2008 UIW Men's and Women's Cross Country Schedule

Below is the upcoming CC schedule for our men and women. The schedule looks very similar to 2007 except that we are hosting the South/Central Regional Championships - the first of its kind in San Antonio. It should be a blast!

Date Meet Location

August
30 UIW Relays Live Oak, SA


September
6 Texas State Invite San Marcos, TX
(B Team)

12 Notre Dame Championships South Bend, IN
(A Team)

27 UIW Invitational Live Oak, SA


October
4 Oklahoma Jamboree Oklahoma State Univ.

18 Heartland Conference Dallas, TX
Hosted by Dallas Baptist

November
8 NCAA II Regional Championships Live Oak, SA Hosted by Incarnate Word

November NCAA II Nationals Slippery Rock, PA
22 Slippery Rock University

Men's and Women's team GPA for Spring Semester

Here is a quick update on another award for the men's and women's track teams. The men will receive their first team academic All-American award in our short history. The men accumulated a team GPA of 3.21 for the spring semester! The criteria called for a cumulative team GPA of 3.0+. I am very proud of the men for doing such a great job in the classroom this spring. It was a banner year on the track as we broke many school records and it was a banner year in the classroom as well as they lived up to the student-athlete credo.

The women's team once again knocked the ball out of the ballpark with their combined GPA's! They finished with a GPA of 3.50 for the 15 countable women. This markes their highest team GPA yet and will most likely place them in the top 5 teams in the nation. Last year, with a cumulative GPA of 3.45, the women finished 5th in the nation for D-II track teams and had the highest GPA for a Texas school.

The official annoncement should come in three weeks and will be announced on the USATFCCCA website and www.uiw.edu/athletics.

Until next time...

Time to Rock and Roll...

We will travel to the University of Texas tomorrow afternoon for the UT Twilight. I always look forward to running at UT because the competition is always top notch. We always run well there also because the facility is nice and the wind is minimal. It looks like the weather will top out at 80 degrees and the skies will be clear!

I have a strong feeling about several looming performances. Yvonne has had some great workouts lately and is feeling confident about her 3000m tomorrow. We will look to be patient once again and try to get a qualifying mark.

I have an intuition about the men's 4 x 400m. Chacho has felt the best he has all year and the way Christian, George and Taylor have been running in practice gives us a lot of confidence to go in and mix it up. We haven't run the 4 x 400m since March 31st at the Victor Lopez, when we ran 3:17. We know it is time to step up and get the qualifying mark out of the way. We shall see how it goes...

Finally, Jay Wilson's speed coordination has been coming around lately. We are going to try to get out right away in the 800 so we don't get knocked around the first lap. Jay plans to get out, take the lead and run high 55, low 56. He will then try to stay aggressive, be instinctual, and change gears the final 200m.

Needless to say, I am excited and the athletes are ready to get after it. I think the 18 day break from formal competition will do wonders for everyone.

Check back Sunday for an update of results...

Recent Workout for Middle and Long Distance Runners

Here are the results of a recent (Wednesday of this week) workout we did on the track. The results show the athletes are starting to peak when we need them/want them to! It was exciting and encouraging on many levels.

On a side note, the sprinters and jumpers have been working equally hard. Their practices are setting them up to explode very soon at one of our upcoming track meets.


Middle Distance: 9x200m w/ 3 minutes jog recovery

average:
Jay
25
26
25
25.4
26
25
25.6
26
23.8
Average 25.1

Jeremy
26
26.7
26.9
25.8
27
27
26.58
27
24.4
Average: 26.37556

Michael
26
26.9
26
26.9
28
26
27.3
28
26.4
Average: 26.83333

Alma
32
31
33
31
32
32
31
32
29.03
Average: 31.44778

Long Distance: 10x400m w/ 1 1/2 minutes jog recovery

average:
Yvonne
73
71
70
70
70
72
72
72
72
71
Average: 71.3
Rose
78
76
75
77
78
76
76
78.5
78
76
Average: 76.85

Cardinals at Texas Relays

Here is a quick update from day 1 of the TX Relays in Austin, TX.

Jay Wilson was our first participant on the day, running the 800m against a strong field. Jay went out and methodically broke the school record he previously set on the same track two weeks ago by running 1:55.33. It was a season best for Jay. He is feeling more confident by the day and his training has been strong. We will tweak a few things as we continue toward our goal of 1:53 for the season.

Yvonne Rodriguez ran next in the women's 5K. We went in trying to grab a provisional qualifier for the outdoor national championships. That is exactly what Yvonne did! She smashed the school record, set last week, by one minute and 6 seconds to finish in 17:42.23. The time places her 14th best in the nation at this point. She will no doubt have to drop the time another 12-15 seconds to assure a national spot. She will run the 5K again at the Rice Twilight meet April 24th. We will do some fine tuning at the UT Twilight as we give the 1500m qualifier another mark as well as the 3000K. After the UT meet we wil focus on her best chance for running at nationals. She ran 5:28 for the first mile, 5:45 for the second mile and 5:45 for the third mile to run her smartest, most disciplined race of the season and finish 5th overall in a strong field.

Adrian Carrillo finished the day for us in the men's 5K. It was only Adrian's second 5K of his college career. He set a seasonal best of 16:06. He will look to drop under the 16 flat barrier this season. Once he breaks the 16 barrier most men never run over 16 again. He will run the open 3000m at UT in a few weeks and then come back with the 3K steeple at the Rice Twilight to finish out the year.

I will come back with another update Friday after Hilario Flores and Hayley Watts run the 100m that morning.

Until next time...

Victor Lopez - Rice Day 2

Well, we finished the Victor Lopez (a very well run and first class meet every year) on a strong note Saturday!

To keep this short I will quickly recap the highlights.

Little Hayley Watts ran her first 800 of the season and set a new PR of 2:29.xx. That isn't half bad for a 200/400 sprinter with no 800 experience who doesn't train for it either. We don't concentrate on it other than to run if for 400 strength work and to show Hayley that there is something that hurts more than the 400! She realized that and is now ready to set a new PR in the 400 and have that break through. She did come back a little over an hour later and set a season best in the 200 of 26.14. She looks ready to dip in teh 25s the last few weeks of the season.

The men's 4 x 400m had the break through we have been looking for all season. The B team of: John William Zavala, Lalo Flores, Travis Barton and David Martinez set a season best of 3:24.xx with splits of: 50.83, 50.38, 51.32, and 52.09. They finished a close third in their heat.

The A team followed in the final heat and set a big seasonal best and new school record of 3:17.66. We moved the order around to try something different. It seemed to work for the time being. Christian Alicea started us off with a 49.49, then handed off to Chacho Madera, who ran a season best 49.04. Chacho then handed off to Taylor Echevarria, who ran a season best 49.09. George Alicea did a good job in his first anchor action, running 49.89 while also moving us from 6th place to 3rd overall.

It was a good meet. We travel to UT for the TX Relays. Adrian Carrillo and Yvonne Rodriguez will run the 5K. Jay Wilson will run the 800. Lalo Flores and Hayley Watts will run the 100m and the men's 4 x 200 will run Saturday.

After the Texas Relays we take a weekend off in preparation for our last two regular season meets of the year at UT and Rice.

Until next time...

Big PRs on Day One of Victor Lopez

Quick update of Day 1 - Victor Lopez:

Rose Caldwell set a huge PR and broke the school record in the 5000m by running 18:47. She didn't have a good finishing place because of how fast the field was (all girls ran sub 19!) but she ran tough, ran smart, and established a nice PR prior to hitting her peak this season. She will look to run sub 18:30 when we finish the season here one month from now.

Alma Santos also established another awesome PR by finishing the 1500m in 5:00.70, setting a freshman record. Alma finally looked like she put it all together and it looks like the speed work is starting to pay dividends for us right when it is supposed to!

Adrian Carrillo, Jeremy Juarez and Michael Cortez ran 4:14, 4:18, and 4:20 repectively in the 1500m. It was the first 1500m try of the season for Adrian and only the second for Jeremy.

Yvonne Rodriguez finished 17th by running 4:46.xx. She led her heat until the final 150m of the race. We have decided to shake up Yvonne's training and start training her as a middle distance runner, with the goal of working on her speed coordination. With this, we look for her to finally dip under our goal of 4:40 this year.

Finally, Danny Gonzalez set another solid PR in the men's javlin with a chunk of 166'1", good for 6th place out of 13 or so competitors. He has now improved in two consecutive meets.

Our sprinters/jumpers look to continue our PR party tomorrow against some of the best competition in the state.

Until tomorrow...

UT Invite in the books for men and women of UIW - 6 records smashed!

The men's and women's team traveled up the road to Austin, TX to compete in the UT Invite against some of the best competition the state can offer. Among the teams in attendance were UT, A&M, Corpus A&M, Sam Houston, Univ. of Houston, Angelo State, Lamar. It was a good test for us as we continue to look forward to the peaking season come April, early May.

Here are some of the highlights of the meet for both teams:
Jay Wilson, sophomore from Churchill HS in San Antonio continued his steady improvement by winning his heat of the 1500m in 4:01.87, good for a new school record. His time was good enough for 7th overall out of 28 athletes. If he would have been in the first heat he may have run even better. He controlled his heat for much of the race.

Yvonne Rodriguez, junior from Tuluso-Midway established another school record in the 1500m in her quest to break every female distance record we have. Yvonne's time of 4:45.48 was good for 6th place in a stacked field. She was right in the thick of things until the very end, holding 2nd place as late as until the final 200 meters. Her time leaves her 3 seconds away from the D-II outdoor provisional qualifying standard.

Jay came back a little over an hour later and again won his heat, this time in the 800m. He finished with a time of 1:57.56 to finish 11th out of 36. Once again, his heat provided little competition for him. This was his first 800m in over a year.

Yvonne, like Jay, came back on little rest and established another school record. This time, she broke the record she set at TX State two weeks ago. Yvonne finished the 3000m in 10:20.20 to miss the qualifying standard by 5 seconds! As her times continue to drop we hope that she is a few weeks away from securing herself a solid provisional mark for the championships in California.

Adrian Carrillo finished the distance party by setting a new record in the men's steeple. Adrian was running his first-ever 3000m steeple race. We have not been on top of his steeple preparation like we should have, spending a mere two weeks jumping hurdles. Nonetheless, Adrian went out in an aggressive manner and stayed with much of the pack during the race. With Shayn Weidner's help, he broke Shayn's record from last year. As Shayn continues to get healthy, this gives our distance program optimism to have 2 sub-10 minute steeplers next year.

The men's 4 x 400m finished out our day on a strong note with a new school mark of 3:20.48. Judson HS Freshman Christian Alicea started us off with a 49.10 split. He handed off to Warren HS Freshman Taylor Echevarria, who ran a split of 50.05. Taylor handed off to Christian's freshman brother George Alicea, who toured the track in 49.50. George handed off to seasoned anchor Chacho Madera, who ran a 51.56 split. Chacho was not feeling well after running the open 400 earlier in the afternoon. He is normally good for a low 49 split, bringing our time to a high 3:18, low 3:19. That is the kind of time we are looking for at this point in the season as we peak.

We have had trouble putting everything on the 4 x 400m together at this point. The two consistants all season have been George and Christian. They are pulling double duty on the 4 x 100m and have been good for a consistant 49 split. Taylor is still learning to run on the 4 x 400m and Chacho is working his way back from the flu and a hamstring injury that kept him out for 3 weeks early this semester. Once these guys get going coupled with alternate freshman John Zavala (Auscion, Paraguay South America) we will be closer to our goal of making the national championships in May.

Other noteables:
Rose Caldwell (Sophomore from Warren HS, SA, TX) showed improvement in the 3000m with a PR of 10:53. She continues to scratch the surface of her ability, which we hope will lead to a 10:35 by the end of the season.
Hayley Watts (Sophomore from Boerne HS, Boerne, TX) showed improvement in the open 400 by running 60 flat as she was completing the long jump.

We take it easy this week as we prepare for some more stiff competition at the Victor Lopez Invite on the Rice University campus Friday and Saturday.

For all UT results go to: http://cache.texassports.com/doc_lib/000_stats/tk/tk_032208_results.htm

2008 Track Season Update

Well, it has been quite some time since I have posted on our blog. I hope this hasn't kept (should there be any regular readers) anyone from keeping up with us. I have wanted to update how things are going for some time but just haven't found the time to do so. I have recently been prompted to update because we inexplicably did not receive coverage from our previous track meet even though I provided all the necessary information for the story to our SID. That is, sadly, the life of track and field. Very few schools cover the track and cross country program with the same detail as other notable programs.

Here is the update from our latest meet, the Border Olympics in Laredo, TX: As customary, we came back with a handful of newly minted school records. The exciting part of having such a new and young program is that we break records left and right. We continue to get closer and closer to having records that rival more established, older programs. Here is the e-mail I sent to the team upon arriving back to SA Saturday evening:

Highlights (new school records):

Men:
Chacho Madera in the men’s 400m - 50.20
Jay Wilson in the men’s 1500m - 4:07.15
David Olivares in the men’s Javelin (and a near national qualifier – the national qualifying mark is 59.40m – 190’6”)
Mark Olivares in the men’s Discus (150’ 2”)

Women:
Emily Kopecki in the women’s Discus (with a throw of 125.7”)

The men’s 4 x 400m relay nearly won the event despite missing two of our four from last week. John Zavala and Christian Alicea were not able to run. Taylor Echevarria and Jay Wilson filled in admirably for them in an effort to win for the second week in a row.

The Border Olympics was our first full team meet of the outdoor season. We dual meeted at Texas A&M Kingsville Feb. 22. The highlights of that meet included our men setting new school records (and winning) the 4x100m and 4x400m relay. They ran 3:21 in the 4x400m in their first-ever action together. We are excited about the possiblities this season holds for our 4x4 squad. We have set a goal of running 3:12 this season, which we believe will give us a strong shot to qualify for the outdoor national championships in California late May.

Indoor Highlights:
Yvonne Rodriguez pulled off a tough double in mid-February with a school record setting 5K performance at Iowa State February 15th (18:07) followed by a win and new school record in the indoor 1600m the next day at University of Houston (5:10). Both marks were close to national provisional qualifying standards. Yvonne and I decided to make a run for the indoor national championships even though we had no intentions of doing so three weeks prior to that and our training indicated that much. We have always had the intention of peaking in late April, early May in anticipation of outdoor nationals. However, after running to an easy 18:12 in her first indoor race in four years, we decided to go to Iowa a week later to see if she could shave 20 seconds off of her time. Despite failing to do so, it was a good learning experience for both of us.

Our throws program has taken off this season, led by Coach Paul Northway and Mark and David Olivares. Mark and David have worked hard the past year to put on some much needed muscle weight. The returns are evident. Both have set big PRs this season and have also been instrumental in recruiting Danny Gonzales (who threw 155' in his first-ever javelin competition) and Emily Kopecki, who has improved to 125' in only her second college meet.

We travel to TX State this Friday with a goal of running sub 42 in the 4x100m and sub 3:19 in the 4 x400m. Our women sprinters look to improve as they have thus far this season and work toward achieving their goals as well. We will have a much needed break from competition the weekend after TX State before resuming competition at the UT Invitational March 22nd in Austin, TX.

I vow to be more faithful to updating this blog. Please check back for regular weekly updates from now until the end of the spring season.

Until next time...

A Special New Year's Resolution

Thought you may want to read this. Enjoy...

P.S. We start spring practice January 14th. No need to rush since we don't start our indoor season until February 1. All the athletes have been working hard during the break and look forward to coming back in good shape.

A Strategy for Change in the New Year
January 8, 2008

Accept Responsibility for my life.
Our culture believes “Nothing is my fault.”
Galatians 6:4-5: “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.”

Believe I can change.
Nothing will happen in 2008 that you can’t handle. God can help you change.
Philippians 4:12-13: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Clarify what is really important.
“What do I value?”- make this your prayer list. “What do I want to change?”
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 16:25: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death…the laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.

Don’t wait to begin.
Do it know! Life must be enjoyed under imperfect circumstances. Live life to its fullest and don’t let less than ideal circumstances dictate a negative mood. Work to maintain a positive attitude in any and all situations!
Ecclesiastes 11:4: Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Personal Development Goals for 2008
*Luke 2:52: Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and favor with men.

Intellectual: What do I want to Learn?
Proverbs 19:8: He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
Physical: What will improve my health?
Proverbs 17:22: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Spiritual: What will deepen my relationship to God? – What one thing?...
1 Peter 3:17-18: It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the spirit.
Social: What will be my ministry to others?
1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides.
Ephesians 6:10: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Season of Life
A football star, a boy, a journey to manhood
By: Jeffrey Marx, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

The following excerpts are from a wonderful book that I was lucky enough to receive as a present for Christmas. I actually read it in about 3 days because it was so good. I want to share a few aspect of the book that I believe you might enjoy should you be reading this summary.

The following was written on a board prior to a football game the high school team was about to play. Prior to each game, the head coach lead a short devotional/lesson for his players to focus on the task at hand of making them men capable of treating others with dignity and respect at all times:

The decision.
A man…built for others.
A man…built for himself.
For those with no voice, no position, no privilege, no power, no authority, you be those things for them.
Seek justice.
Encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless.
Plead the case of the widow.

Joe Ehrdman, a former professional football player and a main character in the book (one of the football coaches and an ordained minister) offered his take on masculinity:

Joe’s code of conduct revolves around four “strategic masculinity traits” that form what he calls “the moral and ethical foundation” of a man built for others.
He accepts responsibility.
He leads courageously.
He enacts justice on behalf of others.
He expects God’s greater rewards.

On the concept of leadership, Joe said: “It’s gotta be based on some kind of moral, ethical foundation. You can’t just go with the flow in life. There’s a broad road and a narrow road, and you have to learn how to courageously stand up on some kind of foundation, some kind of principle, make decisions, be a leader, and go that way. It take courage to lead in the right direction…and especially at the age of the boys on our football team (high school). In the midst of all the peer pressure, the whole social setting, it takes tremendous courage to stick to the right values because they’re often gonna find themselves at odds with the rest of their peer group.”