Zupanc was named the 2002 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year

1. The UW-Oshkosh men's cross country team easily won the NCAA Division III Championship in 2002 while recording the eighth-lowest score in the 32-year history of the event. What was the feeling after the competition for yourself and the athletes knowing how hard you worked all season long?

We were very excited to win the championship. It was especially fun to watch our plan work to perfection and this was fun for the guys to do it and recognize in the race that they were executing the plan. It was a very fun and rewarding feeling. The season is very long at times and to be patient enough throughout the season and have things click at the championship is very exciting and satisfying.

2. With returning student-athletes such as David Cisewski and Nick Boehlke who placed in the top 10 last year, are the men just as hungry for another national title run?

We are very hungry and look forward to the opportunity to defend the title in November. Our motivation is strong. We recognize that there will be ups and downs along the way, but our goal is to be in a position to challenge for the win on November 22. At the championship we will put our best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may.

3. What kind of a base do you expect your athletes to have heading into the first day of practice after training all summer?

It is different for each of the guys. Depending on a variety of variables, the mileage and training will be slightly different for each runner. The summer base is very important. The success of the fall season depends on proper, intelligent, work in the summer. That said, we start a plan in July with mileage and in August I add some specific workouts that will mimic the early season strength workouts of September. Most veterans will do about 55 to 75 miles per week in August.

4. As the month of October is approaching, what will be the focus of your training heading into the mid-point of the season?

In September we focus on strength. We do hard workouts on Tuesday that are longer with short recovery times. On the weeks we do not race we get a longer run of 10 to15 miles. We will continue this into the first week of October. The focus will shift slightly in October to workouts that a faster pace, closer to 5k pace.

5. Also named as the 2002 NCAA Division III Coach of the Year, what have you learned the most as the head cross country coach over the years?

One thing I have learned is to realize each team each year is different. A second aspect learned is to be flexible with my approach to each runner. A third area is to be open to new ideas, whether those come from clinics, other coaches, or the athletes.

6. From a collegiate athlete point of view, what is the most important factor they should focus on in order to get the most out of their development of their career?

Patience. It is so hard to temper expectations to a proper time frame. Our runners are very competitive and aspire to be at a national level. Often times they expect to get there faster than their body is able to do it. After patience would come consistency. If you are patient you will avoid most of the too much too soon injury problem. Consistent year round training with a few rest and recuperation weeks between seasons, will naturally lead to progressive improvement in performance. It is better to be training at a consistent 60 miles per week than to prematurely attempt weeks of 80 miles per week and after 6 weeks end up injured or sick and not able to train for 4 to 6 weeks.

7. We all know that the sport of cross country is a strength race. How do you know when it's the right time to cut back on some certain training so your athletes are not prone to injuries and can stay strong all season long?

That is the art of coaching, in my opinion. We do not have access to specialized testing, so our runners look to me for guidance from the experiences I have had with others and myself. We are constantly riding the edge of too much with the hope that we push hard enough for maximum improvement but not over the edge to injury/illness. I spend a lot of time talking the guys each day and they all keep a log to track mileage and thoughts on their training. The logs are turned in each Monday and I return them on Tuesday with comments. I look for changes in mood, how they handled a workout, how they recovered from the workout, how school is going, and how they are doing socially as a means of detecting early stages of over training. We have a general training plan for the season and the guys know what the purpose and length of each phase. It has worked well for us in the past but each year it is slightly adjusted for the caliber, experience level, and talent of the team.

8. Stepping outside the world of running and coaching, how do you like to spend your free time and enjoy yourself the most?

The other 50% of my job at Oshkosh is teaching the Physical Education and Health Promotion Department. I teach 6 credits each semester. So this takes up a good deal of time in the week. I am still a competitive distance runner (although not as fast I love to compete) and therefore truly enjoy running. I get in about 45 to 50 miles per week. During the season, Deb (my wife and the head women's cross country and track coach) and I enjoy enjoy doing something together on Sunday. We try not to spend time in the evenings talking about cross country, instead we do things to relax. Basically we are pretty boring during the week. Over the summer we love to travel (Europe, US Oly Trials, Olympic Games) and then spend a good deal of time at home on the water (boating, eating, skiing, and generally relaxing).

9. When did you first realize that you wanted to coach?

I have been in competitive sports since 3rd grade basketball. My father was a very competitive guy, loved sports, and this rubbed off on me. He was a volunteer coach and this was probably the initial seed. I have always enjoyed sports and competition and coaching is the perfect job.

10. What's the best part about being a head coach and leading your student-athletes in the right direction?

It is so much fun to watch someone grow and mature over their collegiate career: academically, athletically, and socially. They are a tremendously fun group that keeps me young at heart. Everyday is exciting, new challenges and obstacles to overcome. I love to come to work everyday. The guys are a constant source of inspiration, frustration, exhilaration, and simply make life interesting.

11. We've seen times where athletes can run off course and end up losing major places and points for their team. Is it the responsibility of the athlete to always know the course they are running on or the meet official who may make a mistake and lead them in the wrong direction?

I think the responsibility rests in two areas: course management and the athlete. From my view point one aspect of a good cross country is proper layout. This means the course should be virtually impossible to go off course. This starts with the initial design, the course should follow a natural pathway of some sort (it should make sense to go this way). After the design the flagging and roping should direct the runners in a manner that going off the course means doing something obviously incorrect (such as running through a roped section). The course management has a responsibility for providing an accurate map. The athlete and the coach of the team has the responsibility of reading the map and looking over the course prior to the race. The warm-up should be a time for the athlete and coach to know the course....take mental notes of areas for strategy and for accuracy. This is a shared process by the athletes and coach.