Rolling along in January!

By sprints/hurdles coach/recruiting coordinator John Wise

Well, we have just finished our 2^nd indoor meet of the season and while we still have a long way to go we are starting to see what kinds of teams we have this year.

It appears our women are going to be very good.  Every event group looks better than last year.  We didn’t graduate many points from last year (so that’s what we were hoping for) but you never know until the season gets rolling.  We think the MVC is going to be a battle with Southern Illinois again and this year we feel more confident than last year (and we won the MVC Indoor title last year).  Our women easily won our first meet against Sam Houston St, Oral Roberts, and Emporia St and this past weekend beat Alabama, Missouri, Houston, and Air Force while losing to #12 ranked Nebraska.  It was an impressive showing for our ladies and they appear to be coming together as a strong team earlier than we imagined.

The men’s team is a different story but we are hoping for the same result.  Unlike the women, we did graduate several of our top performers last year.  We felt like we had athletes ready to step in and replace many of those points we lost.  We still do feel that way but it looks like it’s taking a little longer to develop than the women’s team.  Also we’ve had some unfortunate injuries and tweaks along the way so our men’s team is not at 100% right now.  The upcoming off weekend should get some of our key guys back into action by our Feb 4-5 home meet.  Everything we are doing as a team is gearing towards the MVC Championships 5 weeks away – so we have time, but we don’t have any time to waste.  Indiana State is looking very good in the early season and Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois appear to be strong again as well.  We are hoping to make it a 4-team race – remember last year our men were picked 4^th in the MVC pre-meet poll and won by almost 30 points.

Up in the office we are recruiting hard.  The NCAA signing period begins in early February and we’ve received several verbal commitments that should sign in a couple weeks.  Just today we had six recruits on campus in six different events, and I know at least one of those recruits reads this blog on a regular basis. J  Other than that it’s just your typical 60-hour work weeks and getting home at 2:30am from long bus rides!

On the recruiting subject – check out our new Virtual Media Guide.  There are several Shocker stars making cameo appearances in pop-up videos throughout the guide.  You can access it through Goshockers.com or click here à http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/384031e7?SPSID=591033&SPID=2843&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=7500#/384031e7/1

Personally, I am really proud of our women’s 4x400m relay, breaking a 5-year old school record this past weekend in winning the adidas Classic.  In the past couple years we have won MVC titles in the men’s 4x1, 4x4 and women’s 4x1 but our women’s 4x4 has struggled to reach that level.  This year looks to be very different and our depth in that event is a key ingredient to their success.  Practices have been very intense and they have pulled together with a common vision.  Look for this group to challenge for that title this year!

Hopefully everyone is having a great start to the New Year!  Let’s go Shocks!

The 2011 Indoor Season is Upon Us

by Jumps Coach Heidi Yost

                January! This means a lot of different things to people… a new year, a new beginning, a time to make changes, to make resolutions and for some… to break those resolutions… but for the athletes at Wichita State competing in track and field, January is the beginning of the Indoor Season. This is when the athletes of the Wichita State Track and Field program get to see their conditioning and specific preparation start to pay off. I can see and feel the excitement building amongst the wonderfully talented men and women on this team. They compete for the first time this year in a Wichita State uniform January 12^th and 13^th in the Heskett Center at Wichita State.

               

                There is still work to do and goals to strive for even though the competitive season is getting under-way. These athletes will continue to train… to master their technique because they know how hard it is to win a Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship. A few inches, that’s all that separates the winners from the runner-ups. I have seen the sweat of dedication beading on these athletes’ foreheads. I have seen the agony and frustration that an injury causes and the joy and triumph of recovery. These Shockers know that now is not the time to back off, in fact, they’re ready to step it up, to focus in on every competitor they stand next to. These athletes know how to compete; they know what it takes to battle in a two-day war at the end of February.

                As one of the coaches, I’m excited to watch the Shockers compete. I’m ready for all the challenges and rewards that come with the competitive season. I’m waiting for the nervousness to get to me when a WSU Shocker steps onto the runway or into the throwing ring, gets set in the blocks or at the starting line or attempts a bar that’s a PR. I’m ready for the 2011 Indoor Season!

The Shockers meet schedule can be found on goshockers.com, please come support our Championship Program!!

A little of this, a little of that

By Sprints/Hurdles Coach John Wise

I wanted to touch on several topics here, hopefully there is something for everyone …

First of all, we had our annual Intersquad Meet on December 10^th.  It turned out to be a great way to open up our season!  Looking through the results it appears our athletes have done a solid job of training in the fall and if we continue to do our job we can have a successful indoor season.  It was a close competition but the “White” squad won their first ever team title, edging out the “Gold” team 151-137 with the “Black” team in 3^rd and “Gray” alumni in 4^th.  Several meet records were broken and fun was had by all!

We are now on what is considered to be “Winter Break” for the track and field teams.  Our sport is very unusual in that we practice all fall then take about a month off before our first track meet.  Obviously this time isn’t exactly “off” as the athletes are encouraged to train very hard over this time to be ready for the upcoming indoor season.

This time of the year can really make or break the season for an athlete.  All of the coaches can recount numerous times where we’ve had athletes not do what they needed to do over the Winter Break and struggle throughout the indoor season.  Last year our team did a terrific job training during the holidays and the result was sweeping the men’s and women’s indoor MVC titles!

While distance runners are fairly used to running in cold temperatures, sprinters/jumpers/throwers have a tougher time.  Often these athletes are hustling around trying to find an indoor area to train or just toughing it out in the often cold and snowy outdoor conditions.  One of the better stories is of Chris Dickman and Jordan Zerr shoveling off an entire lane at their high school track to do a workout (pictured below).  While it may seem extreme, Chris earned all-American honors last year indoor and Jordan had by far his best year as a Shocker.  Coincidence?

Dickman and Zerr's hard work paid off - this is crazy right?

Changing subjects, last week our coaching staff went to the annual US Track Coaches Association Convention.  This year was in San Antonio (last year was Orlando).  This convention has multiple purposes:  1)  This is where the coaches get together to talk about, and often argue, about rule changes and other things that affect our sport.  How to qualify for the NCAA meet is always a topic and this year was no different.  Just so you know, the two site preliminary we had last year appears to be what we’re going to have for several years down the road.  2) Attend seminars and clinics held by the top track coaches around the county (and sometimes the world).  I always come away learning a little bit and also feeling like we are on the right track and Wichita State.  3) A chance to socialize with our fellow coaches and friends without the pressure of being at a track meet.  Most of our best friends are coaches that we usually only see at meets and it was great hang out and catch up with everyone!  4) Have fun!  Myself, Coach Yost, and Coach Hetzendorf went down the giant water slide at our hotel 20 times!

We are very fired up about the upcoming indoor season at Wichita State!  At the time of writing this blog, we have 23 days until the Herm Wilson Invitational at the Heskett Center!  We’re excited to have a quality field of teams including Tulsa, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State, and Emporia to compete against.  It should be a great way to start the season!  Go Shockers!!!

Transitioning from athlete to coach

By Nate Thiesfeld, Shocker T&F Graduate Assistant

I started out at WSU as a fresh recruit for Steve Rainbolt. I put in my 5 years (1 red shirt year) as Shocker. Somewhere in the midst of my career as Shocker I decided I wanted to continue to be apart of track and field after I graduated.  Following my career at WSU I could not leave Shocker track and field just yet. I moved on to become a graduate assistant under Coach Bolt.

 To be on the other side things are a little different. My day starts with coming to the office and usually doing any task that the coaches throw my way which can vary from taking inventory to running off practice and everything in between. My first job that welcomed me to the world of coaching was a daunting task. I printed out over 20 state track and field results and identified quality juniors.  Now as I see the recruiting letters coming in, I’m glad all the work was worth something.

Besides office work my main job is for inventory and uniforms. As an athlete I was never fully aware of where our apparel and uniforms came from. I thought there was some magic WSU button we pushed and out popped 400 shirts nicely printed with the WSU logo on them… wrong. To outfit a track team there is a lot of work involved in picking out the correct logos, getting sizes from everyone on the team and so on. I appreciate coach Yost a lot more now that I realize all the work she put in over the last few years on uniforms and apparel.

After I do inventory/uniforms and any other odd job that Rainbolt wants me to accomplish its practice time. Every day I want to jump in with the runners and complete the workout, but usual I am helping time or in the weight room watching the athletes. The second speed endurance our team ran (usually the hard workout of the week) I lost my voice yelling times to the athletes. I am far behind Coach Bolt’s booming voice. I need some vocal lessons from Bolt so one day I can yell OOOOOoooooo for an extended period of time.  Another thing I never thought would be hard is timing athletes. When you have 40 runners running on the track with 2 minute intervals and they are all starting at different times. Yeah to say the least I am still learning how to efficiently time and record all the runs. 

This is the next best thing to being an athlete. I love working with this staff, and so far I couldn’t think of anything else I would want to be doing while I am in grad school. I can not wait for Shocker Track and Field to start, it should be a great year. I am excited to be apart of this team this year!

Coach Yost talks about the upcoming Intersquad Meet .....

By Jumps Coach Heidi Yost

As an alumni and current Assistant Coach of the Wichita State University Track and Field team, I feel it is part of my duty to make sure that the After Shocks team is well represented at the Intersquad Indoor Meet every year.

                      

If you are hearing about the Intersquad Meet for the first time let me give you a brief description. The Intersquad Meet is the brainchild of Assistant Coach John Wise.  He started it four years ago and it can be compared to a football or basketball scrimmage of sorts. Every year the incoming freshmen are drafted to a team (Black, Gold or White) by the captains/coaches of each team. This draft is similar to the NBA/NFL draft and once you are drafted to a team you remain on that team for your career, trades are possible but none have been made as of yet. Once you complete your eligibility for Wichita State University you are automatically a member of the Gray Squad which we have named “The After Shocks” and your eligibility for this team lasts a lifetime. The color and name is quite fitting if you ask me! We think this process is a lot of fun for our athletes and a great opportunity for alumni to meet up again with past teammates or introduce themselves to new member of the great shocker track and field tradition we have. This meet is also a good indicator of how well our team has prepared for the 2010-2011 season and a chance for the alumni to see “if they’ve still got it” whatever “it” may be. Every year the meet is contested on Study Day (the Friday before fall semester finals week starts). Some field events will get started around 2pm and it finishes within a few hours (the schedule will be posted on goshockers.com soon). We have tried to make this meet interesting so there are a few unconventional events, for example the overhead forward medball throw and an 8-10 person 200m relay. What was Coach Wise thinking?

Shocker Track and Field Fans/Spectators…

This is a great event that you are sure to have a great time watching. Our athletes really get into the spirit of it all and are looking forward to the opportunity to compete since they started practice at the beginning of September. The captains/coaches of each team get the opportunity to draft their new team members from a great pool of newcomers next week.

Calling all Alumni…

I am currently trying to get a calling brigade together to start contacting alumni for “The After Shocks.” As I mentioned before this is a great opportunity to meet up with past teammates, to meet some new alumni and get to know some of our current athletes and future After Shocks. I encourage all alumni to at least stop by to support the athletes competing, if you feel like testing your athletic abilities please contact me at hyost@goshockers.com. Remember… this is “just for fun” although… if any of you are like me you might find yourself in the heat of a battle once you’re put in a competitive situation. One more thing… my hopes are that the Intersquad meet is a way to stay connected to the great athletes we’ve had on this team. But that can only happen with your help. I need to get as much contact information as I possibly can on as many Shocker alumni as possible, I would appreciate any help with this process as you can give. Ok… one more thing I would also like to have a more significant social event for the alumni than what we have had in the past… any ideas would be helpful.

I am certainly looking forward to competing alongside the athletes that I coach (although I am sure I will get my butt kicked).  I’m also looking forward to seeing, talking, and getting to know some of my fellow “After Shocks.”

The Intersquad meet will be Friday, December 10^th. Hope to see you there!!!

What's different about Shocker Track & Field?

by John Hetzendorf - Throws Coach

I have been a part of Wichita State Track for quite a while now, but this year feels different….

So what’s different???

First off I think our staff and our athletes are really working hard to make our program better.  Last year was one of the most successful years in Wichita State Track and Field history, we won four of the six MVC titles contested  ( Women’s X-country, Women’s Indoor, Men’s indoor, and Men’s outdoor).  Despite this success our head coach Steve Rainbolt has challenged our staff and our team to take our program to new a level.  Step 1 in this process has been our staff ramping up our recruiting efforts.  For example Coach Wise and myself found ourselves on a 1000 mile recruiting journey, meeting with 8 recruits and discovering towns we never knew existed like Bison and McCracken, Kansas.   Also on the recruiting front I think we may set a record for official visits for the month of November.  Stay tuned we will let you know in a December blog!

Step 2 has been getting our current team better. To do that our staff and our team captains have been trying to get our team to not just train hard, but to train with more focus and discipline.  We have felt like our teams have worked hard in the past, but now we have challenged them to take care of the small details that make the difference between good and great!   So far I feel like the athletes are doing a better job of this, but we still have a long way to go for us to be as good as we want to be.

Another big difference this year are the meets we are hosting.  The first one is the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on October 30^th.  The last time we hosted was in 1999.  Our Women’s cross country team has won the last 5 championships, and should be battling for one again this year!!! We are also hosting 6 Track and field meets this year, 3 indoor, and three outdoor. (see  www.goshockers.com for our meet schedule)   For most of my time at Wichita State we have only hosted one meet.  I’m excited that our team gets to compete on our great facilities this year!!! 

Here is a quick update on what the throws’ group has been up to.  The throwers just finished a six week fall training cycle.  We kicked off our next cycle with some testing.  The throws group does the quad test, which is four different tests the overhead shot throw, standing long jump , 30 meter sprint, and 3 double leg hops.  The testing went really well!! It was some of the best testing we have had since I have been at WSU!!  Now we will be focusing more on throwing and our throwing technique.  I am excited for some big throws this season!!

It feels different, but it’s an exciting time to be a part of Shocker track and field!!!

Shocker Cross Country update ...

By Kirk Hunter - Cross Country/Distance

First of all, I would like to say how happy I am to be a part of the Shocker Cross Country and Track Teams!  I have been very impressed with Coach Rainbolt and his staff, and how they have welcomed me as part of the team.  Their vision of track and field is the same that I have envisioned throughout my career, and it is nice to have a group that is looking to work towards the common goal, being the best!

So far I have learned quite a bit about my new co-workers, from Rainbolt’s unique way of coming up with great expressions and/or new words, Wise finding more duties for all of us to do, (recruiting ideas, blogs, etc., etc.), Yost, Hetzendorf and Wilson always there to pitch in when I ask my million questions as the newcomer, and even when Nate and Foley jump in to drive when I ask, even if it is all the way to Missouri!!!  Can’t leave out Reed-speed, my rocket scientist helper.  He has been invaluable.  It will be difficult working without him when he moves on next semester.    With all this help, and the many staff members around the campus who have pitched in to help me, my adjustment was very easy.  All in all, I have to say I am glad to be a Shocker!!

The teams are getting ready for Pre-Nationals this weekend.  I am excited to see what we really got.  I stay pretty low keyed early in the season, but now we are revving up and getting ready for the ‘big’ meets.   I have been happy with how our cross country teams have worked this season, especially since they had to adjust to a new coach so quickly.  They, like our staff, have accepted me into the program, and have literally run with what I have been teaching them.  They work HARD, and we look for that hard work to pay off not only this coming weekend, but also at the upcoming Conference Championships, Regionals, and dare I say, Nationals!

Our women have been consistent, and need to stay that way to meet their objectives.  This team knows what is at stake, and plans on bringing their best to every meet we compete in.  The men had to deal with hit after hit this season.  What impressed me is how they have been able to roll with the punches.  These guys have not laid down; instead, they continue to push forward.  This is nothing less then I expect from my teams, we DO NOT, WILL NOT EVER quit!  Bring on everything you can and in the end if we gave our best that is all we can ask.

Last thing for now, the MVC Conference Championships!   We are HOSTING this meet on October 30, 2010 at the Raft golf course.  We are looking forward to having a large crowd of supporters out their cheering on our men’s and women’s team.  What ever the outcome, I can guarantee you will can have no greater time than painting yourself up as Wu-Shock, coming out to the meet, and hooping and hollering for our teams the entire time they run. We need YOU to become a part of Shocker Cross Country!!!  NOTHING gets a runner going like a good crowd cheering them on.  I will look forward to hopefully seeing a massive crowd of supporters running all over the course come October 30!!!!!