Them Potters is back!

So yesterday, was supposed to the first meet of the season for the Potters, against Peoria, but was postponed due to the condition of the field event areas after a freak almost-April snow storm over the weekend. Nevertheless, the Potters ran a simulation meet that day, running through all of the running events, to give the men a taste of the schedule, and perhaps to gain a little knowledge about where people stood and what events favored them.

This mock-meet in itself is but the first of many evidences of just how far the Potters have come since last season, and how much farther they can go. I was not able to see the whole meet, but caught the tail end of it, including the 1600 and 4x400 relay. From what I saw, and from what I heard, I can tell you that the Potters are on the upswing.

First, I should explain the conditions. It was sunny and chilly out. Well, it would have been chilly, if it weren't for the strong winds that turned chilly into downright cold at times. If you combine that with the nature of the meet (let's be honest, if you give 100% at a meet against another team, most guys only give 90-95% at a simulation event like this) and the short recovery between events due to the quick schedule, disappointing performances might have been expected. But no. Here's a rundown of some of the positive things I noticed or heard about.

• Numerous Potters between 2:20 and about 2:26 or so in the 800 or legs of the 4x800, including at least one Potter, Nathan Smith, doing it twice.
• In the 1600, Austin Bradford showed an aggressive attitude, and the classic distance runners disappointment when it came back to bite him, which is often the fuel for better performances. Don't worry, Austin, we've all done it, and that experience is what drives us to improve. Nick Piper showed restraint and a steady controlled race to nip his season best time from last season. Look for big improvements from both of these guys.
• 24 Potters on the track for the 4x400. That's right, I said 24! Last year, I had to fight to get 8 guys out there one day, and many meets, we had no one in the event. 24 kids on the track running a 4x400 is a perfect symbol of the new direction the team is taking. What's more, track newcomers Dan Getz and Dale Domnick looked good on their legs, and appeared to be having a good time. In addition, Nathan Smith looked strong on his leg, along with a few other runners whose name I didn't yet catch.
• Athletes enjoying what they were doing, enjoying working together, having a good time, and being disappointed at not meeting their expectations. When I pulled up, everyone was all smiles, and the only negative moments I witnessed was dissatisfaction at fudged handoffs. That's the kind of attitude that builds a strong team.
• Coaches actively involved and engaging the athletes during all the events, and even a full-team post-meet meeting with a brief word of encouragement about the 'season opener' and talk of the improvement to come.
• Last, but not least, I have to give a shout out to Stuart Heatwole, who shaved nearly 10 seconds off of his 800 meter PR from last year, and also ran a strong 1600 soon afterwards. That's a strong run for this early, and we look forward to seeing how much more he can drop. Two of the many important aspects of this sport are improving upon your abilities, and the satisfaction and positive attitude that accompany that. Stuart had a perfect opportunity to exhibit those yesterday, and I look forward to seeing more of it throughout this spring, along with the rest of the Potters.

So those are some of the highlights I saw, and I'm encouraged. I saw athletes running well and having good attitudes and a good time, and coaches engaging the athletes, talking of improvement, and also having a good time. That's a foundation you can build a team upon.

I apologize that I did not get there earlier, and have no results to offer for some of the events, especially the 3200. Feel free to leave any additional info in the comments.

Steve out.

H.E.A.R.T.

...is doing what you've never done before because it is attainable if you are willing to try a little harder.

This is a new thing for a lot of you, all of you are coming into this meet with something new on your shoulders. Some of you have never run for the Morton Track team before...others have never set foot on that track with so much potential...still all of you are one new team. You are the 2009 Guy's Distance Team...
you have a coach...
you have each other...
you have many people cheering you on.

You have no excuses to say 'I can't...I won't' only "I WILL!"

Step to the line...give nothing away...and take everything you deserve and maybe some you just want. :)

You are one team that will never be forgotten...make it hurt enough....make your opponents work for every inch...run smart and FEEL the race.

Nothing stands in your way...but we all stand behind you

Rolling over to Carper

So I decided to check out the Morton Distance Team today along with fellow Creator Ben....something need to be seen with your own eyes.

Well I have to say it was quite the adventure. First off the guys look well and seemed eager to get that 1st race of the season behind them. I decided to first see if it would be okay with their coach if I stayed to watch them practice and maybe run a few with them. Coach Hodel was more than willing to let me and I had a fun time. After running three 400's with the team I decided I was shot (my legs are prepped for 1/2 Marathon speed, not Smitty speed). Ben trudged on to get an inside look at the team from within the Peloton.

Here's what I discovered:

We have some new guys and some veterans to the track, basically the guys that should have been out there years ago like Dale, Dan, and Andrew finally laced up. And we had returning runners Smitty, Joe, JT, Piper, and Bradford (I didn't actually run with Bradford but I've talked to him so it kinda counts). There were also two guys I didn't talk to: Marks and Danny but they both seem like good runners. The team seems to know what it's about and is ready to conquer the track and show why Morton decided to hire a distance coach (nothing wrong with Steve, the school district just has been a little slow in actually hiring). This is in my opinion a big step for Morton spring sports, hiring finally so that the seniors don't have to attempt to worry about racing and coaching.

The guys seem to all have a good sense of what they're about and are learning what they need to know on a sub-conscious level. That being: this hurts...this is smooth....if I control my stride i get more power...and my favorite: this is what a [insert time] pace feels like.

The guys are ready...Hodel is coaching....Ben and I witnessed it ourselves. Morton may just have a track team this year.

[Side note]

A special congratulations to our female runners who had their first meet yesterday. I hear great things coming down the horn.

Grace Jankowski with a wicked fast 1600- 5:48
Pribble with a 3200- 12:06.9

Congrats to the ladies and I hope you have a great season.