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.