Titan Indoor Track Update - Jan 26, 2014

WSU INDOOR

Another long weekend at the track produced some more outstanding performances by the Titans. While the "regulars" turned in some outstanding marks, it was some "newcomers" that were equally impressive. Many competed in their first meets and did a great job of setting a mark to improve upon in the future.

In girls’ action, Cidnee Davies continued her impressive indoor season as she won the long jump on her last attempt (15'06), cleared 5'00 to win the high jump in Friday action. Saturday morning was also impressive as she ran 9.05 to finished 2^nd and tie the school record in the 55m hurdles and also turned in a 7.90 in the 55m dash, the #3 all-time indoor mark. Amanda Bigelow made her first indoor meet a memorable one as she ran 10.21 in the 55m hurdles, the #4 all-time mark. Jentry Skidmore had another big meet as her time of 7.74 in the 55m dash was good enough to finish 4^th, and she also ran 27.78 to place 3^rd in the 200m dash. This is the #3 indoor mark at Syracuse. Mallory Ashby cleared 8'00 to win the pole vault and also ran a great last lap in the 800m run, finishing in 2:36.67, just ahead of Adriana McFarland’s 2:39.98. Bella Williams took time away from basketball to win the 1600m run with the #2 indoor mark of 5:24.83. Mallory, Gabby Young, Krissa Jacob and Becca Jacobsen concluded the meet in finishing 2^nd in the 4x800m relay.

Nick Merriman had another big meet in winning the long jump with a leap of 19'09, equaling his #2 indoor mark. He also cleared 11'06 to finish 4^th in the pole vault and ran 8.52 to place 7^th in the 55m hurdles. That is the #4 all-time mark at SHS. Karson Nielson’s 8.24 in the 55m hurdles was good enough to finish 3^rd, just ahead of Colton Yardley’s 4^th place time of 8.29. They are the #2 and #3 all-time indoor marks. Ryan Andreasen placed 3^rd in the 800m run with a 2:04.87. Cody Kelley ran a strong 2^nd half of the race to turn in a time of 10:17.76 in the 3200m run. Nick, Loren Burrell, Luke Pectol and Hunter Woodhall finished 2^nd in the 4x400m relay running 3:58.0.

There were many big PR’s that didn’t make all-time list or place in the top spots at the meet, but were signs that great things are continuing to take place. Jace Purser had a near 3-foot PR in the shot put and Blake Taurone’s narrow foul in the long jump would have put him on the all-time list. Loren Burrell and Hunter Woodhall had some big performances in the 800 and 400. Tyler Fessler cracked the 11-minute barrier in the 3200 and Will Cannon a big PR in the 1600. Krissa Jacob and Renee Peterson continue to drop their times in the 1600.

All of these performances indicate that things are moving in the right direction for an outstanding outdoor season. For those working hard, keep it up. For those who are less committed, let’s pick it up.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Chosen as the Athletes of the Week were Amanda Bigelow, Mallory Ashby, Cody Kelley and Loren Burrell. While their performances at the meet warrant the honor, their commitment and performance at workouts has been equally impressive. And one more "Honor of the Week" goes to Kevin Hansen. Once again, he endured the entire length of this long meet taking some great pictures. It would be much easier for him to be running a marathon each weekend. Make sure you check out his work at:

http://titanindoortrack.blogspot.com/

UHSTCA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

There is no meet this weekend. Our next action with be February 7^th and 8^th at the Olympic Ice Oval in Kearns. This meet is considered the Indoor State Championships and will be the only one we compete in where teams scores are kept. At the end of the action, we want the Titans to be at or near the top. Friday’s action will contest all of the field events as well as the 1600m run, 400m dash and 4x800m relay. The remainder of the running and relay events will be held Saturday. Arrange your schedules so you can compete.


SIMPLOT INFORMATION

I should have all of the initial permission forms by now. If you didn’t turn one in, make sure you get it to me Monday. We will go over some additional information about the trip Monday after school.


UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Feb 7/8 - UHSTCA State Championships @ the Kearns Olympic Oval
Feb 13-15 - Simplot Games

Titan Indoor Track Update - Jan 19, 2014

BYU INDOOR- MARATHON WEEKEND

The BYU meet was a great demonstration of the Titan patience and determination. With over 1000 athletes entered, the competition lasted over 16 hours from the first jump at 5:00 pm Friday until the completion of the final relay at 7:15 pm Saturday. And Mallory Ashby, Treston Cullimore, Karson Nielson, Colten Yardley and Nick Merriman were there from start to finish. Their first marathon will probably be much easier.

The meet itself was outstanding producing many nationally-ranked performances. And the Titans were in the thick of the action. Brenn Flint had a great meet throwing 37'08.75 in the shot put to finish 4^th. This was the #2 all-time mark in Lady Titan history. She also threw 32'06.75 to finish 3^rd in the weight throw, again the #2 all-time mark. Cidney Davies set her 3^rd school record in two weeks as she ran 8.47 in the 60m hurdles to finish 2^nd. That is the #1 mark for a Utah runner this year. Jentry Skidmore’s 8.39 in the 60m dash as good enough for 9^th place and her 27.83 put her in the 6^th position in the 200. That moves her into the #4 spot on the all-time list in the latter event. Mallory Ashby cleared 8'00 to finish 2^nd in the pole vault. Sharlie Dimick’s 5:34.93 in the mile moves her into the #4 spot on the all-time list. Sharlie, Mallory, Adriana McFarland and Becca Jacobsen ran 3:37.43 in finish 8^th in the 4x1 lap relay.

Karson, Colten, Nick and Treston made the most of their hours in Provo as they turned in some great marks and brought back plenty of t-shirt awards. Karson cleared 5'08 to finish 7^th in the high jump. That moves him into the #4 all-time spot. He then ran 8.70 to place 2^nd in the 60m hurdles. Colten leaped 18'11.75 to place 4^th in the long jump and move into the #3 place on the all-time list. He also ran 8.73 in the 60m hurdles to finish 4^th and secure the #3 spot on the all-time list. Nick cleared 11'00 to finish 2^nd in the pole vault, jumped 19'07 to place 3^rd in the long jump, and ran 8.92 good for 5^th in the 60m hurdles. His hurdle time is the #6 all-time mark. Treston cleared 9'00 to finish 6^th in the pole vault. Kavika Fonua ran 7.17 to place 6^th in the 60m dash. This is the #2 mark on the all-time list. In the final event of the meet, the four "iron men" dug deep and ran 2:49.17 to set a school record in the 4x1 lap relay. This was about 26 hours after their first competition began.

There were many other outstanding performances where PR’s and near all-time marks were set. The best overall performance was that so many endured the long meet and supported the TEAM. This includes athletes, parents and, of course, Kevin Hansen taking pictures. THANKS!!! Remember to check out Kevin’s pictures at: http://titanindoortrack.blogspot.com/

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Chosen as the first Athletes of the Week were Brenn Flint, Karson Nielson and Colten Yardley. They combined to set six all-time marks and one school record.

WEBER STATE MEET

I’ve attached the information for the WSU meet. EVERYONE should plan on competing. No pre-registration is necessary. As with BYU, all field events are contested on Friday, all running Saturday.

SIMPLOT INFORMATION

I’ve attached the initial information for Simplot. If you would like to attend, return the bottom portion of the attachment by this Wednesday. I need to know ASAP so further plans can be made.

ALUMNI ACTION

At the Snake River Invitational, Erin Kibler ran 5:34.45 in the mile run Lindsey McFarland turned in a 2:19.41 800m run. Ali Morris cleared 10'00 in the pole vault. Chris Jackson began his comeback running 8.92 in the 60m hurdles. At the Texas A & M Invitational, Jake Rossmango turned in a 9:10.58 in the 3000m run.



UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Jan 24 - WSU Meet (field events)

Jan 25 - WSU Meet (running)

Feb 7/8 - UHSTCA State Championships @ the Kearns Olympic Oval

Feb 13-15 - Simplot Games

Titan Indoor Track Update - Jan 12, 2014

GREAT MARKS AT USU

Through the years, USU has been a hard place to establish good marks. It’s always held early in the season, the crowded facility makes warming up and concentrating on your event tough, and the track is not considered fast. However, the Titans definitely overcame the obstacles and turned in some great performances. Two Indoor Records were set as well as 18 All-Time Top-Five performances established. And perhaps more importantly, there were dozens of performances that were PR’s or, in many cases, first-time efforts that will give you a starting point to chart your progress. It was a very successful start to the indoor season.

Cidnee Davies had a great meet setting Indoor School Records placing 3^rd in the high jump (5'02) and winning the long jump (16'04.50). She also finished 2^nd in the 60m hurdles with her time of 9.80 the #2 mark on the All-Time list. Jentry Skidmore also had a great day as she placed 3^rd in the long jump (15'11.50) and also 2^nd in the 60m dash (8.25). Both marks are #2 on the All-Time list. Brenn Flint also had a couple big performances as she threw 33'05 in the shot put (#2 All-Time) and 28'08.50 in the weight throw (#3 All-Time).

Other Lady Titans with outstanding marks included:

Suzy Robertson- 3^rd 60m hurdles, 9.97, #3 All-Time;

Mallory Ashby- 4^th pole vault, 8'00, #2 All-Time;

Isabella Williams- 3^rd 1600m run, 5:28.24, #2 All-Time;

Sharlie Dimick- 8^th 1600m run, 5:38.54, #4 All-Time.

Nick Merriman had a busy day as he cleared 12'00 to place 4^th in the pole vault. That is the #3 mark All-Time. He also jumped 19'09 to place 6^th and establish the #2 mark in Titan history. And he ran 9.14 to finish 6^th in the 60m hurdles.

Other top performances were turned in by:

Caden Call- 4^th shot put, 46'10.50, #4 All-Time;

Karson Nielson- 2^nd 60m hurdles, 8.64, #2 All-Time;

Kavika Fonua- 4^th 60m dash, 7.22, just off his 7.17 mark from last year, the #2 All-Time;

Ryan Andreason- 4^th 800m run, 2:04.6;

Mason Leishman- 2^nd high jump, 6'00, #2 All-Time;

Merriman, Nielson, Colton Yardley and Blake Taurone- 1^st place 4x400m relay, 3:49.0.

There were many great performances and many positive things to build on as the indoor season continues. With each practice and each meet, you should feel like you have gained something to help make you better prepared for some continued success.

Thanks to everyone who is making the effort to help the make program successful, including volunteer coaches, parents and athletes who are committed.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Chosen as the first Athletes of the Week were Cidnee Davies and Nick Merriman. Both had incredible meets establishing a combined total of five All-Time marks.

THANK YOU KEVIN HANSEN

Some of you new to the program may not be acquainted with Kevin Hansen. For years he has come to every meet that he can fit into his schedule and taken outstanding pictures of Titans in action. He does this for free- his only reward is the satisfaction he gets from watching you compete and providing some memories for you that will become more valuable as you get older. Make sure you thank him for his efforts. As he gets time, his photos will be uploaded at:


http://titanindoortrack.blogspot.com/

BYU MEET

I’ve attached the information for the BYU meet this week. Two big changes from the USU meet: It’s two days, with the field events contested on Friday and the running events Saturday, and all entries have to be made on-line by me. There will be a bus Saturday, not Friday. Make sure you get your $$ and entry information to me by Thursday morning.

ALUMNI ACTION

At the BYU Collegiate Indoor Invitational, Erin Kibler ran 11:35.51 in the 3000m run and Ali Morris cleared 10'06 in the pole vault. Great job ladies.



UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Jan 17 - BYU Meet (field events)

Jan 18 - BYU Meet (running)

Jan 24 - WSU Meet (field events)

Jan 25 - WSU Meet (running)

Feb 7/8 - UHSTCA Indoor Championships @ the Olympic Oval

Feb 13-15 - Simplot Games

Titan Indoor Track Bulletin - Jan 5, 2014

 
GOOD START, NOT GREAT
We need everyone planning on competing during the short indoor season to show up each day for the workouts. While we may not be able to work with each event each day, there is always something you can do to help you become more proficient in your event. We are going to use video far more than in past years. For those events we have already videoed, they have been uploaded on the HUDL website. Use it as well as the links I’ve sent out previously to help you improve. If you don’t have a HUDL account, check with me about setting one up.


USU INDOOR MEET
Our first meet will be Saturday at USU. I will hand out meet information Tuesday. EVERYONE should plan on competing. DO NOT feel apprehensive about competing. Most athletes from all schools will be competing in their first indoor meet.
There will be a bus for this meet- it will leave at 6:30 am.

WORKOUTS
It is extremely important that you attend all workouts this week. We will be videoing starts, hurdles, high jump, vault and shot put at some point during the week.

SIMPLOT GAMES
Information covering the Simplot Games will be handed out later in the week. Attendance at the daily workouts is mandatory if you would like to be invited to this great meet. It’s also mandatory that we have an entry mark- meaning that you must compete in one of the first two meets.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Jan 11 - USU Meet
Jan 17 - BYU Meet (field events)
Jan 18 - BYU Meet (running)
Jan 24 - WSU Meet (field events)
Jan 25 - WSU Meet (running)
Feb 7/8 - UHSTCA Indoor Championships @ the Olympic Oval
Feb 13-15 - Simplot Games

VERY SAD NEWS
Those who have been involved in the Track program for a few years will remember Dana Pounds. She was an NCAA Champion in the javelin while competing for the Air Force Academy. While stationed at Hill Field, she volunteered to help coach our javelin throwers where her expertise made a huge difference. During that time, Dana married David Lyons, who had also been a thrower at Air Force. Since their marriage, they have had a few transfers with the latest one calling Dave to Afghanistan. On December 27^th, Dave and two other U.S. servicemen were killed when an improvised explosive device struck their convoy.

Sacrifices like this are made every day by our service men and women stationed around the globe. This one just hit home much closer, giving cause to feel more appreciation for the sacrifices made by so many.

I had only met Dave on a few occasions before he and Dana were transferred. My impression was that he was an outstanding young man, the type who should be used on posters promoting the Academy.

The family has established a Dave Lyon Memorial Fund to honor his memory and service to the country. In a few days, I will be sending a contribution in the name of Syracuse Track and Field. If you would like to contribute any amount, just bring it to practice.

Here is a link with some great articles about Dana and Dave. They provide some "food for thought", even if you didn’t know either of them.

http://daveanddana.weebly.com/