By Michael Newman

[email protected]

We have left the safety of the indoor track where the climate is controlled and have entered in the unknown of the outdoor season. It is when Mother Nature’s elements control race and event strategy. It is not knowing if a meet will be held because it is too cold or because it is just plain wet. That is what makes outdoor track so good. It is the mystery that is around the corner that sometime evens out the battle between the most talented athlete and the smartest athlete that can control their nerves when the wind prevent a fast time instead going for the win.

We head into a full slate of outdoor action this weekend. Before that, let’s look back at some of the highlights of the indoor season.

~~~

Who were the Illinois indoor athletes of the year?

It is pretty simple on the Boys side. Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia HS) and his two national championships make that question petty simple. Along with his action on the runways, his help with Cahokia’s 800 & 1600 Meter Relays should not be ignored. The Girls IAOY is a little more of an adventure. Brooke Catherine (Normal Community HS) cleared an all-time Illinois state best 13-4 at the Reno Pole Vault Summit and going over 13 feet in four meets this season. I would have to give the honor to KD Young (Warrensburg-Lathan HS). The sophomore went undefeated against Illinois competition as well as zig-zagging across the country looking for top competition. Her 49-1 ½ US#2 performance on her final indoor attempt could be the memorable moment indoors and perhaps the entire 2015 season.

Did any teams step out as favorites towards the state championship?

Cahokia…Cahokia…Cahokia. The bigger question in 2A is who will be battling for second in the Boys meet? This could be the best team that Coach Leroy Milsap has ever had. When they scored 99 ½ points to win the state championship in 2013, the Comanches did not have a perfect day yet they steamrolled the competition. The 2015 team is deeper and has the potential to go past the century mark.

Tolono Unity showcased themselves at Illinois Top Times 1A Boys meet showing their strength in the relays as well with Aaron Luesse in the hurdles and Andrew Warnes in the 800. No team has stepped out in 3A Boys making the next two months quite exciting.

Two time 3A defending state champion Lincoln-Way East looks like the Girls team to beat when we get to Charleston in May. Their relay strength gives them the edge as well as strong field event performers led by Julia Junkroski and Ololade Ayoola. 2A is still a question. It looks like defending champion Cahokia could be challenged by Kaneland for the team championship. 1A remains up for grabs with Sullivan, led by multi-talented Amanda McClain, as the favorite.

~~~

Things we found out the indoor season

The sprints outdoors in 3A could be special. Kahamri Montgomery (Plainfield Central HS) announced at Illinois Top Times that we will be going after the state championships in the 100, 200, and 400 Meter Dashes. Scotty Miller (Barrington HS) could have something to say about that in the 100 and 200 Meter Dash. Cory Hertz (Lakes HS, Lake Villa), with his strong performance at Top Times, and Zac Espinosa (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) who had a quiet indoor season will be the biggest challenger to Montgomery. The Plainfield is stronger as evidence by his 6.84 in the 60 and 48.1 split at Top Times.

Brittny Ellis (Warren Township HS, Gurnee) made her intentions known that she will be attempting the same triple as Montgomery in the 3A Girls Meet. She is the premiere sprinter in 3A and will be the favorite in the 200 and 400. She stated before Top Times that she did not like the 60 Meter Dash. She conquered those fears winning that race at that meet. That will give her confidence as she heads outdoors in the 100 Meter Dash.

Viktorija Marmaite finished second last year in the 3A Triple Jump for Lemont High School. She will not be able to contend for the championship this season as she has moved back to her native Lithuania. According to Lemont Coach Tim Plotke, the transition to the United States was a difficult one for her. She made the choice to move back to her native land.

~~~

Unselfish behavior

Offers started to flood the desk of Cahokia Coach Leroy Milsap after the wins by Ja’Mari Ward at the New Balance Indoor Nationals Championships last month at New York.

“There have been so many meets that have contacted us in regards to Ja’Mari competing,” stated Milsap at the Illinois Top Times Meet. “He turned them all down. He wants to stay with his teammates this outdoor season.”

It makes sense. Ward has been basically competing against himself all indoor season. It will not make a difference during the outdoor campaign if he has to travel all over the place. He is unselfish in regards to doing what is necessary to help his team win.

Milsap did indicate after the IHSA season is complete, Ward would be heading to a couple meets outside of the state. One that is being targeted is the Great Southwest Classic a week after the state meet.

When asked about Ward possibly jumping out of the pits (so to speak) without a legal wind performance, Milsap had that problem taken care of. “I bought an Anemometer,” added Milsap. “All of his performances this outdoor season will have a wind reading.”

~~~

Illinois Top Times

I did not get a chance to comment on the meet overall. You did see the recaps on the actual events. But what about the actual running of the meet?

I heard a couple of people complain about the actual gaps in between the events. It is a possibility that they wanted to get out of the Shirk Center early. The meet did run on schedule. The 20 or more coaches were able to see some of the top talent in Illinois in action without being pushed by a rolling time schedule. “I like it,” University of Illinois Coach Mike Turk said while watching the meet. “We actually get to see what these kids can do. The gaps give them time to prepare for the race. I have no problem with it.”

The problem was that the athletes were waiting by their starting blocks in some cases close to five minutes before the actual start. That falls on the clerks and the officials working the check in table sending them out too early. “There were some cases where we will need to go back and tweak the schedule,” Meet Director Randy Anderson said.

The declaration system that was used by the meet worked. I did not hear any complaints from the many coaches I talked to at the meet. Overall, it was the best indoor meet that I was at this season. That is how it should be considering the talent that was at the meet. This meet fell on hard times a number of years ago, but it is now back on the rise. With the college coaches that flocked to the meet, Illinois Top Times could be a destination place for senior athletes that have not declared to a college or underclassmen that want to show their talents to the coaches attending the meet.

~~~

And finally…

Some of you have probably heard me say that one of the reasons why I do what I do is because I just want to give back to a running community that has taught me so much. As I get the privilege of covering track meets and telling you what I saw, I made myself look a little deeper at some of the people that actually make meets go. Those are the men and women that sacrifice their time in hopes of giving the athletes participating and the fans watching a high quality track and field or cross country meet.

A coach’s job can be sometimes thankless getting paid in some cases so little and doing so much work in order to help the student / athletes that they coach succeed. Some coaches are not in it for the glorification they could get from success. Satisfaction comes to them when they see their athletes run or throw a personal best.

This is been weighing on my mind over the past couple of months. Long drives to meets across the states would have my mind drift back to the subject of the track volunteer. Part of that is because of two men that did not get the recognition that are no longer with us.

Tom Todd was part of the Wheaton-Warrenville South High School family serving as their Girls Track & Field coach until 1999 and then serving as an assistant to the Boys Cross Country team as well as an IHSA official. He gave of his time freely helping our student / athletes teaching them Physics. Astronomy, and Geology off the track and teaching life lessons on the track. He passed away after a two year battle with Lymphoma last December.

Gary Goss ran track & cross country at York High school in the late sixties. He returned to his alma mater in the mid 70’s to help in the running of their cross country and track meets along with doing things necessary to help his old coach Joe Newton like driving athletes down to the state cross country meet. He was a fixture at every York meet not really being noticed but making sure the meet ran smoothly. All of his work was volunteered. He did not have to be there but felt that he should. Goss passed away a couple of weeks ago due to unknown causes.

Both men were unselfish with their time. Both gave back to a sport that had taught them so many values. Goss allowed me in his world teaching me how to run a meet and other values pertaining to this sport. He was a man of few words but I was lucky that the words he shared with me are some of the things that have shaped me to who I am now.

I think there are times where we do not give back enough in this world. For the athletes, how many times have you thanked someone for spending their time working at a meet so that you can compete? How many times have you thanked a starter for firing the gun to start your journey to a possible best or perhaps a championship?

I do like how some programs during the summer give back to the community as a team bonding activity. While getting closer as a team, they are helping a charitable organization packing food for the homeless. Giving back could also be something as simple as a senior on the team helping a freshman that has no clue in what is happening, putting them under their wing, and teaching them the values that they learned when they were freshman.

Life is about passing down what you have learned from your elders to the young. It is also about giving back. You can attend church and give back by serving with the running of the church. After you graduate from high school and college, how many of you plan to give back your time to the sport that grew you into who you are as an adult? What makes track and field / cross country so great are the quality people that come out of the sport and later come back to contribute.

Mr. Todd and Mr. Goss were great examples of this. Their unselfishness is something that we all can learn from.