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!!!