much time. It’s really easy to waste a lot of time on there.
So do you have a ton of friend requests on Facebook?
After Paul Short, I think I had about twenty. It was a lot of girls from the race and high school girls. I feel bad I don’t accept everyone. I usually accept people I’ve raced against or high school girls but sometimes there’s some people I don’t know. I feel bad but I’m picky with who I let see my information.
What type of shoes do you wear?
I’m training in the Brooks Radius and race in the Glycerin. The mid-distance spike, the Nerve, is my fav. I do some workouts in flats as well. I probably have 5 pairs of Brooks between training and racing.
What is on your iPod playlist?
Wow, just about anything! From kid songs to rap, to folk, to Christian, country, or popular songs. It just depends on what mood I’m in.
Most runners try to live the lifestyle, and be healthy. But we all have a weakness. What’s yours?
(Haha) Chocolate! I can’t have a bowl of Hershey’s kisses in front of me because I will probably eat them all (lol) Oh and Pizza Hut!
Before we finish the interview, can you give me a list of your Personal Records?
High School:
400- 60.5
800- 2:15
mile 4:44
2 mile-10:20- 10:16
17:19 at Van Courtland (4th fastest time on the course according to her father)
College
4k- 13:33
6k 19:57
Neely has been coached by her father, Steve her entire life (David Bracetty)
Steve Spence Interview:
What was the plan going into Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University?
Leading up, the workouts were going pretty well and she had told me that she felt she could go about 20:30 and her goal was to get top 10. But in the back of my mind, because it was so cool and the conditions were so good, I thought that she could run closer to 20:00 if the race went well. (She ran 19:57 and finished 2nd)
The last thing I told her before the gun went off was ‘Don’t be surprised if you find yourself near the front, and if you do, stick your nose in there and roll with it...Have confidence in your kick.’ At the 3 mile mark, a girl from the chase pack started to make a move and Neely realized no one else was going with her so Neely went with her. With 400m to go, Neely realized she needed to make her move and she did.
You’ve been coaching Neely for her whole life. Was her attending Shippensburg part of the plan all along or is it something that just happened?
I realized very early that Neely was talented and that she also had the desire. We would hold Thursday night runs at our home and she was able to run with the team while she was in high school.
She took classes as a Junior in high school through a competitive program she qualified for. Going into Ship she already had 12 credits. She did struggle the first semester there but she adjusted really well.
How has her training progressed since high school?
I’ve never had to motivate her but I’ve had to hold her back from training too much. We’ve been very careful in progressing her from year to year.
This year in college, she is running a little more volume and her pace is quicker. Neely gets frustrated when she falls short of the goal times and paces I set for her. That’s why we are very conservative with the goals we set.
Where do you draw the line between Neely being your daughter and your athlete?
We have very similar qualities. She’s very good at handling pain and capable of knowing where she is in her training.
She’ll believe anything I tell her and has transitioned smoothly with the team. I don’t ever give her a break though and I don’t train her any harder.
Where would you think Neely would excel more, here at Ship or at Baylor?
If I wasn’t her father and she didn’t have the support system she has now, I would love to see her at Baylor. Their facilities are tremendous and they offer their athletes a lot. They have the antigravity machine to run when injured, they have massage therapists, a chiropractor. They can provide her with a lot. Coach Harper has done a tremendous job there as well.
Here at Ship, I’m her massage therapist so I can really tell how she’s responding to the training. She babysits for a chiropractor up the road and can get adjustments more than once a week if she needed.
Thanks for the interviews! It was great getting to know you and good luck with the rest of your season!
by Tom Borish
Answers from Florida head coach Mike Holloway
Calvin Smith was one of the top sprinters in the nation this past season (Kirby Lee)
Where are the Gators right now in the fall training for the sprinters and jumpers?
We are entering our 6th week of conditioning.
What is the general conditioning phase for the short and long sprinters as we're in mid-October?
We practice 4 days a week with the focus being on general fitness. We are doing things to work on cardio fitness, endurance, speed, power and flexibility.
Does your program endure fall testing for each athlete? If so, what does the testing consist of?
We will test at the end of this month. The testing will be over a 2 day period and will consist of day 1 Standing Long and Triple jump and 2 x 150 and day 2 - 30m fly test and 1x 300
How much time does each athlete dedicate themselves in the weight room? What are some of the exercises that you find most beneficial to them at this time of year?
We lift 3 days a week and are focus this time of year is building a base and teaching the younger athletes how to lift properly. Some of our more important lifts are Cleans, Snatch, Squats, Bench. We also do a lot of general strength exercises to work on core body strength.
It must be tempting to watch the talent of freshman Jeffery Demps on the football field right now. Have you been in touch with him this fall and what are the plans for him to compete this indoor season?
I have watched Jeff play every weekend and it has been exciting to watch him develop as a football player. I have spoken with him a couple of times this fall, but we have talked more about football than track. Jeff is very excited about the upcoming track season and will be running this indoor season.
How often are the jumpers getting into the pit and other aspects of their events this fall? Are they conducting more plyometric and weight room activities?
The jumpers aren't in the pit yet and will probably not get there for a few more weeks. All of them are doing plyo's and hitting the weight room hard.
It's fundamentally sound for sprinters to build a strong base in the fall and then work on their speed once the season comes. What are some of the workouts that your sprinters are doing right now to build such a base?
We are doing a lot of our endurance runs on the grass right now. There is always some sort of speed development involved in our training, I like to keep in touch with that aspect of the training. We have two days totally dedicated to conditioning, Tuesday and Friday. We have been doing circuits, Oregon Drills, the 400 group has gotten out to 800 meters in their longer runs and the short sprinters out to 500 meters.
When are you comfortable for your sprinters to lace up their spikes?
We will get in spikes sometime in the next 3 weeks. Right after our testing, but only a couple times a week at most.
Do you practice any 4x100 meter relay exchanges -- even if they're not full speed -- in the fall?
We will not do any of that until the outdoor season gets here.
Calvin Smith is coming off a successful season which also saw him qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games in the 4x400m relay. How do you plan to handle athletes such as Smith who has endured such a long season?
Calvin didnt get a chance to run at the Games, but he had an enjoyable experience over there. He took 4 weeks off before he started back in the weight room and 7 weeks before he started conditioning. I am being patient with Calvin and allowing him to get back into it slowly. He will be good to go come the indoor season.
How are some of the freshman doing right now?
Everyone is doing fine, we have a very good frosh class and they push each other to get better each day. The fall training for the team as a whole has gone very well to this point and we expect more of the same as we move towards the 2nd half of the semester.
Ramos was the top finisher at the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State (KStateSports.com)
You set a personal best and course record by winning the 6k Cowboy Jamboree in 20:30. Was the race managed well in terms of how you planned to compete that day for the first big race of your season?
Yes! Definitely I was mentally prepared for our first big race.
I knew it was going to be fast race at the beginning and then a little
tough at the end because of the hills. I have been training very well
on the hills, which gave me confidence during the last part of the
race. Also, we ran the course the day before the race, so I was aware
of what was coming. I really wanted to go out with the leaders in this
race, that was the main goal, stick with them and see where I was in
terms of fitness. I kept the leaders in sight and I waited until I knew
I could push all the way to the finish and it worked out for me.
The course at Oklahoma State featured plenty of hills, especially around the 3k mark. How much confidence did the final result give you knowing that you were able to tackle the hills fairly well?
A lot of confidence. Considering the hills and the conditions of
them, (they were steep and covered in wood chips) I think I did a
pretty good job attacking the hills in the last part of the race. I
learned that physically I'm strong, my fitness is good and I can keep
improving, which gives me a lot of motivation to keep working hard and
reach my potential by the end of the season.
You'll next compete at the NCAA Division I Pre-National Invitational on October 16 hosted by Indiana State. Given your success during the season so far, how much are you looking forward to this race which should feature many of the athletes you'll compete against at the NCAA Championships on the same course?
I think this is the meet I have been waiting for. I really want
to perform well and see where I compared against the best women in the
NCAA. It's going to be an exciting race and I want to go out and do my
best. I want to run with the front runners and look for top 10 finish.
Originally from Trujilo Alto, Puerto Rico, what led you to enroll at Kansas State and how has the experience been for you now that you're in the second full season of cross country as a Wildcat?
Well, one of my teammate is from Puerto Rico, Liliani Mendez,
and another, Lysaira del Valle graduated from Kansas State. K-State
contacted me and I really wanted to come to the United States, so after
I heard about this opportunity I said yes almost instantaneously. I
thought it was a great opportunity for me to do well in academics as
well as in athletics. My experience here at Kansas State has been amazing. I love to be here
in Kansas and run for the Wildcats. The people as well as my teammates
are really nice; they are like my family. I think this is the perfect
atmosphere to do well in academics and athletics.
There are only a few big meets left this season and the Big 12 Conference Championships are just a few weeks away. After placing 29th during last year's meet, what are your goals and expectations this time around?
I have very high expectations this year. Last year it was my
first cross country
Season and I didn't have as much preparation. Now, I think I have more
experience and worked a lot more for the Big 12 Championship. I'm
looking for top 7 this year, which I think is achievable. If I can do
that probably I can run a personal best by the end of the year.
Looking back at the track season, you placed 12th at the NCAA Championships in the 3,000m Steeplechase with your time of 10:24.81. How would you rank your outdoor season and what would you like to improve on in 2009?
I was happy with my outdoor season but I want to place higher at
the NCAA meet in 2009. I'm adding the 5,000 and 10,000 this year and those events
should give me a better opportunity to be a scorer at the NCAA meet if
I can qualify to get there.
What does your general training consist of right now heading into the NCAA Division I Pre-National Invitational?
My volume remains elevated. When I first got to Kansas State my
coach was pretty cautious with my workload. I was averaging 40 miles per week.
Twice a week I'm trying to run 6:20-6:30 pace for 10-12 miles on the
hilly dirt roads around Manhattan. I'm also doing a lot of threshold
and fartlek training. My main focus is the outdoor season so my training has been
pretty general and I think it will stay that way throughout the fall. Now I'm
tolerating 60-65 miles per week without to much difficulty. I'm also continuing to
improve my strength. I'm working hard in the weight room 2 times per week and doing
body weight circuits everyday. I hope to be able to clean my body weight by the
end of the year. Right now weigh 110 pounds and I can clean 95 so I'm getting close!
Who are some of the most influential people in your life who have helped you to where you are today?
My family, my teammates and my coach Michael Smith have been the
most influential people in my life and have helped me to be the person I am
today. I received a lot of help and support from my Family, but the
person that is usually taking care of me here in Kansas is my coach. He
is very attentive and always making sure I have everything I need.
Considering the depth of talent at the NCAA level in cross country right now, where do you see yourself in the pool of athletes who are challenging for the national title?
It's hard for me to say. The girls ran fast at Lehigh, Oregon,
Auburn and Notre Dame. Many of those girls ran faster than me. The Pre-National meet will
be a good measuring stick for me to see where I fit in the national
pool. I hope to be among the leaders!
Do you generally follow how your competition fares each weekend? Who are some of the athletes you've competed against that you have strong respect for?
Yes! I look on Trackshark every day. I really like to
see how everyone is doing and it helps me to know what others can do so I am
reminded of how hard I need to work everyday. I respect everybody out
there but I'm most familiar with the big 12 women like, Sally, Jenny and Lisa.
How do you like to spend your free time when you're away from the sport?
I love to relax, watch TV, share with my teammates and talk with
my family whenever I get free time.
McGregor has competed internationally many times during her career, including the World XC Championships (Kirby Lee)
How has your training been as you prepare for the New York City Marathon on November 2?
Training has been great, I feel really strong. I have been running longer runs than I have in the past and I don't feel as rushed this time around since my track season was cut short.
Taking a step back on the track, you placed 4th in consecutive U.S. Trials in the 10,000 meters. You seem to rise to the occasion the following year, such as in 2005, when you claimed the national title in the event. How will you take the approach of missing the Olympic team by one spot for the New York City Marathon and beyond?
I hope I can bounce back again like I have in the past. One good thing about being disappointed is that it gives me motivation to prove myself over and over again. I don't take any race for granted. I know how hard I have worked over the years, especially last year, and there is a lot of potential in me just waiting to get out!
You're familiar with the course at New York City after running it before. What are some of the more challenging aspects of the race and how will you use the prior experience to your advantage?
I feel more confident this time around. I know where I struggled last time, around mile 22 or 23, and I am ready to break through that barrier. The things I worry about the most though are things that normally aren't a factor in shorter races. Taking in enough fluids, making sure I don't have any GI issues, making sure I have fueled my body properly, staying relaxed, these are big issues. Running a marathon takes more than putting one foot in front of the other.
You've been training with Team USA Minnesota since May 2001. How has the support and training been for you since the move to Minnesota?
If I didn't have the support of Reebok and my training partners and coach here in Minnesota, I don't know what my running career would look like at this point. I love being able to run hard every day with my some of my best friends. Dennis Barker is an unbelievable coach and everyone involved with our group here goes out of their way to make sure that we are all healthy and able to run at our best.
The most recent race you competed in was the USA Women's 8k Championships where you placed second in 25:56. How did you feel during the race and how did it best prepare you for New York City?
I felt pretty good throughout the race, but I was frustrated with myself for letting Sara get away from me. I wasn't sure how I would feel since my legs have been pretty flat running so many miles, but I got through it fine. I love to race, and throwing the 8k and 10 mile championship races in the mix with my training really helps me stay motivated.
The collegiate experience you had at Michigan was tremendous, including being a three-time NCAA Champion. Including being inducted into the Women's Track & Field Hall of Fame at Michigan, what did you gain the most during your tenure as a Wolverine?
Wolverines represent at tradition of hard work, dedication, team spirit, and success. When you put on the block M, you commit to maintaining a tradition of excellence. It is a wonderul thing to carry that honor and confidence with you throughout a lifetime.
Kenya, Scotland and Japan have been some of the countries you've competed in for cross country. How much did the experience of competing with the best in the world in cross helped you to your success on the road and the track during the seasons?
The only way to become one of the best is to compete against the best. I love representing our country and I want to continue to make our nation proud anytime I get the opportunity. Every race is a step in the process to becoming a better competitor.
What will be your focus after the New York City Marathon? How will you train for the USA Cross Country Championships and is the indoor circuit in your plans?
After the marathon, I will focus on cross country nationals. I don't know if indoor will fit into my schedule. I will probably stick to the grass and pavement until the spring.
It seems as though you've competed a lot this year. Some may argue that competing more than simply training through the season has its advantages. Do you find that as a success in your game plan each season? Do you think more long distance runners should compete more often?
I think racing more often helps me, but everyone is different. I love to compete and I am not afraid to lose. I couldn't train nonstop without some races thrown in the mix.
Stepping away from running, how do you best try to relax and enjoy your free time?
In the fall, I watch football! Long runs and game times dictate my weekends. I also like to read, hang out with friends, and play any kind of game. When I have free weekends, I travel to visit friends living outside of Minnesota.
Darryl Anderson enters his fifth season as the TCU head coach (TCU Sports Photo) 
Kishelle Paul looks to step in as the leader of the sprint team in this her final season at TCU (Errol Anderson) 
Trotter competed at the Beijing Olympics in the 400 meters while battling a leg injury (Kirby Lee) 
Trotter won the 2004 NCAA Outdoor 400m title in her final season at Tennessee (Kirby Lee) 
Trindon Holliday will return to full-time indoor training after the LSU football bowl game (Errol Anderson) 
The addition of transfer Walter Henning will provide plenty of points in the throws (Kirby Lee) 
Engel finished third overall at the NCAA Pre-Nationals (Spencer Allen) 
Head coach J.J. Clark has his Lady Vols ready for a strong 2009 campaign (Tennessee sports photo) 
Neely with father/coach Steve at their home in Shippensburg, PA (David Bracetty) 
Neely has been coached by her father, Steve her entire life (David Bracetty) 
Calvin Smith was one of the top sprinters in the nation this past season (Kirby Lee) 
Ramos was the top finisher at the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State (KStateSports.com) 
McGregor has competed internationally many times during her career, including the World XC Championships (Kirby Lee)