The UIW Invitational hit the books as a success the second time around. Good conditions (High 70s and Low 80s during race time and good competition provided a nice landscape for solid PRs and rockin' racing at the SA State School.
We kicked off the morning at 7:45 AM with the women's 5K course. The course was measured several times, first using a Google earth program that uses GPS cameras to map out geographical terrain. Next, we walked the course with a GPS monitor and wheel to double and triple check the accuracy of the course. With great confidence I announced to the competitors that it was an accurate course.
From the very get-go the girls were rocking! The two loop course provided a great spectator course for the ladies and they must have wanted to give the spectators something to cheer about. With some good "open" competition from Andrea Jarzombek (the local hoss) Yvonne Rodgriguez's competitive juices started flowing as she won't back down from anyone. Andrea took out the pack and set the tone for a fun finish. Yvonne set a seasonal best with a 17:45 (believe it or not, it wasn't a lifetime best), over one minute behind Andrea's 16:40 (are you sure you don't have any eligbility left??? :) ).
Next for the Lady Cardinals was freshman Melissa Martinez, finishing the 5K in a nice lifetime PR of 19:09. Melissa, just wait until the track season when we start working on that finishing kick so we can get that PR in the 18:30 range to match that marathon base you have! Sophomore Rosey Caldwell was the next UIW herrier through the line in a PR of 19:16. Rose continues her comeback from last year's calf surgery. Great job Caldwell.
Sophomore Maggie Callahan finished fourth for the Lady Birds in a significant PR of 19:45. Maggie ran aggressively from the very get go, kept herself in the hunt and garnered a nice top-20 finish among several D-I participants. Great rebound Mags! You showed everyone what you are capable of on a weekly basis...
Freshman Alma Santos continued the PR train with a 19:58 to give the Cardinal Red 5 under the 20 barrier. As we all know, for a woman, the 20 minute 5K barrier is one of the toughest barriers, similar to the 16 minute barrier for the young HS or college male. Alma got back on the right track after struggling at OK State. Way to go Santos!
Lindsay Davidson, in her first action of the season finished in a nice time of 21:24, nicely debuting for UIW. With a couple more weeks of prep Lindsay should dip under 21, setting a solid PR. Finally, Sonya Solorio showed some more improvement with her 22:47, another PR.
In case you haven't noticed...the Ladies were in to the PR thing today. Great job women of the XC course. Much like last year, we seem to be following the same pattern of starting to peak when we need to for the conference and regional meet. This effort shows that we are on the right track and that the training is moving us along in the right direction. The girls came together, backed each other up and closed our 2nd-5th gap from 2:08 at OK State to only :47 seconds!
On the men's side, Shayn Weidner continued his solid work with a PR of 26:05 on the accurate 8K course. Shayn went after David Fuentes of St. Edwards and his buddy Chass Armstrong of Trinity. At the 2 1/2 mile mark David and Chass surged to a 15 second lead on Shayn before David turned on the jets to leave Chass for a solo 25:30 effort. Shayn, don't worry, with some good strategy and risk taking we can get David!
Super Frosh Adrian Carrillo again showed how disciplined he is by setting a new PR of 26:47. I don't want to speak to fast but I think Adrian may have found a new favorite race. Adrian's time is also a UIW freshman record. Congratulations AC. I can't wait to see what you can do when you actually feel good...
Blake the Snake (Bartosh) rebounded from a dissapointing OK State race with a 29:03. B. ran the first 3 miles great, only to fall off a little bit the last 2. However, he is more the capable of hanging the last 2, bringing him through in 27:50-28:00. Good work Blake.
Estevan Flores took fourth on the squad with a 29:36.
Roman Jacobo, our normal 3 man had a tough day - going into the race feeling terrible, only to feel even more terrible afterword, finishing in 30:34. Don't expect to see any more of that from Roman. Everyone has those races where you don't feel well and you can't get into it. Better now than later Roman. Let's rebound with another solid week of practice - you have been having many of them lately.
Michael Cortez finished in 30:20 (close enough). Still nursing a sprained ankle Michael is working his way through some pacing issues. He did make progress today, staying competitive throughout much of the race. Solid work Michael.
P.S. Jeremy Juarez, running unattached, ran right behind Adrian in 26:58. Great PR buddy. All that hard work this summer is paying off. You have a bright future in running ahead of you. I look forward to working with you several more years.
Overall, we should be proud of the improvement. The women ran as a team and ran agressively, the way we have been trying to get them to run all season. For the men, we are still working on finding our identity. The men need to make this team their own. This is their team, and they need to do this for each other. When they start racing for each other they will find the deeper meaning that I have wanted them to find all season - being a part of something bigger than any one individual. They are a part of something very few people have the priviledge of experiencing. That, in my opinion, is what makes athletics such a life changing event.
Until next time...
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Long Time No Post
Well, as most of you can tell, it has been quite some time since I have posted on this blog. I never realized that I would be so busy that I would not be able to post on our team blog! With all the responsibilties I have not set aside time to let you know what is going on. I apologize for that!
A lot has happened in the last 3 + weeks since I last posted. First, we traveled to Notre Dame for the National Catholic Championships. We did this to promote excitement on the cross country team. We also did it to compete against great cross country teams. It is often hard to find quality XC meets in Texas. That is why we travel more. We had two big trips this season - Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. These type of meets prepare us for what we will face at the Regional chamionships and hopefully nationals. In comparison, we don't have to travel (nor can we because of size) far to find good competition. Any school with a decent track is going to host meets. For instance, we are planning to go to UT several times this spring because it is close, it is a world class track facility, and the competition is always excellent.
Before briefing the Notre Dame and OK State meets I want to quickly mention the track team.
Another reason for the absence of posting is because we have been staying busy kicking off the track pre-season training. We started track practice this Monday with a record number of athletes coming out! We would like to start a few weeks earlier but I always like to give everyone a good 5-6 weeks to get acclimated to the fall semester and give us (the coaches) time to mesh our ideas and visions for what we hope to be a great year. Coach Candace and I have been fervantly working on our Mesocycle (annual plan - periodization scale) for the sprinters and jumpers. The extra few weeks allows us to set everything up and get all athlete's schedule meshed and ready to go.
Track practice has been good thus far. Everyone seems excited to be working out again and be togther once again. We always have a great comraderie among the men and women sprinters. I work hard not to bring in primodonas, egos, and attitude problems. I want the team to be a family that supports each other and encourages each other to reach for the stars. With the additional coaching staff this year I believe we are going to be more competitive and see more Cardinals and Lady Cardinals at the national meet in California this year.
The men have made it a point to qualify either a 4 x 100 or 4 x 400m relay team this year. With the newcomers I believe that we have a stronger 4 x 400m team at this point. The freshmen and transfers have all had more success at their previous schools in the 4 x 400m.
For instance, twins George and Christian Alicea were the first and second legs on Judson's 4th place Texas class 5A 4 x 400m team. Freshman Marcus Edwards was the anchor leg on Reagan's (San Antonio) 3:18 team that finished 4th (I believe) in Region IV-5A this past spring. In a lot of regions, they may have picked up one of the state qualifying spots.
Taylor Echevarria, freshman from Warren HS (San Antonio) was also on a solid 4 x 400m team and was a regional finalist in the open 400. E J Rusher (transfer from Oklahoma Baptist) was on OBU's 3:12 4 x 400m team last year before succumbing to a hamstring injury. Chacho Madera (Graduate student from Corpus A & M) was the 4th leg on a 3:13 team last spring. His compadre Lalo Flores was the 4th leg in 2006 (the year before he transfered to UIW) at Corpus A & M and is hungrier than ever after redshirting last spring.
John Zavala (freshman from Auscuncion, Paraguay) is in his first semester at UIW after anchoring the Under-20 4 x 400m National team for Paraguay that set a national record in 3:17. David Martinez (Sophomore from SA) is back and stronger than ever. His strength gains over the summer are noticable as he is already maxing out at more than he finished out last spring at. I expect David to lead a resurgant men's sprint core into the future. Finally, there are a few newcomers that are going to redshirt this year for development and a few spring transfers that will make our sprint group that much stronger.
David and Mark Olivares are lifting heavy right now as they concentrate on adding more muscle for the Javelin and Discus. David's goal is to qualify for nationals in the Javelin with a toss of 200+. In his first season (actually half season) of throwing the Jav he set a PR of 160'. Adding 10 lbs (from what I can tell) of muscle will only make him throw further!
On the women's side our newfound depth offers excitement. Hayley Watts, Morgan Moszee, Dana Littleton, Miel Harris, and Laura Castro return from the '07 team. Brittany Black, Jenada Morrison and Jenovia Morrison bring state experience to the women's sprint group. We will be thin once again among the women sprinters but the girls are focused on putting together some solid relays and showing what they can do. In addition, Bianca Aguillon (freshman from Antonian) gives us our first shot/discus/javelin thrower in school history. I look forward to her throwing well this year.
Now...back to the in-season sport...
The Notre Dame trip was a success on several fronts. The course was beautiful and the weather was great. When we got there Thursday morning we drove to South Bend to see the course and the campus. The weather was gourgeous and a nice reprieve from the blazing Texas heat! However, Friday was a different story. The temperature was pleasant but the Chicago area (South Bend included) lived up to its reputation as 'the windy city.' Needless to say, they were running into some heavy wind. That didn't slow us down much.
The women ran first. Yvonne Rodriguez, in her first big meet action since 2004 shot out to the lead from the gun. My first inclination was to tackle her...but Bree calmed me down and told me that taking the lead right away was her style. This didn't ease my nevervousness much. After leading the first mile in 5:38 the wind took its toll on her. However, she hung with the lead pack and finished 24th overall in a field of over 300 runners. Even more important, she was the second finisher in the non-division I race.
Rose Caldwell was our second runner. This was her first collegiate cross country race. Coming off of compartment syndrome surgery, Rose nearly bested 20 flat in her first real 5K action. Melissa Martinez (freshman from IWHS) followed closely behind in 20:25 (also her first-ever 5K). Alma Santos surprised us with her strong finish of 20:50, followed closely by sophomore Maggie Callahan (21:00). Overall, it was a good start for our women's team. They ran well, ran inspired, and worked together to finish 16th out of 37 overall teams and 8th out of 25 Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools.
The men also exceeded expectations. As usual, Shayn Weidner led the men's team. Shayn set a school record and a personal record with his 26:15 finish. He finished 38th out of a field of nearly 300 finishers. Adrian Carrillo, in his first 8K action rocked the house with a 27:22! What a debut. What makes his time even more impressive is that up until about 4 weeks before that we thought we would have redshirt 'ole Adrian because of a nagging IT band injury. Just when I thought we might lose him he turned the corner and started to show why he missed all-state in 4A XC by 1 second last fall.
Roman Jacobo also came out ready to prove something in his first-ever 8K with a solid time of 27:52. Roman's was just cleared earlier that week. We almost didn't have Roman because of a snaffu with his HS transcript. Through great haggling by his great mother and lots of prayer Roman was cleared and released his frustration in the mean time!
Finally, Estevan, Blake and Michael finished out our top 6 finishers...
Estevan started off in the back and worked his way through the pack on his way to catching Michael and Blake. Estevan finished in 29:22 to better his previous week's 8K by nearly one-minute! Blake also improved on last season's opening 8K by finishing in 29:24. Finally, Michael, in his first-ever 8K just missed the 30 minute mark with a 30:02.
Overall, the men finished 20th out of 34 teams and 10th out of 20 something teams in the non-division I field. A better finish from our fourth and fifth guys would have propelled us to a top 15 overall finish. However, the men know they have not reached their full potential to this point.
Well...I would love to finish this blog but it is late and I have exhausted my writing facilities this evening.
I will try to finish the OK State summary and the MVR (Most Valuable Runner) as well as the track team's MVR tomorrow.
Until next time...
P.S. I will also try to discuss some of our current training for any recruits who may be interested in what we do at The Word...
A lot has happened in the last 3 + weeks since I last posted. First, we traveled to Notre Dame for the National Catholic Championships. We did this to promote excitement on the cross country team. We also did it to compete against great cross country teams. It is often hard to find quality XC meets in Texas. That is why we travel more. We had two big trips this season - Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. These type of meets prepare us for what we will face at the Regional chamionships and hopefully nationals. In comparison, we don't have to travel (nor can we because of size) far to find good competition. Any school with a decent track is going to host meets. For instance, we are planning to go to UT several times this spring because it is close, it is a world class track facility, and the competition is always excellent.
Before briefing the Notre Dame and OK State meets I want to quickly mention the track team.
Another reason for the absence of posting is because we have been staying busy kicking off the track pre-season training. We started track practice this Monday with a record number of athletes coming out! We would like to start a few weeks earlier but I always like to give everyone a good 5-6 weeks to get acclimated to the fall semester and give us (the coaches) time to mesh our ideas and visions for what we hope to be a great year. Coach Candace and I have been fervantly working on our Mesocycle (annual plan - periodization scale) for the sprinters and jumpers. The extra few weeks allows us to set everything up and get all athlete's schedule meshed and ready to go.
Track practice has been good thus far. Everyone seems excited to be working out again and be togther once again. We always have a great comraderie among the men and women sprinters. I work hard not to bring in primodonas, egos, and attitude problems. I want the team to be a family that supports each other and encourages each other to reach for the stars. With the additional coaching staff this year I believe we are going to be more competitive and see more Cardinals and Lady Cardinals at the national meet in California this year.
The men have made it a point to qualify either a 4 x 100 or 4 x 400m relay team this year. With the newcomers I believe that we have a stronger 4 x 400m team at this point. The freshmen and transfers have all had more success at their previous schools in the 4 x 400m.
For instance, twins George and Christian Alicea were the first and second legs on Judson's 4th place Texas class 5A 4 x 400m team. Freshman Marcus Edwards was the anchor leg on Reagan's (San Antonio) 3:18 team that finished 4th (I believe) in Region IV-5A this past spring. In a lot of regions, they may have picked up one of the state qualifying spots.
Taylor Echevarria, freshman from Warren HS (San Antonio) was also on a solid 4 x 400m team and was a regional finalist in the open 400. E J Rusher (transfer from Oklahoma Baptist) was on OBU's 3:12 4 x 400m team last year before succumbing to a hamstring injury. Chacho Madera (Graduate student from Corpus A & M) was the 4th leg on a 3:13 team last spring. His compadre Lalo Flores was the 4th leg in 2006 (the year before he transfered to UIW) at Corpus A & M and is hungrier than ever after redshirting last spring.
John Zavala (freshman from Auscuncion, Paraguay) is in his first semester at UIW after anchoring the Under-20 4 x 400m National team for Paraguay that set a national record in 3:17. David Martinez (Sophomore from SA) is back and stronger than ever. His strength gains over the summer are noticable as he is already maxing out at more than he finished out last spring at. I expect David to lead a resurgant men's sprint core into the future. Finally, there are a few newcomers that are going to redshirt this year for development and a few spring transfers that will make our sprint group that much stronger.
David and Mark Olivares are lifting heavy right now as they concentrate on adding more muscle for the Javelin and Discus. David's goal is to qualify for nationals in the Javelin with a toss of 200+. In his first season (actually half season) of throwing the Jav he set a PR of 160'. Adding 10 lbs (from what I can tell) of muscle will only make him throw further!
On the women's side our newfound depth offers excitement. Hayley Watts, Morgan Moszee, Dana Littleton, Miel Harris, and Laura Castro return from the '07 team. Brittany Black, Jenada Morrison and Jenovia Morrison bring state experience to the women's sprint group. We will be thin once again among the women sprinters but the girls are focused on putting together some solid relays and showing what they can do. In addition, Bianca Aguillon (freshman from Antonian) gives us our first shot/discus/javelin thrower in school history. I look forward to her throwing well this year.
Now...back to the in-season sport...
The Notre Dame trip was a success on several fronts. The course was beautiful and the weather was great. When we got there Thursday morning we drove to South Bend to see the course and the campus. The weather was gourgeous and a nice reprieve from the blazing Texas heat! However, Friday was a different story. The temperature was pleasant but the Chicago area (South Bend included) lived up to its reputation as 'the windy city.' Needless to say, they were running into some heavy wind. That didn't slow us down much.
The women ran first. Yvonne Rodriguez, in her first big meet action since 2004 shot out to the lead from the gun. My first inclination was to tackle her...but Bree calmed me down and told me that taking the lead right away was her style. This didn't ease my nevervousness much. After leading the first mile in 5:38 the wind took its toll on her. However, she hung with the lead pack and finished 24th overall in a field of over 300 runners. Even more important, she was the second finisher in the non-division I race.
Rose Caldwell was our second runner. This was her first collegiate cross country race. Coming off of compartment syndrome surgery, Rose nearly bested 20 flat in her first real 5K action. Melissa Martinez (freshman from IWHS) followed closely behind in 20:25 (also her first-ever 5K). Alma Santos surprised us with her strong finish of 20:50, followed closely by sophomore Maggie Callahan (21:00). Overall, it was a good start for our women's team. They ran well, ran inspired, and worked together to finish 16th out of 37 overall teams and 8th out of 25 Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools.
The men also exceeded expectations. As usual, Shayn Weidner led the men's team. Shayn set a school record and a personal record with his 26:15 finish. He finished 38th out of a field of nearly 300 finishers. Adrian Carrillo, in his first 8K action rocked the house with a 27:22! What a debut. What makes his time even more impressive is that up until about 4 weeks before that we thought we would have redshirt 'ole Adrian because of a nagging IT band injury. Just when I thought we might lose him he turned the corner and started to show why he missed all-state in 4A XC by 1 second last fall.
Roman Jacobo also came out ready to prove something in his first-ever 8K with a solid time of 27:52. Roman's was just cleared earlier that week. We almost didn't have Roman because of a snaffu with his HS transcript. Through great haggling by his great mother and lots of prayer Roman was cleared and released his frustration in the mean time!
Finally, Estevan, Blake and Michael finished out our top 6 finishers...
Estevan started off in the back and worked his way through the pack on his way to catching Michael and Blake. Estevan finished in 29:22 to better his previous week's 8K by nearly one-minute! Blake also improved on last season's opening 8K by finishing in 29:24. Finally, Michael, in his first-ever 8K just missed the 30 minute mark with a 30:02.
Overall, the men finished 20th out of 34 teams and 10th out of 20 something teams in the non-division I field. A better finish from our fourth and fifth guys would have propelled us to a top 15 overall finish. However, the men know they have not reached their full potential to this point.
Well...I would love to finish this blog but it is late and I have exhausted my writing facilities this evening.
I will try to finish the OK State summary and the MVR (Most Valuable Runner) as well as the track team's MVR tomorrow.
Until next time...
P.S. I will also try to discuss some of our current training for any recruits who may be interested in what we do at The Word...
Sunday, September 9, 2007
3rd Most Valuable Runner (MVR) Award of 2007!
We have now officially finished the first four weeks of the XC season. The men's and women's teams have now progressed through four weeks of workouts. On the heels of our first meet - the September 1 UIW Relay - we continued our training assult with another heavy volume week.
I personally look forward to our big team trip. Yes, it is finally here! We leave for Notre Dame Thursday morning from the SA airport. We look forward to a fun, educational experience and some good racing conditions in South Bend, IN. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is playing the other major dissapointment of the 2007 Division I football season, Michigan, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Withouth further ado, this weeks MVRs...
Women's MVR for the week of September 3rd-8th: Sonya Solorio (Bush HS, Houston, TX). Sonya entered UIW with very little running experience. In fact, she has been running for less than two years. In addition to her lack of experience, she has experienced, as many freshman do, a difficult transition to college life. To make matters more difficult, Sonya is very close to her family and has missed them terribly the first month of the school year. However, Sonya, with the aid of some great individual workouts, is really starting to come around. The girls have really taken her under their wings and the continued encouragement has spear-headed Sonya to witness her best week of workouts yet. It is my hope that she will continue on this path as she continues to gain valuable running knowledge this cross country season! Congats Sonya on earning your first MVR of the week award!
Men's MVR for the week of September 3rd-8th: We have a tie for men's MVR this week: Jeremy Juarez (freshman from Lytle, TX) and Shayn Weidner (Marion, TX). Jeremy and Shayn have known one another for some time now. They were in the same district for two years in HS. Despite the fact that Shayn is one year older than Jeremy, they often found themselves competiting with each other in HS long before they became teammates. Well, the transition to teammates has been about as seemless as it possibly could be. Every morning, as we start our runs, Jeremy is right next to Shayn. Their love of running and determination to get better feeds their running relationship. Despite the fact that Shayn is an individual of few words, he has taken Jeremy under his wing as he teaches him the ropes of collegiate running. As Blake Bartosh (Burnet, TX) stated so succinctly last week on our way back from a workout "I think Shayn should be MVR this week because he sets the tone for the whole men's team. We see him working hard and we can't help but want to follow his lead every day." Well Blake, I am taking your advice - with an added twist; I believe Jeremy is quickly making himself a tone setter as well. Because of these two guys there is not a single guy on the team that doesn't come to practice ready to get after it. Adrian, Mike, Blake, Roman, Estevan and Jose all continue to keep their eyes on the goal, the goal that only the team knows.
This goal can only be obtained by living in the Here and Now. We can't focus too much on the past (other than to see how far we have come) and we can't look to far into the future (other than to maintain our focus on where we want to go). We are a part of something bigger than ourselves. The men and women have united to work together toward a common goal. Often times, there are people who advocate for how we should be different, individuals not tied to a group for fear of losing our unique identities. For instance, some radical thinkers believe that groups lose their sense of diversity and free thinking, which stifles ever-important critical thinking. Here is what I propose: What about a group of unique individuals, all capable of doing things the other person is not capable of doing, joining together in search of a common goal - striving for excellence together all the while learning from each other and in turn becoming more brodely defined unique individuals because of the experience??
I don't know...it is a novel idea. However, it seems to be the basic premis of team dynamics. It also seems to be what can make teams so special and unique.
XC and Track teams: Here is my challenge to you - Lets try to come together in a way that defies logical team dynamics. Lets create a family atmosphere that compells outsiders to wonder how they too can get a piece of "that unique UIW XC/TF experience."
Until next time...
I personally look forward to our big team trip. Yes, it is finally here! We leave for Notre Dame Thursday morning from the SA airport. We look forward to a fun, educational experience and some good racing conditions in South Bend, IN. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is playing the other major dissapointment of the 2007 Division I football season, Michigan, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Withouth further ado, this weeks MVRs...
Women's MVR for the week of September 3rd-8th: Sonya Solorio (Bush HS, Houston, TX). Sonya entered UIW with very little running experience. In fact, she has been running for less than two years. In addition to her lack of experience, she has experienced, as many freshman do, a difficult transition to college life. To make matters more difficult, Sonya is very close to her family and has missed them terribly the first month of the school year. However, Sonya, with the aid of some great individual workouts, is really starting to come around. The girls have really taken her under their wings and the continued encouragement has spear-headed Sonya to witness her best week of workouts yet. It is my hope that she will continue on this path as she continues to gain valuable running knowledge this cross country season! Congats Sonya on earning your first MVR of the week award!
Men's MVR for the week of September 3rd-8th: We have a tie for men's MVR this week: Jeremy Juarez (freshman from Lytle, TX) and Shayn Weidner (Marion, TX). Jeremy and Shayn have known one another for some time now. They were in the same district for two years in HS. Despite the fact that Shayn is one year older than Jeremy, they often found themselves competiting with each other in HS long before they became teammates. Well, the transition to teammates has been about as seemless as it possibly could be. Every morning, as we start our runs, Jeremy is right next to Shayn. Their love of running and determination to get better feeds their running relationship. Despite the fact that Shayn is an individual of few words, he has taken Jeremy under his wing as he teaches him the ropes of collegiate running. As Blake Bartosh (Burnet, TX) stated so succinctly last week on our way back from a workout "I think Shayn should be MVR this week because he sets the tone for the whole men's team. We see him working hard and we can't help but want to follow his lead every day." Well Blake, I am taking your advice - with an added twist; I believe Jeremy is quickly making himself a tone setter as well. Because of these two guys there is not a single guy on the team that doesn't come to practice ready to get after it. Adrian, Mike, Blake, Roman, Estevan and Jose all continue to keep their eyes on the goal, the goal that only the team knows.
This goal can only be obtained by living in the Here and Now. We can't focus too much on the past (other than to see how far we have come) and we can't look to far into the future (other than to maintain our focus on where we want to go). We are a part of something bigger than ourselves. The men and women have united to work together toward a common goal. Often times, there are people who advocate for how we should be different, individuals not tied to a group for fear of losing our unique identities. For instance, some radical thinkers believe that groups lose their sense of diversity and free thinking, which stifles ever-important critical thinking. Here is what I propose: What about a group of unique individuals, all capable of doing things the other person is not capable of doing, joining together in search of a common goal - striving for excellence together all the while learning from each other and in turn becoming more brodely defined unique individuals because of the experience??
I don't know...it is a novel idea. However, it seems to be the basic premis of team dynamics. It also seems to be what can make teams so special and unique.
XC and Track teams: Here is my challenge to you - Lets try to come together in a way that defies logical team dynamics. Lets create a family atmosphere that compells outsiders to wonder how they too can get a piece of "that unique UIW XC/TF experience."
Until next time...
Friday, September 7, 2007
Another Week in the Books!
Well, we are putting the finishing touches on our fourth week together as a team. We finish the week with a long run in the AM of Saturday. This will be the finish of a very good training week for us. I have been pleased with how everyone is progessing as we continue our quest for the perfectly timed peak.
The men showed their unity this morning when they showed up for practice with matching mo-hawk hair cuts. 5 of the guys cut their hair last night to have some fun. Jose was not able to because he wasn't feeling well and they guys were not able to convince Michael to cut his yet. They are still working on Mike as they try to convince him to let his guard down a little bit and join the mo-hawk crew! Come on Michael, we know you really want to do it!!!
For the women, Sonya Gibbs (Gibbster) celebrated a birthday last week with the rest of the girls at a restaurant. On another happy note, Christine has joined the team again after a few weeks of rehabilitation. She is doing some easy running as she eases her way back into form. We hope to unleash her within the next week.
Finally, we had our first track team meeting yesterday. We gathered all track athletes together for an informative meeting to set the fall training schedule and talk about team expectations for the upcoming season. We had around 60 men and women in attendance (with several more not able to attend)! That officially makes us the largest athletic team on campus. The increase in numbers gives us great hope for another fantastic year as we continue to make a name for ourselves. At this point (roughly 10 total athletes give or take just two years ago when I took over the program) there is no where but up for this program to go.
Until next time....Remember that God loves you and enjoy the life you have been blessed with!
The men showed their unity this morning when they showed up for practice with matching mo-hawk hair cuts. 5 of the guys cut their hair last night to have some fun. Jose was not able to because he wasn't feeling well and they guys were not able to convince Michael to cut his yet. They are still working on Mike as they try to convince him to let his guard down a little bit and join the mo-hawk crew! Come on Michael, we know you really want to do it!!!
For the women, Sonya Gibbs (Gibbster) celebrated a birthday last week with the rest of the girls at a restaurant. On another happy note, Christine has joined the team again after a few weeks of rehabilitation. She is doing some easy running as she eases her way back into form. We hope to unleash her within the next week.
Finally, we had our first track team meeting yesterday. We gathered all track athletes together for an informative meeting to set the fall training schedule and talk about team expectations for the upcoming season. We had around 60 men and women in attendance (with several more not able to attend)! That officially makes us the largest athletic team on campus. The increase in numbers gives us great hope for another fantastic year as we continue to make a name for ourselves. At this point (roughly 10 total athletes give or take just two years ago when I took over the program) there is no where but up for this program to go.
Until next time....Remember that God loves you and enjoy the life you have been blessed with!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
2nd MVR (Most Valuable Runner) Award of 2007 Season
Our MVR for the week of August 27th - September 1:
Women: Melissa Martinez (Freshman from San Antonio). Melissa had another great week of work. Her complimentary and gracious attitude are contagious for the women's team. Her consistent hard work is starting to pay off for a runner who has only a year and a half of competitive running under her belt. She ran courageously yesterday when handed a lead in her first-ever collegiate cross country race and held it for 2-miles with three experienced Trinity girls gunning for her. Great job Melissa. Honorable mention this week: Yvonne Rodriguez (Tuluso-Midway). After finally settling her living situtation and having a week to get back into the swing of things in the classroom Yvonne had an excellent week of workouts. She began the week with a fantastic 4-mile tempo run and finished the week with a strong 2-mile test Saturday.
Men: Shayn Weidner (Sophomore from Marion, TX). What can I say, Shayn just continues to bring it. It is often easy to overlook someone who always has a good attitude and who you always know is going to do whatever he can to be the best runner he can possibly be. I never worry about Shayn squandering his gifts or ability level. Shayn has taken on a leadership role (along with Blake Bartosh, Sophomore from Burnet, TX) this season. He knows the guys look up to him so he always sets a good example each and every day. I am pleased, at this point, with the gelling of the men's team. They all work hard to respect one another and hold each other accountable. Honorable mention: Michael Cortez (Freshman from San Antonio). The guy is a lunch pail worker. Michael comes to practice ready to work, goes home, studies and goes to bed. He continues to improve thanks to a great summer base. I look forward to Michael surprising some people not only this season, but throughout his collegiate career. He has taken ahold of the mold Shayn has set this season. In fact, I can't think of a man on the team who doesn't carry this attitude.
Women: Melissa Martinez (Freshman from San Antonio). Melissa had another great week of work. Her complimentary and gracious attitude are contagious for the women's team. Her consistent hard work is starting to pay off for a runner who has only a year and a half of competitive running under her belt. She ran courageously yesterday when handed a lead in her first-ever collegiate cross country race and held it for 2-miles with three experienced Trinity girls gunning for her. Great job Melissa. Honorable mention this week: Yvonne Rodriguez (Tuluso-Midway). After finally settling her living situtation and having a week to get back into the swing of things in the classroom Yvonne had an excellent week of workouts. She began the week with a fantastic 4-mile tempo run and finished the week with a strong 2-mile test Saturday.
Men: Shayn Weidner (Sophomore from Marion, TX). What can I say, Shayn just continues to bring it. It is often easy to overlook someone who always has a good attitude and who you always know is going to do whatever he can to be the best runner he can possibly be. I never worry about Shayn squandering his gifts or ability level. Shayn has taken on a leadership role (along with Blake Bartosh, Sophomore from Burnet, TX) this season. He knows the guys look up to him so he always sets a good example each and every day. I am pleased, at this point, with the gelling of the men's team. They all work hard to respect one another and hold each other accountable. Honorable mention: Michael Cortez (Freshman from San Antonio). The guy is a lunch pail worker. Michael comes to practice ready to work, goes home, studies and goes to bed. He continues to improve thanks to a great summer base. I look forward to Michael surprising some people not only this season, but throughout his collegiate career. He has taken ahold of the mold Shayn has set this season. In fact, I can't think of a man on the team who doesn't carry this attitude.
2nd Annual UIW Relays
The men's and women's cross country teams kicked off our season yesterday at Live Oak City Park in San Antonio, TX. Despite the Friday afternoon rains the meet was a success on a number of fronts. First, for all intensive purposes it seems that the 5K course can withstand a cross country meet of the magnitude of a regional championships. I was pleased with how the course ran and how it help up despite a heavy rain the day before. Secondly, our men and women had good season debuts despite their visible dissapointment in their times. The rain was one factor in the slower times - as the wet grass and a few muddy spots kept runners from really opening it up. The fact that this was our first racing simulation of the season also contributed to the sluggish times. Nonetheless, I was pleased with our first meet. There were some good efforts and some good showings from the Cardinal and Lady Cardinal side.
Yvonne Rodriguez and Melissa Martinez won in impressive fashion over a pretty talented field. Yvonne took the lead from the very beginning and handed off to Melissa with a 25 second lead. Melissa then proceeded to hold that lead.
Maggie Callahan and Rose Caldwell teamed to finish a close 7th overall (31 teams) by both running consistent legs. Both girls looked strong in their first meet competition of the season. In fact, Rosey nearly caught the 6th place Trinity team in a sprint at the finish!
Shayn Weidner and Adrian Carrillo teamed up to finish 2nd overall to a Trinity pairing. Despite suffering from a painful cramp 2 1/2 miles into the 5K Shayn maintained his placing to hand off to Adrian in 3rd overall positioning. Adrian quickly moved toward the leaders, overtaking first and second place 2 miles into the final leg. At that point I thought we had the men's title sown up. However, a Trinity sophomore turned on some unexpected jets to race past Adrian in the final 800 meters for the narrow 15 second victory. Despite this, Shayn and Adrian both put forth valiant efforts. I look for both of them to be major players in the race for the individual conference championship in late October.
Unattached runners Jay Wilson and Jeremy Juarez ran strong legs to finish a close 5th overall. Both runners are training hard and redshirting this XC season.
Finally, Michael Cortez and Blake Bartosh teamed up to finish 13th out of 27 teams to give the UIW men 3 pairs in the top half of the finishers.
Both teams are off next week as we continue our preparations for our big trip to Notre Dame for the National Catholic School championships in South Bend, IN. We leave Thursday, September 13th for the Friday event. We will visit the Notre Dame campus as well as Chicago. Before leaving , we are planning a team long run on the shoreline of the beautiful Lake Michigan.
Check out the following link at our UIW athletics web page: http://www.uiw.edu/athletics/crosscountry_men/news.html#newsitemEEllyZuZklIeyClBaz
http://www.uiw.edu/athletics/crosscountry_women/news.html#newsitemEEllyZuVAZxwNGGTRC
Also, go to photobucket.com to see pictures from the meet!
Until next time...
Yvonne Rodriguez and Melissa Martinez won in impressive fashion over a pretty talented field. Yvonne took the lead from the very beginning and handed off to Melissa with a 25 second lead. Melissa then proceeded to hold that lead.
Maggie Callahan and Rose Caldwell teamed to finish a close 7th overall (31 teams) by both running consistent legs. Both girls looked strong in their first meet competition of the season. In fact, Rosey nearly caught the 6th place Trinity team in a sprint at the finish!
Shayn Weidner and Adrian Carrillo teamed up to finish 2nd overall to a Trinity pairing. Despite suffering from a painful cramp 2 1/2 miles into the 5K Shayn maintained his placing to hand off to Adrian in 3rd overall positioning. Adrian quickly moved toward the leaders, overtaking first and second place 2 miles into the final leg. At that point I thought we had the men's title sown up. However, a Trinity sophomore turned on some unexpected jets to race past Adrian in the final 800 meters for the narrow 15 second victory. Despite this, Shayn and Adrian both put forth valiant efforts. I look for both of them to be major players in the race for the individual conference championship in late October.
Unattached runners Jay Wilson and Jeremy Juarez ran strong legs to finish a close 5th overall. Both runners are training hard and redshirting this XC season.
Finally, Michael Cortez and Blake Bartosh teamed up to finish 13th out of 27 teams to give the UIW men 3 pairs in the top half of the finishers.
Both teams are off next week as we continue our preparations for our big trip to Notre Dame for the National Catholic School championships in South Bend, IN. We leave Thursday, September 13th for the Friday event. We will visit the Notre Dame campus as well as Chicago. Before leaving , we are planning a team long run on the shoreline of the beautiful Lake Michigan.
Check out the following link at our UIW athletics web page: http://www.uiw.edu/athletics/crosscountry_men/news.html#newsitemEEllyZuZklIeyClBaz
http://www.uiw.edu/athletics/crosscountry_women/news.html#newsitemEEllyZuVAZxwNGGTRC
Also, go to photobucket.com to see pictures from the meet!
Until next time...
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