Except for one afternoon each February, the term “Last Chance” conjures up completely different images in my mind: My sainted mother, leaning against a porcelain sink in an all-white kitchen, her arms folded across her chest, a wooden spoon stained red with spaghetti sauce clenched tightly in a white-knuckled fist, and on her face “the look,” warning me that the first words out of my mouth could be the last; a no-name, sun-bleached gas station on Nevada Highway 374, perched on the edge of Death Valley, its immediate vicinity landscaped with rusted, ancient parts of autos even older than me, more empty plastic coolant containers than sagebrush, and a single white, hand-painted sign offering one grade of gas—leaded--for $9.99 a gallon; a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota , where an unoccupied—since August 2, 1876--seat at a poker table has its back facing the door, and four cards (aces and eights, all black) resting on the table in front of it; a long, too well-spoken message on an answering machine—from Meyer, Meyer, Meyer and Marino—that gets cut off at the final two words, “last ch….”

It comes with a relief, therefore, that this meet offers us an, ahem, less threatening, more entertaining version of the term. The name’s original implication was that it would be the last opportunity for the most gifted athletes in NAIA-member schools to qualify for their National Championships (March 1-3, 2012, in Geneva, Ohio), where 1200 athletes from 30 states will challenge the limits of their ability. And so it turns out that for many, much more than humor is promised at this singularly important day…
 

A “Last Chance,” taken literally

As Head Hawk Coach Scott Byrd explained to me, in so far as the significance of this road trip, “last” definitely means last.

“Not only is this our last chance for the NAIA Championships in March, but it is also our last yearin the NAIA. Next year we’re going over to the NCAA, in Division II,” Byrd said between heats of the 60.

“Way to go, Nigel!”

Nigel Talton went by in 6.77, leading a sweep of the first four places by Shorter (University) sprinters. “That was a new school record,” Scott added, “He broke it by .1 seconds.”

Continuing our conversation, Byrd explained, “We’ll be in the Gulf South Conference, which will include Valdosta State, North Georgia, West Florida….”

“What?” interrupted assistant coach, Rochelle Black, who had just joined us. “When did this happen?” And after a beat, he added, “I must have missed that memo.”

“We’ve got 21 athletic teams,” resumed Byrd, “Our athletic director, Bill Peterson, is very good. He and the president of the college”—Don Dowless, who was appointed on June 1, 2011—“thought it would be a good thing. Down South, the NAIA is not “branded” like the NCAA. Nobody knows it. I love it, but if I go to a high school to recruit, the athletes think it is a conference, rather than a national organization. Of course, Bill (Peterson) Senior, his dad, was the head coach at FSU. In fact, Bobby Bowden was on his staff. So he has a background in the NCAA. We feel good about making the transition. We’ve only had track for six years, and we won the NAIA Championship, bothin”—the Men won with 44 total points on March 5, 2011, in Geneva, Ohio—“and out”—Men again, with 66 points on May 28, 2011 in Doane, Nebraska—“last year.”

Counted among his stars is senior Peter Limo, who won the 800 in 1:55.77, qualifying (under the “B” standard) for this year’s Indoor Nationals.

“Usually I run the 1500”--with a 3:49(.06) PR at the War Eagle Invitational on April 10, 2011—“but I haven’t raced the mile yet,” he said after his race. “I had some issues with my credits. I’m a nursing major, so I had to do some clinical schoolwork, and never got to race.”

Labs and their like, although an integral part of a college education, can wreak havoc on the consistency of workouts for many college athletes, Peter being one of them.

“I practice only three days a week, and maybe one night on a treadmill, just to run. And on Sunday, a long run. (By spring) I’ll have some clinical classes finished, so I’ll be open for outdoor track. I’m looking to run under 3:50 in the 1500.”

So far, most of his races have been shorter distances.

“I raced in the DMR--the team qualified in that--the 4 X 8, and the 800.” (He ran a 1:53.09 PR at the February 10, 2012 Vulcan Invitational.”)

That “Shorter” route was the backbone of this particular team, as they accumulated 98 points—nearly two thirds of their total--in events that could be considered a sprint; 29 points in the 60, five in the 60H, 33 in the 200, 21 in the 400 and ten in the 4 X 4. Included in those performances were NAIA 2011-12 season-best performances by Kirk Wilson (20.90 in the 200) and Randall Dameron (47.76 in the 400).

Wilson was quick, I’ll grant you, but sufficiently winded after his blistering 400, that I was able to cut him off before he could make it into the stands.

“Today was a surprise, but a good one,” he said. “I thank God for that one. I was (becoming) discouraged. I had a 20.99 personal best, but ran a 21.7(2 at the Indiana Relays on January 27th), then two weeks later I ran 22.08 at Clemson (the Tiger Paw Invitational on February 10^th).  So I put in some extra training; 4 X 250s every day.”

Wilson is a new addition to the Hawks.

“I just started this spring, majoring in Sports Management. I just came from Glendale Community College (in Arizona), and I’m a semester behind.”

Similar success followed in their Women’s footsteps; 17 points in the 60, nine in the 60H, 19 in the 200, 22 in the 400, ten in the 4 X 4, and if you count the 600—which made the difference in scoring for the team title—another 15 for 92 points.

Carrying her share, with sixteen points, was Shorter junior Tamala Daley. Although she also long jumps—as of this writing, she leads the NAIA with two 18’ 11 1/4” jumps this year--Tamala entered only two events, taking third in the 60 (7.81), and then leaping 41’1-1/2” in the triple.

“I think that, because it was the Last Chance Meet, he”—her jump coach—“wanted to get more people to qualify, or get a better time,” she said after the meet.

Oh, but that jump! Previously, the best NAIA Women’s jump of the year was that by Aisha Klippenstein (Simon Fraser); 39’ ½” at the January 28 UW Invitational. Tamala beat itby two feet.

“It was a fun trip. I came to improve my distance for the triple, and I did. Now I’m ranked #1 in the NAIA.  It’s going to take mental strength and a lot of determination and hard work (to stay there).”

Can she do both jumps two weeks hence in Geneva?

“I think I’m strong enough, but my coach, Tom Saint, doesn’t want me to. I’d have to do both, and then the 60. I think I can do it, because I’ve done both before.”

Incidentally, you can see Saint, cowboy hat and all, keeping company with a 5 Gallon Gatorade container in our “Friends and Family” folder.

“That’s his trademark. He comes to track meets in that, hot or cold,” Tamala pointed out, of course meaning the western wear, and not the Gatorade cooler.

From the West, to the Midwest

As long as Sammy Vazquez lived in the state of Florida, he grabbed more headlines than Volusia County’s voracious sharks, but both have set milestones that have lasted a decade.  At the June 13, 2003 Adidas Outdoor Championships, he ran a 4:03.87 mile (which converts to a 4:02.46 1600) and nearly nine years later remains the reigning Florida high school mile record-holder. After graduation from Flagler-Palm Coast High School, he attended the University of Arkansas for one year, and ran a  4:05.84 mile at the Meyo Invitational, finishing 11^th  in the field of 16 that chased the eventual winner to a 3:56.55 finish (February 7, 2004). After being reunited with his high school coach, Peter Hopfe, at Embry Riddle, he teased his time to 4:12 on two occasions, the NAIA Indoor Nationals on March 4, 2010, and the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational on February 11, 2011, but seemed to be in a “holding pattern” on the aeronautical school’s track.

In each of his finest mile performances, the competition included some of the best runners, age wise, in the country. At this meet, however, it was just Sammy and former Eagle teammate Evans Kirwa. Evans’s companionship proved to be more than enough. Sammy won in 4:06.70, and Evans finished second in 4:11.61. The next nearest finisher was Shorter’s Eliud N’Getich (4:17.61). Clearly, it was an inspiring performance, and perhaps his former “runway” will yet become an on ramp to the Olympic trials.

Where have you been, Sam Vazquez (asked to the tune of  Joe Dimaggio  by Simon and Garfunkle)?

Sam: “Downtown Chicago.”

Flo, his wife: “It’s expensive.”

Sam: “Pretty expensive, but nice.”

Flo: “And convenient. We live about a mile from my work.”

Sam: “She works at the Sears Tower.”

Flo, who is an outstanding runner herself: “I work for United Airlines; revenue management. I don’t have time to train. I just watch over him.”

But the weather?

Sam: “It wasn’t that difficult. We moved in during the summer so we had time to adjust. But I’m training by myself.”

Flo: “That’s the biggest challenge, not having training partners. If you have a group often to train with, you have an advantage. But he has to run by himself, in the wind. It’s pretty windy there.”

Sam: “When we got there they said, ‘It’s not really about the wind,’ but it is windy.”

Flo: “Especially around the lake.”

Sam: “I kind of do the same training…just put on a few more clothes. My ultimate goal is the Olympics, so I have to do it.”

Just do it, or is there a plan?

Sam: “I’m focusing on the Stanford (University, California) Invitational. I’m going to drop down from the mile and run the 1500. The training is more intense, but I haven’t quite started that yet. It’s all distance now.”

Flo: “Strength.”

Sam: “That’s why I’m happy with a 4:06(.70). It’s all on distance. That’s probably my second fastest, ever.”

Flo: “His fastest time of the year.”

Note: The Stanford Meet, where, on May 2, 2010, Chris Solinsky set the American 10,000 meter record of 26:59. Solinsky, from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, finished right behind Vazquez in the 2003 Adidas Outdoor (Mile) Championships (4:05.30).
 

From the Czech Republic to St. Leo to Daytona Beach: Has anyone got a map?

Running in ovals could not have been as much fun for Terezea Novotna, as it was for the people watching her. She went around like clockwork, her compass set permanently on left. At least she knew where she was going, or did she?

“In the Czech Republic”—not Czechoslovakia, as I incorrectly repeated several times—“the sport I do is orienteering,” she patiently explained to me. “It is very popular there. We use a compass and a map.”

And yet, an expert with a map and compass, who left from Hradec Kralove, ended up at St. Leo, somewhere in Florida?

“Because of the weather, and a great coach, Melissa (Miller-Mangen),” she said. “I’ve never run a 5K on a track, but my best time in cross country is 18:06.  I was trying to get a time for the Nationals, but that didn’t happen. I’d love to hit, like 17:15, but this may be too high a goal for now. I tried, but couldn’t.”

What she may have hit on, is a “fast track” to the Olympics. Remember the movie, Cool Running, about the Jamaican bobsled team? That more or less true story--minus John Candy-- shows that it is not necessarily speed that counts, but rather who is the most innovative and well-prepared. There are millions of track runners, but no matter how fast they can run, where would they be without lane lines? On the other hand, turn Ms. Novotna loose in the forest and she is undoubtedly at her best. She easily won the 5K in 18:18, and I’d bet that she’d finish before the rest of her competitors figured out which way to hold out a map.

It’s related to triathlons. Once they were weird, then cool, and finally a world-wide phenomenon. Orienteering has already been added to the World Games (2001), and there is a big push towards making it an Olympic Sport. The only thing holding it back is that no one has figured out how to turn it into a spectator sport, that is, how to make money from it. However, with orienteering already being contested on snow, at night, at various distances, and on all kinds of terrain, it won’t be long. Hey, Tereza, can I be your sponsor?

That, of course, is pure conjecture, and totally unlike Central Michigan graduate and St. Leo Cross Country coach Melissa Miller-Mangen; she knows exactly what she is doing. Although she has fallen off her 5K PR of 16:55 (set at the 2005 Mt. Pleasant 5K/Duathlon), she’s in sync and having a ball.

“Right now, it’s just about balancing family, work, and training,” she said. “I have a 14 month old, Jack. My husband, Paul Mangan, coaches swimming at St. Leo.”

And she still runs fast. Melissa finished second in the 5K in 18:58.31. If she can teach Tereza what she knows, and Tereza reciprocates, we’d be ready for the day by the time orienteering becomes an Olympic demonstration sport. Anyone have an application form for American citizenship?

(A couple of photos of Melissa and her cute blond-haired kid can be found in the “Friends and Family” folder.)

 

A little older, a little wiser

Mark Ogles was standing on the furthest end of the triple jump, taking a moment to contemplate his place in the universe.

“I’m getting old,” he admitted. “At college, I was a pole vaulter, but at 50, I’m not going to do that. It would be crazy. I’m doing the triple jump (and the 60) to get a distance for the Senior Indoor Nationals, which is in about a month, I think.”

The 2012 USATF Masters Indoor Track and Field Indoor Championships will be March 16-18 in the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse, in Bloomington, Indiana.

 “What a nice campus,” Mark Ogles opined to me. “The company I work for—Y-Greene (roughly, energy spelled backwards)—is doing business with Volusia County, but I’m from Sarasota and have never been here.”

Ogles seemed as much interested in observing as he did competing.

“I love to see their form, particularly the girls. It is only my second meet in the triple, so there’s a lot to learn.”

The two TJs were being run side by side, so as the men lined up for their approach, they were standing close enough to the women’s landing pit to get sand thrown onto their runway, and  into their path. You couldn’t help but notice “form,” especially when one of the women “fouled” and ran almost directly at you.

Mark’s best jump was 29’2”, which from my perspective jusssst cleared the runway. His name did not appear in the results of the 60, but that of another “elder trackman”, Keenan Hreib—45--did: 7.78.

I asked Keenan what his PR was.

“6.6…in 1988,” he answered.  “I ran here last month (7.68 at the January 28 Indoor-Outdoor Challenge). These two have been my first races in 17 years. I’m trying to get a few meets in to prepare for the Masters Outdoor Nationals in Chicago. I believe it is the first weekend of August.”

The USA Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships, August 2-5, 2012, will be on the Sports Complex of Benedictine University, in Lisle, Illinois.

“I’m going to train by doing 100s--lots of 100s--and 200s. But this is the last meet of the winter for me. I coach sprints and jumps at Flagler. My next meet is a UNF Outdoor Meet in May (?). I’ll be running in the 100.

“I’ll do sprint work with the team. Most of the time I work with the jumpers, but if I have time, I do block work and starts. Believe it or not, that was my thing. I was a good starter.”

The Olympics, parenting, and the never-ending quest for success

While most of us compete for a few years, then get married, settle down, and eventually look like one of our parents, there are notable exceptions, and leave it to this meet to attract them.

Chaunte Lowe is a pretty good long jumper—she won it with a 20’8” effort—but it’s definitely the high jump that brings her fame and fortune. If you’re impatient, as 99.9% of this meet’s attendees seemed to be, you might have been well on your way home before she even stood up and stretched. But then again, when is the last time you saw a 5’ 6” woman hurdle the height that everyone else went out on…in her sweats, no less? (No, I’m not making that up.)

Eventually the 28 year old mother of two took off her sweats and got down to business.That was when you realized that her body is that of a two-time Olympian, attempting to qualify for her third.

“In 2004—Athens--I was real young, and just made the team. In 2008—Bejing—I took sixth with a 1.99 (approximately 6’ 6 ¼”). My personal best is 2.05 meters (approximately 6’ 9”)”—the current American record—“But I’m coming back from maternity. I’m on my comeback tour.”

 Jasmine, her first child, was born in 2007, and Aurora in 2010.

“I started jumping in high school (JW North in Riverside, California), and then went to Georgia Tech.” (She graduated in May, 2008.) “I’ve been a professional, with Nike, since 2005. Although I never stopped training, it’s harder to compete with children. The hardest thing is to separate parenting from training. When I train I have to be an athlete. When I’m off the track, I’m a mother.”

A partial list of her accomplishments includes:

2001 California State Meet – 1^st in the HJ (5’6”)

2002 California State Meet – 2^nd in the HJ (5’11”), LJ (19’5”) and TJ (40’4 ¼”)

2001 New Balance National Scholastic Outdoor Championships – 1^st in the HJ (6’ ½”)

2002 New Balance National Scholastic Outdoor Championships – 1st in the HJ (6’ 1½”)

2005 IAAF Meet – 2^nd in the HJ (6’6”)

2009 National Outdoor Championships – 1^st in the HJ (6’ 4 3/4"”)

2010 – Set the American record (6’ 8 ¼”), then reset it in (6’8 3/4”) a month later

At this meet, the height(s) she needed was at least 1.91 meters (approx. 6’ 3 ¼”) for a B standard, or 1.95 meters (approximately 6’ 4 ¾”) for an A standard.  The first came easy, flower and all, the second not at all.

“I was cutting in,” she told her husband, Mario (who won the triple jump with a 47’ 8 ½”). “I knew I was too far.”

On the other hand, Nicole Bonk--race walker extraordinaire--walked just far enough. Having made the A standard with a 14:54.19 in the previous meet, she did a 3000 meter “pace walk” this time, in an attempt to help Kelsey Carney set a PR.

“I just came out to get my best time,” explained the 15 year old middle school student.”My old one was 17:41, and I walked 17:39(.35) today.”

And with that came the win, probably by the youngest competitor at this meet to do so.

Somewhere in between Chaunte and Kelsey—both in age and ambition--is 26 year old Courtney  Patterson. An experienced athlete who has represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in international competition, she has personal bests of 7.43 in the 60 (April 3, 2006 at the Blackburg, Virginia Tech Last Chance Invitational) and 11.22 in the 100 (May 23, 2009 in the Clermont, Florida NTC Classic). She is currently training at Jones High School, in Orlando.

“This meet is a practice, a time trial for me,” she said to me after winning the 60. “I was planning to go to Istanbul, Turkey for the (IAAF) Indoor World Championships,” March 9-12, 2012, “but I started late, and fell behind. I’m going to focus on the indoor season, (instead) training for London,” July 27 to August 12, 2012.

Her time in the Last Chance 60 was 7.59.

Multiplicity

With the level of competition that emerged over the course of this day, only a few athletes managed more than one win.  F.I.T.’s Ja Mar Watson was the only man to do so, finishing first in the discus (148’7”) and the weight throw (61’ 1 ¼”), and second in the shot put (48’ 3 ½”). His female counterpart (competing for ERAU), also won the discus (142’ 10”) and the weight throw (60’ 10 ¾”), then added the javelin (99’ 2”).

As previously mentioned, Chaunte Lowe doubled as an unattached athlete (long jump and high jump). Middle distance runner Karina Coelho, however, might have taken the most breaths in order to do so. In the morning she won the 1000 (3:01.19), then came back to win the 800 three hours later (2:19.02).

“Basically, I just had too much left at the end,” she explained, “and ‘sling-shot’ past Baleigh (Hyatt, second in 2:19.8). I didn’t run my smartest race, but it was a PR for the season.”

Both Karina and Baleigh made the B standard for the NAIA Meet.

 

Team Scoring

Host Embry Riddle and NAIA power house Shorter University were pretty evenly matched. Both teams—and both Men and Women—had remarkably similar scores. It was close enough that one person could have—and probably did—determine the outcome of their team’s final total. Shorter’s men scored 161 points to ERAU’s 151, and Shorter’s women outscored ERAU 151-148.

 

Adieu

The coaches, athletes, and staff at Embry Riddle do not have to put on this meet, but whether you’re a competitor, a writer, or a reader, we’re sure glad you did, and we’re looking forward to the Spikes Classic on March 24^th.  Anyone have a schedule?

 

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