Coaching Champions: Chris Patrick & Wes Penberthy - Evangelical Christian School

 

What kind of training did your team do leading up to state?  

We have a 12 week program the outlines distance/conditioning and speed work and we try to stay with that training throughout the entire season. 

 

What chances or belief did you have in your team's chance and ability to make the podium?  

I thought we would be in the top four teams. We needed some breaks at regionals to be able to score more points, but we are happy with how the team scored.

 

What advice or points of emphasis did you give your team prior to the race or the week leading into the state meet?

 

We had to adjust to the timing of the state meet. With the format change putting a week in between region and state, we had to keep the same work per week as if we were competing in one meet per week.

 

What was the game plan for state and how do you feel your team executed it?

 

We knew we could compete and really thought that the 4x800 would set the tone. I thought that we should have placed better in this race, but getting points was great.  Otherwise, the girls knew if they ran well they would have the ability to place well in the state meet.

 

Who do you feel really stepped up individually the most for the team at the state meet?

 

They all really stepped up. We wanted to win our district meet so that our seniors would be four time champions. After that it was really about moving as many girls as we could through. The 4x400 and 4x800 really gave more girls a chance to compete. There are really four girls that continuously performed well all year, Sarah Candiano stepped up in leadership and performance, Kylee Rullo leadership and is a true competitor and the twins Moriah Oliveira and Sierra Oliveira new young talent, first year to run track as 6th graders.        

 

What were the biggest challenges for this year's team?

 

The biggest challenges were placing the right people in the events that allowed them to be competitive, advance and score points for the team.  With only 25 girls it sometimes gets tough to get competitors in each event.

 

Were there any low points in the season? How did the team bounce back?

Not really.  The biggest issue is how the state series meets are run with the team of officials at each event.  Not something we see a lot of and we need to see more of those types of meets throughout the season.

 

Was there a particular race, workout, or moment that you knew that your team was ready or had the potential to make the podium?  

No, not really.  It was a constant progression of training for the entire season. We knew that our girls were running competitive times (thanks FLrunners) and if we stayed healthy we had a chance. Running well at IMG was a good indication of where they were.

 

How would you best describe the group of kids that you coach?

These girls are coachable and competitive. The seniors have been great role models and the younger athletes are improving.  Most all of the girls will try any event.  That really helps when you have a limited number of athletes.

 

What role do your assistant coaches play with the program?

 

The assistant coaches play a huge role in this program. They took their respective groups and ran the workouts. They are very much aware of each athlete and can make decisions if someone needed to be pushed or rested due to sickness or injury. By having smaller workout groups we were able to have more specific workouts for the different events.

 

What would be the best way to describe your coaching style?

 

I would describe my coaching style as someone who tries to be as involved as much as possible in all aspects of the preparation, strategy and team management, but let the coaches coach. We work on the basics every day and try to improve the running form of all the athletes. If I see an athlete struggling or needs some correction, I will try to demonstrate what we are asking for right then.

 

Who were the leaders on your team and what was the importance to the squad?

 

The leaders were Haley Pigott, Abby Lunsford, Sarah Candiano and Kylee Rullo. Each one demonstrated the desire to work hard in practice and perform at their best in the meets.

 

Who was the biggest individual surprise or runner that most impressed you with their improvements this year?

 

The twins were the most surprising just because they are so young, but they are very strong runners.  Sarah and Kylee did what we expected, not surprising but impressive that they ran well when the expectations were there.

 

How would this team rank against some of the past teams that you coached?

 

This team scored the best ever for an ECS track team at state. So they have to to be in the top one or two.

 

Every podium team seems to have a special or unique makeup that makes them great. What were some of those characteristics of this year's team?

 

They had lexibility in doing whatever needed to be done to compete. There weren't a lot of complainers on this team. We had lots of laughs.

 

What are your expectations for next year's team?

 

We are losing a small but potent group of seniors. We will need to replace those points and continue to get stronger in the sprints and field events.