Coach Mikes Blog

in meets by coach mike on 24 May 2008

The season is over-a day early-but the end always shows up. The state meet is always a tough place to perform. The pressure is more than at any meet all season-bigger crowds-more stress. Plus throw in the weather, there were at least 5 delays that I knew of. It was cold, it was windy, rainy and a lot of stops and starts, tough to warm up. Sager couldn’t clear the opening height-which started at 6′2, he had two good attempts, just couldn’t get over today. He had a great season and came back from an injury last year that put him on the shelve all track season. Keep your  head up Sage!  The 4×800 was a big question marking coming in, Pruden had been hurt all week with a knee problem, swelled up on him, right under the knee cap. So he wasn’t able to doing any training all week-we weren’t sure he could go today, but he warmed up and said he could. He was leading off for us today, so we could stay in the race, the pace was a little slow and he ran a 2:01 to keep us in the middle of the pack, but after that the splits were all around 2:06, so we settled for a 8:21 finish time. Wish it would of been better, but it was what it was. So thats how the 2008 Wildcats track season ended, in the rain and cold, just how we started. There’s always next year and with the three class system, things could be brighter!

in meets by coach mike on 17 May 2008

Mini state meet-the Cahokia and East St. Louis Flyer’s show.  Speed, speed, and then more speed! Run 21.4 in the 200 and get beat by 3 feet! Run the 300M hurdles in 36 or 37-crazy stuff.  The Wildcats stepped up-Kevin Sager cleared the  state mark of 6′4 in the high jump to advance to the state meet-3rd attempt at the mark and he cleared. Great feeling for that young man.  Next up was the 4×800 relay, we knew we were in for a race and needed to run faster than we had all year. First leg handed off was in 3rd or 4th place-Wilkins took an early lead by going out at 55 seconds and then came back with a 67-Kubicki kept us close  and then Goff got us even closer-then Big Dog Pruden stepped up and battled with the Belleville West # 4 runner, with the both of them closing on the O’Fallon #4, you could see it unfolding on the track- around the last curve Salem and BW and BW and Salem-both gaining on O’Fallon-right to the finish with BW and Salem passing O’Fallon at the finish line. What a race, what a finish!  Pruden kicked out a 1.55 split!  Some  other  young men competed well,  Follet  in the  pole  vault and  Jordan  also.  Brummel ran  his  best  400  of the  year and the  4×400 ran their  best time of the year.  Thats  all  we can  ask  at  a meet  with  that  just  your  best effort.  Thanks.

in meets by coach mike on 12 May 2008

First the Big Trojan-we went-we won! I’ve never been sure how to handle this meet-where to use people-how much to use people. Good things-Kevin “sage” Sager 6′4 in the high jump-now he knows he can do it! Now he needs to do it one more time-Friday night! The 4×800 guys got a nice work out in-Logan Pontious keeps getting better in the shot put 42′. We won enough and placed in enough to win, thats what good teams do. The 4×4 team of sophomores and freshmen almost broke the school record-almost. That would be the fr/soph record. Wilkins ran a good 800 and Kubicki a good mile. Freshmen Clark ran a 5:09 mile for his best time, thanks for help from Nix. White ran his best time in 3200M. Always good to see the young guys finish with their best times.

Now Big Dog Time-that would be Friday night! In our sectional you have to be a Big Dog to get out of there! Only have the 2 time defending state 2A champions, not to mention Eat St. Louis Flyers, then throw in Belleville East and West picking up the left overs and O’ Fallon. The Wildcats will have a tough time of getting anyone or ones out.You just need to lay your ears back and do the best you can do! David against Goliath! Oh we have some shots- the 4×800, the open 800, the high jump, maybe the pole vault, the discus, maybe even the 1600M and you never know what is going to happen in the 3200m run. Stand up! do all you can do and then more and you never know what will happen! Don’t back down from the fight! Be that Big Dog-Be that Wildcat!

in meets by coach mike on 07 May 2008

Someone needs to check it out, I’m not sure but the Wildcats boys frosh and soph boys have won their conference championship for over 30 years I would guess, we have won every year we have been in the Apollo. Numbers are the key-score in every event! Double place, thats what we do. Had a coach from one of the other conference schools ask me about my policy towards guys working and stuff like that. We try as much as we can to work around things like that. We try to work around school events and we will share with other programs. We do what it takes to put together good teams for the team. I hear other coaches talk about kicking this kid and that kid off their team for little things. Sorry they are just kids and they will make mistakes, I think trying to keep young people busy, will maybe help keep some one out of trouble. Don’t get me wrong, I will get rid of someone that pushes me in the wrong direction. Back to the meet, Q Garrison won both the long jump and triple jump, he is just a natural. Harris after getting nipped in the 110 hurdles came over and jumped a career best 39′ in the triple, either he was mad or warmed up or both. Klop goes to the shot and wins with a throw over 41′, first time he had been over 38′. He also won the 300’s after racing hard to only get beat by a Charleston runner that was later DQ’ed for bumping into Kory in the race, I thought as did Kory that he should not had been DQ’ed. Big Dan the man won the 400 in his best time of the year and threw his best discus throw of the year with a 127′. Still like to see him hit 130′. Ricky Francois vaulted 10′6 and Josh went 11′ but had all kind of troubles. The 4×200 won the 4 H’s-Hanus, Heminover, Harris, Hargis. 4×800 won as did the 4×400. Brummett, Goff had good races. Hemi looked good in the 200. Just was a good meet, winning by 90 points is always fun. Nice job guys.

in meets by coach mike on 03 May 2008

No matter how much these guys have driven me crazy this year, almost to the point of throwing in the towel, (not really) when it comes to the conference championship, they don’t mess around! We scored in every event, doubled placed in all but three, every relay was in the top 4. Sam Follet cleared 13′in the pole vault to finish 2nd!!! Thats crazy! Josh finished 3rd in the event! Tony Bartley, what can I say, around season long, he couldn’t hit the board, he was driving me nuts! I yelled at him at Centralia, I don’t like to do that, but I needed to try something different with him, it didn’t work. Finally we had a little heart to heart talk, a little pat on the back session, he started to look better, then at conference he goes over 21′ in the long jump and over 40′ in the triple to win both, All Apollo!  Then Q Garrison was 2nd in the triple with a jump over 40′. The high jump we doubled, we had some problems, but Sager and Follet scored points and thats what counts! Branch got to the finals of the 100M, he was pumped! Both of our hurdlers won their heats to get the finals. I took a little bit of gamble and let or put Pruden in the 200M, thinking we could get two to the finals, Pruden did make the finals. Matt won the discus with a throw over 140′. We doubled in the shot put, Logan finally threw over 40′, he went over 41′!!! I told him if he didn’t throw over 40′ he would walk home (2 hour trip in a bus) and there would be NO FOOD!!!!! He showed me! So down he needs to hit 45′! On the track we started to pile up the points! The 4×800 won going away. The 4×100 placed and ran a good time for us. Jones was 2nd in the 3200M race and Nix was 3rd, more points. The 110 hurdles was the race of the night, the two Wildcats battling a Robinson hurdler. Ryan Knapp fell at the finish to settle for 3rd. The top two spots between Harris and the young man from Robinson was tight, Harris got the nod, to win. More points. Branch finished 4th in the 100M with his newly colored red hair, every year he comes up with a new hair style at conference! The 4×200 with preparation H with Bartley finished out of the medal hunt but still scored points for us, not bad for 3 sophomores, Hanus, Hargis, Heminover! We doubled in the 400, Brummel 2nd and Dan 4th. Kubicki ran a great race in the mile to win that event, looking very strong with his finish, Jones placed to score us more points. The 300 hurdles we went 2 and 3 with Knapp and Kloppadel. Pruden placed in the 200M and the 4×400 relay team of Pruden, Wilkins, Brummel and Conklin won the last race of the night. I left out the 800m run, we have won that race the last two years. Newton High School gives a traveling trophy each year to the winner of this race, so I handed the trophy to Pruden on the way up and told him we expected him to bring it back. I was very worried about this because i let him talk me into running the 200M. Which means he had to run that prelim, then his leg of the 4×800 before his race. Coach Cummings was not to pleased with me over this, so Kory needed to bail me out. There were two other good racers in the event, young man from Newton and one from Robinson. All three with about the same seed time. This at the “get go” turned into a four horse race with Wilkins in the pack also. Cummings and I both thought Wilkins would go out to the front, instead Kory took the front. After the first two hundred Kory and Hahn from Newton pulled away, strange thing happened next at the 400 meter mark Hahn took the lead, which means he ran the back stretch running into a head wind. Pruden set in behind him until the last 150 and he started his kick to win the race and keep the trophy in the hands of the Wildcats.

The boys stepped up, won the meet by 80 points for the 3-peat! I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts, everybody that made the trip scored points for the team one way or another. Guys like Dustin Fredrich, Adam Hargis, Matt Heminover, Doug Hanus made the trip for 1 or 2 events, maybe just a relay, they could of belly ached and said no way I’m going for one event, but no they were there for the team, to do what is needed! Thomas Goff, was very strong in the 4×800 relay to help us score points that was his only event, but Thomas is your team player, what we need he does! The 2008 Wildcats will go down as winning the Apollo Conference Championship by 80 points! Be proud to be called conference champions!

in meets by coach mike on 03 May 2008

How can you tell where a track coach lives? Look for the yard that needs mowed! Spring time is busy time for track coaches, baseball coaches, softball coaches, the weather controls your decisions, the weather controls your life. Cold, rain, sun, thunder, lightning, wind, nature dictates your life. Time to get caught up, lets start with the dual meet with Mater Dei, we had the meet, we won. What was good? Most everything, we won every event but one, what did stand out was the pole vaulter, they have become real vaulters, over 12′ and getting better. Next up was the Marion Relays, we were excited about this meet, there would be two team trophies handed out and we had a shot at one of them, probably second behind Granite City but they’re a large school. We started out well, by winning the high jump relay and was doing well in the triple jump and long jump, Tony Bartley was back into the 40 foot range as was our sophomore Q Garrison, so that was good. The pole vaulters were in good shape both over 12′ and the freshmen over 10′6, then the flash in the sky, far away but after the death last year of the young man from Carbondale from lightning, the meet was shut down for 30 minutes. After checking the radar more storms were on the way into the area, so the meet was canceled. Loaded up the bus and the team headed home, I stayed. My daughter had flow into Nashville, TN to run a 1/2 marathon on Saturday morning, so the whole family was going down to spend the weekend and watch her run. My wife and oldest son had went down earlier in the day, while my parents and my youngest son and his girl friend were meeting me in Marion and we were all driving down after the meet. We had a very nice weekend, the weather was good for running, cool with a little early drizzle. We found our way around the coarse after a small amount of confusing twists and turns. Audrey did very well, ran under 2 hours, looked good, looked like she was having fun. Some of her friends came down from Chicago to be there also, so along with her brothers, her husband, her friends (Laura and Mark) all ran with her for awhile. Nashville seems to be a neat city, lots of stuff to do down town and some good BBQ to eat, might go back sometime and ride that fake bull! But Audrey as your father and former coach, no marathons!

in meets by coach mike on 19 Apr 2008

Finished the week with a earthquake and the Al Joyner East St. Louis Classic in the rain. The field events, except the high jump was canceled. It rain, then it rain some more, then finally it stopped and then a cold wind started to blow. The meet went on, two teams went home, one being the last years state champs. We decided to stay through the 3200M run, distance guys like the rain. Well we won the 4×800, easily. Then when they announced the team score we were in 2nd place, so we stayed longer. Jones was 2nd in the 3200, and Kubicki who decided to run it after running the 4×800, was 5th! Some of the guys wanted to stay and see if we could score enough points to place as a team. Three team trophies are handed out, so we wanted to take a shot at that. Wilkins goes out and leads the 800M with Pruden hot on his heels, Pruden finished 2nd and Wilkins 3rd. Jones gets us a point in the 1600. Brummel points in the 100M and 400M. The 4×400 team of Wilkins, Pruden, Conklin and Brummel take 2nd place. Pontious runs the 200M but doesn’t place, he’s a shot putter! For all the efforts by a few we ended up short in the team total by 3 points! Now for the really sad part, I decided early on in this meet if someone came up to me and didn’t want to run, I would give them the option to bail out. Some what of a test. Looking back on the past is easier than predicting the future. As a coach, as the adult, I should been more forceful, we were there to compete, we should of did just that. We would of taken 2nd with out any problems, we were the 2nd best team left there, no doubt in my mind. I take some of the blame, the guys get some of the blame. There was a lot of messing around while we waited to see if the meet was going to be called off, we were not getting prepared because we didn’t want to be there in that type of weather. I realize that the field event guys would of did their events if the conditions would of been good, Josh and Sam wanted to vault, Matt and Dan wanted to throw, as did Pontious. The jumpers were there to do just that also. I should of put the 4×200 out there, the 200M runners and the hurdlers and high jumpers!!!! As they say now a days “my bad!” For those of you that read this, next time we will be there to do what we have to do, so don’t ask to bail, you already now the answer!

Couple more thoughts: Logan Pontious was out in the weather all night long, helping carry things, wanting to do something, so we let him run the 200M for fun. Also Thomas Goff was out there all night long. Kory Pruden wanted to step up and run the 200M right before the 4×400, I won’t let him, he was trying to pick up some more points for the team, for now on  KP, you do what you have to do for this team, I saw some leadership and I like to see that. Kubicki running that 3200M after the 4×800 was a sign of toughness, as was Wilkins in the 800M, and Matt Brummel was that old farm workhouse never giving up!  Some good efforts that should of been rewarded with a team trophy, but then again it wasn’t a total team effort was it?  So maybe that is the moral to the story-as it has been for Wildcat track for several years-Total Team Effort!!!

in meets by coach mike on 16 Apr 2008

Its starting to look a lot like…………no not Christmas! Like another track season rushing toward that time of the year! Big meet time, time to start making some improvements. Time to start seeing some senior leadership! And I’m not talking about old guys like Cummings, I’m talking about Kory Pruden, Matt George, Ryan Knapp, Caleb Branch, Kevin Sager, Tony Bartley, ect ect. This is your team, your place on the history chart of Wildcat track and field. Its tough being a senior in a spring sport, lots of things going on, your heads are spinning around! But we need to stay focus on the jobs in front of us! How do you want to be remember? Conference champions? State qualifier? Its time to step up in practice, making sure you are ready for practice and ready to work hard in practice, lead by example! Then back down from no one in the meets! No matter where they are from or how good they are. Set the table for the big meal coming the first three weeks of May! This starts Friday night at East Side!

in meets by coach mike on 15 Apr 2008

Just got back from the Benton JV meet, the boys stepped up and won for the 3rd year out of four. Things didn’t start real well- we were getting hammered in the field events-well not hammered but not winning any events. As a team you are only as strong as your weakest links. Some say just fill the holes and move on, I think you need just to work harder and find someone, somewhere that can do the job! Highlights from Monday’s rescheduled Orphan Relays: Josh Jordan in the pole vault- a month ago- I would of bet the house Josh was done! Wasn’t showing for practice, was working, had given up. Something changed, he has now cleared 11′6 two meets in a row and is looking good at 12′. Sam is looking better also, so an event I was ready to give up on is now looking up! The hurdle shuttle 1st place! Knapp, Harris, Klop and Sager beat them all- I would of never thought about winning that at the O Relays! Good job young men! Matt the discus man threw one for a 138′ and second. The 4×800 was 2nd, the 4×400 was 2nd, the distance medley was 2nd. The distance kids are staying tough. At Benton the hurdles won both races, the discus relay won big Dan throwing 122′. JJ won 11′6 in pole vault to lead the way. Q Garrison was 39′9 in the triple. The 4×800, distance medley and 4×400 all won. Good day for the Jv boys! Two more meets this week, reminds me of grade school, easier to have a meet than to practice! The big event is getting close-Apollo Conference meet!

in meets by coach mike on 09 Apr 2008

Nice job-lots of good things-the relays were good-4×200 were a couple hand offs from having a real good time-the 4×800 battled for a good win-the 4×400 ran their guts out to take 2nd-Little Q keeps amazing me with his jumps-Harris and Klop have a thing going with the 110 hurdles. P-H x 3 starting to bond as a group, could make things interesting. Big Dan, oh Big Dan!  Good throw in the discus-need to be consistent and have a good sequence, but 119′ is a good start-and that split in the 4×400!  Thomas “Big T” Goff, is he the next beast of the Wildcat land? Jared B look strong through out the night. P-H x 3, Hargis, Heminover, Hanus had good nights-Hanus some of our fastest times in the 100 and 200. Middle H rode the bus home with the guys that was a highlight! You know even the extra guys did a good job! Don’t forget O’ “I’m not one of H’s” Dell handle his split in the 200 x4. Good night and Good Night!