2009 Fire on the Track!

Clips from Race Day at XC Regionals

HPU Cribs in Louisville

Riding to Regionals

Joya's Track Fashion

NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional

The bus leaves in the morning, and we will be off to Louisville, KY, for the meet. The Men race on Saturday at 10am and the women at 11:15. Watch the video to see who is competing for HPU!

Big South Championship

Here's the video that HPU Students will see as they ride over to the course in the morning on the HPU Bus to cheer on our Panthers.

Blue Ridge Mountain Cross Country Meet

Friday, October 16, 2009

Fall Cross Country Training

An Ostrich is Faster

July is a big month for recruiting in a college coach's life so we have spoken to many high school athletes over the past month trying to learn more about them and here's some of what we found:

44% of them started running in the 9th grade
42% started in middle school, and about
14% started in 10th grade

Regarding Movies
54% love Comedies
23% love Action movies

Regarding Money: If they were given $40,
48% would save it
20% would go shopping
14% would use it for entertainment
11% would buy food, and
7% would buy gas for their cars

And the final question, which is faster, and Ostrich or a Greyhound????

The Ostrich is the winner winner ostrich dinner.

Although a greyhound can run up to 43mph, the ostrich can run up to 45 mph.

Coffee Date

We asked our recruits who they would talk to if they had one hour to talk to anyone living or dead.

Here's our Top-6 Answers:
1. Jesus
2. Steve Prefontaine
3. Parent/Grandparent
4. Thomas Jefferson
5. Abe Lincoln
6. Michael Phelps

Another question we asked was "Would you rather be an Olympic Champion or a World Record Holder."

70% of you said Olympic Champion. My favorite answer was "World Record Setting Performance at the Olympics" :)

The Babies

Roughly 32% of the recruits we have talked to are the baby of the family. It would be interesting to know how many elite runners are the youngest in their families. When you are the youngest, you often get a lot of attention and have many tasks done for you, so do you think the youngest child has what it takes to be a top-notch runner? Of course they do!

Risk takers, idealists, good sense of humor, hardworking, immature, attention seeking, secretive, sensitive. . . these are all qualities that can describe the youngest child. These "know no boundaries," which is great in running. Jay Leno and Bill Gates are the youngest in their families, so we know that if you are the youngest, you can definitely be a success:)

Are you a Middle Child?

15% of the recruits we talked to are somewhere in the middle, not the first born, but not the baby. Middle born kids tend to be flexible, diplomatic, rebellious, attention seeking, competitive, peacemakers. Here are a few famous middle kids.

Oprah is a First Born

So the results are in. . . well partially. We polled some of our 2010 recruits, and one of the questions was about their birth order, whether they are the oldest, youngest, middle, twin, etc. The results are interesting.

47% of those polled are the oldest child. The oldest child in the family tends to sway in one of two ways:
1. Compliant: People pleasers, reliable, conscientious, team players, nurturers, craving approval

Or

2. Aggressive: Movers & Shakers, leaders, perfectionist, driven, conventional, assertive, want things done their way

What the two types have in common are energetic, logical, ambitious, enterprising, scholarly.

Over half of the US Presidents are first borns, and 2/3 of entrepreneurs are first borns. 21 of the 23 first astronauts were first borns

If you are a first born, do either or these describe you???

High Performance Distance Academy

a.k.a. Blacksburg Running Camp

I'm (Julie)speaking tonight at camp about Summer Training, and I can't wait to hang out with some high school xc runners again. Should be fun:)

The New Communications School

It will be up and running by the time school starts in August. Take a look!



And if you want to see what the coaching staff is like, watch this one.

How to do Running Drills

We regret not being as diligent as we should be in teaching and coaching the running drills, so we are trying to start now and teach the correct form for our running drills. You do the drills as part of your active warm-up on the days you are doing the critical zone workouts, and then also complete the drills after one of your regular runs. When you do them after your regular run, start with 10 meters. We want quality over quantity to begin.



Drill #1: Walking A's
Coaching Points
* Posture (Head as far from your heels as possible)
* Slight Forward Lean (Weight on balls of feet)
* Heel Up, Knee Up
* Hips up high
* Use Arms (mimic running action)
* Toes up (not pointed down to the ground)
* Shoulders over toes
* Take shorter steps



Drill #2: A Skips Coaching Points
* Posture
* Slight forward lean with weight on balls of feet
* Heel Up, Knee Up
* Drive thigh and foot down to generate ground reaction forces
* Emphasis on the down motion (to make up motion easier)
* Light on feet



Drill #3: Running A's



Drill #4: Walking B Steps
Coaching Points
* Maintain posture
* Hips tall
* Chest & head forward
* Don't fold or buckle in the middle



Drill #5: B Skips



Drill #6: B Run



Drill #7: C Skip

Passion Makes Every Detail Important

said G.K. Chesterton

Our General Strength Plan is detailed. Here it is.

Weeks 1 & 2
It is not enough to get things done; they must be done right. ~Arthur T. Hadley
1. SuperSet
a. Dead Lifts 2 x 4 with five minutes recovery off your legs. During the recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time

b. Pull – ups 2 x 10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)


2. SuperSet
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, week 1: 3x12 on each leg holding weight; week 2: 2x12, 1x10 on each leg increasing weight on last set. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.


b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick


3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Forwards and Backwards with body weight
b. Two-Legged Stir 2x10 both ways


4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 12 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine)



5. Plank – Hold for two minutes




6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 10 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 10 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 10 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each


7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on soft grass  

Weeks 3 & 4
Improving yourself is the best way to help your team.
1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x4 with five minutes recovery off your legs. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time.


b. Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, week 3: 1x12, 2x10 on each leg increased weight from last week; week 4: 3x10 increasing weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.

b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick, increasing weight from last week

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Side to Side with a little more than body weight.
b. One-Legged Stir 2x10 on one leg, 2x10 on the other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 12 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine), add a plate in hands if possible

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 15 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 15 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 15 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 12 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 12 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 12 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on soft grass  

Week 5 – Compensation Week (Let your body catch up!!!)
A champion pays an extra price to be better than anyone else. Paul “Bear” Bryant

1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x4 with five minutes recovery off your legs. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time.
b. Wide Grip Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, 3x12 with lighter weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.
b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick, decreasing weight from last week

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Forwards and Backwards with body weight.
b. One-Legged Stir 2x10 on one leg, 2x10 on the other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 12 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine)

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 10 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 10 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 10 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on soft grass  

Weeks 6 & 7
It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through. Zig Ziglar
1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x3 with five minutes recovery off your legs with increased weight. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time.
b. Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, week 6:2x10, 1x8 on each leg increased weight from two weeks ago; week 7: 1x10, 2x8 increasing weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.
b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick, increasing weight from two weeks ago

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Forwards and Backwards increasing weight from two weeks ago. b. One-Legged Right Twist x 10, One-Legged Left Twist x 10, Repeat with other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 10 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine), increasing weight from two weeks ago

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 20 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 20 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 20 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 12 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 12 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 12 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on grass when you can  

Week 8 Compensation Week
The toughest thing about being a success is that you’ve got to keep being a success. Irving Berlin

1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x4 with five minutes recovery off your legs – Lighter weight than last week. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time. b. Wide Grip Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, 3x12 with lighter weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.
b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick, decreasing weight from last week

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Forwards and Backwards with body weight.
b. One-Legged Right Twist x 10, One-Legged Left Twist x 10, Repeat with other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 12 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine)

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 10 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 10 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 10 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on grass when you can  

Weeks 9 & 10
Honor is better than honors. Abraham Lincoln

1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x2 with five minutes recovery off your legs with increased weight. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time.
b. Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, week 9:3x8 on each leg increased weight from two weeks ago; week 10: 2x8, 1 x 6 increasing weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.
b. Walking Good Mornings 3x8 with bar or stick, increasing weight from two weeks ago

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Side to Side increasing weight from two weeks ago.
b. One-Legged Stir 2x10 on one leg, 2x10 on the other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 10 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine), increasing weight from two weeks ago

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine – increase resistance if possible
a. Forward Walk 20 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 20 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 20 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on grass when you can  

Week 11 – Compensation Week
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. E.B. White

1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x4 with five minutes recovery off your legs – Lighter weight than last week. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time. b. Wide Grip Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, 3x12 with lighter weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings.
b. Walking Good Mornings 3x10 with bar or stick, decreasing weight from last week

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Forwards and Backwards with body weight.
b. One-Legged Stir 2x10 on one leg, 2x10 on the other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 12 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine)

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine
a. Forward Walk 10 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 10 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 10 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on grass when you can

  Weeks 12 & 13
Progress always involves risk.

1. Superset
a. Power High Pull 2x2 with five minutes recovery off your legs with increased weight. During recovery, do the pull-ups and sit down if there’s extra time.
b. Pull-ups 2x10 (use a band or a person to help if you can’t do them solo)

2. Superset
a. Single-Leg Step-ups, week 12:1x8, 2x6 on each leg increased weight from two weeks ago; week 13:3x6 increasing weight. During the recovery, do walking good mornings. b. Walking Good Mornings 3x8 with bar or stick, increasing weight from two weeks ago

3. SuperSet
a. Yoke Walk 60 seconds Front to Back increasing weight from two weeks ago.
b. One-Legged Right Twist x 10, One-Legged Left Twist x 10, Repeat with other leg

4. Hyperextensions – 3 x 10 (Supermans if you don’t have the machine), increasing weight from two weeks ago

5. Plank – Hold for two minutes

6. Band Routine – increase resistance if possible
a. Forward Walk 20 meters
b. Side to Side (Right & Left) 20 meters
c. Slow Karioke (Right & Left) 20 meters
d. Knee Lifts (Right & Left) 10 on each
e. Bench Pulls (Right & Left) 10 on each
f. Clam Shells (Right & Left) 10 on each

7. Pre-Hab Routine
a. Balancing on Single Leg – 30 seconds each (close your eyes when you start to get good at it)
b. Spell the alphabet with each foot in the air
c. Walk 20 meters on i. Heels ii. Toes iii. Insides of feet iv. Outsides of feet
d. Barefoot striders on grass when you can

It's No Secret! It's Hard Work

2009 Cross Country Summer Training Plan

General Notes about the training schedule
• Always complete the Critical Zone workouts the day after a recovery run. You may not know how to measure the distance exactly, but do your best to judge the distance and then increase it according to the progression.
• You can progress to tempo on any day you feel good running (although we don’t want you to tempo more than once a week and we’re not implying that you should tempo once per week)

• Long Run once per week which is 20-25% of your weekly mileage. In week 3, the long run changes to a long progression run. For the newcomers, the long progression is a long run broken into three segments: recovery run pace, to a little quicker, to faster. In the compensation weeks, you will do a long run with no progression.
• In week 3, the rep day changes to sprint climbs twice a week for three weeks. You can alter the hill that you sprint each week by choosing a longer one or steeper one as you progress.
• General Strength 2-3 times per week
• Drills once per week in addition to doing them before the Crit.Zone (See demos)
• The training is designed so that you have two weeks of building and then one week for compensation, so it’s important to keep the schedule so that everything is down on the same third week. We have adjusted the critical zone and general strength training so that the compensation weeks are the same.

Weeks 1 & 2 (May 25-June 7)
Complete each of the following during the week in addition to your regular runs:
• Long Run (20-25% of weekly mileage)
• 2-3 x General Strength (See G.S. Schedule)
• 2 Days of 6-8 x 100 meters reps at 80% following a recovery run
• Drill one day after a recovery run for 10 meters
• Active Warm-Up (AW) and the Critical Zone Work (See Progression below)
o Week of May 25: 2 x (3x20), walk back recovery within the set, 4 minutes recovery btwn sets
o Week of June 1: 1 set of (3x20) with walk back recovery – compensation week

Weeks 3,4,&5 (June 8-June 28)
• Long Progression Run (20-25% of weekly mileage) for first two weeks; regular long run during the week of June 22
• 2-3 x General Strength (See G.S. Schedule)
• 2 Days of 6-8 x Sprint Climbs on a 40-80 meter steep hill with ample recovery after a 30+ minute run
• Drill one day after a recovery run for 15 meters
• AW and then Critical Zone
o Week of June 8: (3x20m), (3x30m) walk back recovery w/i set and 4 mins btwn sets
o Week of June 15: 2x(3x30m), same recovery above
o Week of June 22: 3x30 m with walk back recovery

Weeks 6,7,& 8 (June 29-July 19)
• Long Progression Run (20-25% of weekly mileage) for first two weeks; regular long run during the week of July 13
• 2-3 x General Strength (See G.S. Schedule)
• 2 Days of 6-8 x150m at 80% with ample recovery after a 30+ minute run
• Drill one day after a recovery run for 15 meters
• AW and then Critical Zone
o Week of June 29: 3x (3x30m) walk back recovery w/i set and 4 mins btwn sets
o Week of July 6: (3x20m), (3x30m), (3x40m) same recovery above
o Week of July 13: (3x40 m) with walk back recovery

Weeks 9,10,& 11 (July 20-August 9)
• Long Progression Run (20-25% of weekly mileage) for first two weeks; regular long run during the week of July 13
• 2-3 x General Strength (See G.S. Schedule)
• 2 Days of 6-8 x Sprint Climbs on a 40-80 meter steep hill with ample recovery after a 30+ minute run – Try to pick a longer or steeper hill than you used a few weeks ago
• Drill one day after a recovery run for 20 meters
• AW and then Critical Zone
o Week of July 20: 2x (3x40m) walk back recovery w/i set and 5 mins btwn sets
o Week of July 27: 3x (3x40m) same recovery above
o Week of Aug 3: (3x40 m) with walk back recovery

Weeks 12 (August 10-16)
• Long Progression Run (20-25% of weekly mileage)
• 2-3 x General Strength (See G.S. Schedule)
• 2 Days of 6-8 x200m at 80% with ample recovery after a 30+ minute run
• Drill one day after a recovery run for 20 meters
• AW and then Critical Zone
o 2 x (3x40m) walk back recovery w/i set and 5 mins btwn sets


Week 13 (Camp!!!)
• The Cone Groan
• Long Run
• 3 x (3x40m)
• G.S.
• & more

Team Awards Dinner at Liberty Steakhouse

Here are our 2008-2009 Award Winners

Cross Country
Top Newcomer

Kelsey Fraser• She started out the season by winning the Queen of the Mountain award for winning the Cross Country Time Trial in the pre-season
• She teamed up with Zsanett to place third in her first collegiate meet at the Wake Forest Relays
• She was the only freshman to make the trip to Griak
• Ran 4th for the Panthers at the Blue Ridge Open
• Only freshman to run at the NCAA Regional Meet

Anthony Berkis
• Teamed with Josh Morgan to place third at the Wake Forest Relays
• Placed 4th overall in the Big South Preview Meet
• Ran 5th for the team at Griak
• Ran 3rd for the team at the Blue Ridge Open
• Finished 9th at the Big South Conference Championships to earn All-Conference Honors
• Awarded Big South Freshman of the Year
• Placed 3rd at the Pack Invitational

Most Improved
Emily Webb• Her freshman year, she ran 20:05 at the Blue Ridge Invitational, and this year she cut 38 seconds off that time to run 19:27 on the same course
• She also cut 52 seconds from her first 6k at Griak to her 6k at the NCAA SE Regional Meet, running 23:10 to finish
• She went from not running regionals her freshman year, to running 3rd on the team at regionals this year


Cole Atkins• He was 5th on the team in the first meet at Wake
• He quickly moved to 2nd on the team at Griak & the Blue Ridge Open
• He cut 45 seconds from his 8k time from Liberty on 9/22 to Griak on 9/28
• After a bout with a staff infection, he returned to the team to run 2nd again for the Panthers at the NCAA SE Regional

Most Outstanding

Zsanett Kis
• She won the Big South Preview
• She was 9th overall at the Blue Ridge Open
• She won the Big South Cross Championship, earning All-Conference Honors and . . .
• She was named the Big South Runner of the Year


Jesse Cherry• Earned King of the Mountain Title for winning the pre-season Time Trial
• Had the second fastest splits at the Wake Forest Relays
• Ran only two seconds slower at Griak this year than at Notre Dame last year, and Griak is a significantly harder course
• Finished 8th overall at the Blue Ridge Open
• Finished 3rd overall at the Big South Conference Meet to earn All-Conference honors

Track & Field
Top Newcomer

Manika Gamble• She won the 55 m hurdles in her first attempt at this event at the Boone meet in January
• She ended her indoor season by breaking the school record in the 400 meters, running 55.93.
• She was voted Big South Freshman of the Year for scoring the most points at the indoor conference championship of any freshman
• She finished 2nd in the 60 m hurdles and 4th in the 400 meters, and 5th in the 1600 meter relay at the Big South Indoor Championships
• She qualified for the NCAA East Regional in her first attempt at the 400m hurdles, running 60.7 and breaking the school record.
• She continued to break the school record in the 400 hurdles with her best time coming this weekend at the Vertklasse, 59.66
• She is on the school record setting Distance Medley Relay and 3200 meter Relay
• She won the Big South Conference Championships in the 400 hurdles and was the runner-up in the 100 hurdles
• She finished 11th overall at the Penn Relays in the 400 hurdles


Anthony Berkis• Anthony won the mile at the Carolina Classic in 4:19.46 and came back to run 1:56.67 in the 800 that day
• He won the mile again at the Carolina Invitational in 4:14.16
• He was voted Big South Freshman of the Year for placing second in the 3,000 and anchoring the Men’s DMR before coming back to place 4th in the mile in 4:14.82. He also made the All-Conference team
• He finished 2nd in the 1500 at the Wake Forest Open running 3:51.69 (a pr)
• He qualified for the NCAA Regional meet in the his first attempt collegiately at the 3k steeple
• He also broke the school record in this event as well as the DMR and 3200 meter relay
• He placed 2nd at the Big South Outdoor Championship in the steeple to earn all-Conference honors
• And then he ran a big pr in the 1500 at the Vertklasse running 3:48.65.

Most Improved
Shauna Marsh• She went from not scoring in the conference meet in 2008 to winning the 1500 meters this season
• She cut 9 seconds from her 1500 pr to run 4:38.54, and she split 2:13.4 in the 3200 meter relay (2:18.29 was her best 800 coming into the season)


Jesse Cherry• He cut 90 seconds from his 10k pr this season
• He cut 37 seconds from his outdoor 5k pr
• He cut at least 37 seconds from his indoor 5k pr
• He cut 25 seconds from his indoor 3k pr
• He went from winning no Big South Championships to winning three this year

Most Outstanding

Manika Gamble• Her 59.33 ranks her 11th best freshman in the country in the 400 meter hurdles

Jesse Cherry
• In addition to his improvements, he is currently ranked 33rd in the NCAA because of his 28:59.16 in the 10k
• He also earned the Regional Qualifier in the men’s 5k, running 14:07.25 at the Vertklasse

2009 HPU Athletic Awards

We had three winners at the All-Sports Awards Ceremony on Monday evening.



The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) chooses the Sportspersons of the Year factoring in athletic contributions along with leadership, community service and academics. Men's basketball player Melvin Crowder earned the Sportsman of the Year while cross country and track standout Kali Burt was named the Sportswoman of the Year.Burt has garnered All-Big South honors in cross country all four years. She has earned Millis Scholar Athlete honors and a spot on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll every year. Burt has been involved in several community service activities including the Amani Service Project and she volunteers as a weekly lunch buddy at a local elementary school.


HPU cross country and track runner Shauna Marsh is this year's recipient of the Tobias Award. Marsh, a four-year athlete, earned Millis Scholar-Athlete and Big South Presidential Honor Roll distinction every year of her career. She was a member of the 2009 Big South Indoor Champion distance medley relay team and was a runner up in the mile event. Recently, Marsh won the Big South title in the 1,500-meter event at the League's outdoor championships. Marsh has been active off the track as well, attending the NCAA Leadership Conference and working with the Amani Service Project. With a 3.978 GPA, Marsh will graduate in May with a degree in biology.


Jesse Cherry is the 2008-2009 Athlete of the Year. Cherry has won three Big South titles this past year including the indoor 3,000 and 5,000-meter events as well as the outdoor 10,000-meter. He has garnered All-Conference honors seven times as a Panther with five of those honors coming this season. In the fall, he was named to the NCAA All-South East Regional team. Cherry has already provisionally qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000-meter, an event in which he is currently ranked 16th in the nation.

More About Penn

The Penn Relays is about as exciting as you can get (second only to the Vertklasse). While we were waiting for our Men's DMR, Espo and I got to meet Jim Ryun, and he signed our baton. You can see him below.



Jevin Monds (1200), Josh Cashman (400), Josh Morgan (800), and Anthony Berkis (1600) competed in the College Men's Distance Medley Relay, placing 8th, and running 9:58.56 to set a new school record. You can see clips of their race below:



If you haven't been to Penn, check out this clip to see what it's like outside the stadium.



Joya Canfield, Kelsey Fraser, Geneva Winterink, and Shauna Marsh teamed up to race in the College Women's 4x800 meter relay.



And follow the men into the stadium as Josh Cashman, Anthony Berkis, Corey Grove, and Josh Morgan race the College Men's 4x8.



When all the races had been run, we headed to the airport.

Thursday at Penn

Manika competed well in the 400 Hurdles:

1 17 Fawn Dorr Penn State 0:57.78 3
2 5 Kishelle Paul TCU 0:58.86 1
3 9 Caroline Vaughn Wake Forest 0:58.92 2
4 12 Ashley Trimble Kentucky 0:59.38 2
5 15 Amber Hay Michigan 0:59.62 2
6 13 Jennifer Sabra Western Michigan 0:59.62 2
7 22 Janica Austin South Carolina 1:00.10 3
8 61 Jackie Coward Central Florida 1:00.42 1
9 7 Leslie Njoku Georgia Tech 1:00.88 1
10 73 Ryann Krais UCLA 1:00.95 1
11 38 Manika Gamble High Point 1:00.98 5

Christina Fenske followed up her win at the Big South Championships with another solid day!

1 13 Monique Roberts Columbia 1.72 (5-7.75)
2 22 Aisha Jones N.C.-Wilmington 1.72 (5-7.75)
3 19 Bianca Stewart Georgia Tech 1.68 (5-6)
4 17 Chelsea Morse Lock Haven 1.68 (5-6)
4 30 Katelyn Williams West Virginia 1.68 (5-6)
6 16 Alexis Brown Western Michigan 1.68 (5-6)
7 44 Christina Fenske High Point 1.68 (5-6)

The DMR had mixed reviews.

Here's some clips from the day. It all ends well:)

HPU, Penn Relays CRIBS!

I don't want to give away the surprise, but this one is a little creepy. Take our survey too!

And the Rocky Steps

Just something you have to do at Penn.

Watch This!

We had a little bit of a flight delay on our way to Penn, which gave us the opportunity to discuss our running watches. Watch this!

HPU CRIBS, Part 4

This edition of HPU CRIBS takes us to the dorm room of Jesse Cherry and Josh Morgan. What they don't talk about (because this was filmed before the meet this weekend) is that Jesse cut his finger in animal biology with a razor, had to get stitches, and opted for the tetanus shot so that he didn't come down with lock jaw. They promised him the shot would not affect his running, but if you saw him race this weekend, you would know otherwise, due to the funny way he was carrying his arms. We never know what is going to happen with our runners, but we love and hate the unique experiences they bring all at the same time. Like TJ, our pole vaulter, who had a guy hit him over the head with a wrench two days before the conference meet in an attempt to steal his truck at a gas station. The guy picked on the wrong vaulter. TJ knocked him out, called the police, and then sat on him until the police arrived. He was wanted in at least 8 other cases. Just when we think we've seen it all, something else surprises us. Like Josh drinking milk from the floor. . . check out the video and take our survey on the left <--

Vertklasse 2009

Vertklasse 2009 will be High Point University's first home track & field meet in quite some time. There has been much probing as to the naming of this event, so I thought we should provide a little history.

When we decided to organize a home meet, we sat down to think about what kind of meet we wanted to have. If you know anything about High Point University, you know that it's a "WOW" school. HPU strives to be extraordinary in every way. . . SO we want this meet to be extraordinary. Espo, one of the biggest fans of track & field there is, thought of the Weltklasse in Zurich (Weltklasse, pronounced with a "V"). Here's what the Weltklasse Website says about their meet:

They always give it everything; they run the fastest, they throw the farthest, jump the farthest and the highest. Athletes performing at Weltklasse Zurich are all world class representatives of their sport. Every year, they meet in Zurich before the legendary Letzigrund audience for a night of highest-level, emotional track and field.

Weltklasse Zürich is considered the most renowned, the most prestigious one-day athletics event worldwide. Adepts of the sport call it ‘the Olympic Games in one night'. And with a reason: traditionally, the fields staged in the Letzigrund feature all notables of the various disciplines. The next chance to see them will be Friday, August 28th, 2009.

Well we wanted this same format, a one-evening, high intensity track & field Classic, or Klasse, I should say. We want it to move pretty quickly from event to event. We want fast races, with athletes competing for spots at the NCAA Regional, we want high schoolers trying to qualify for spots at their National Championship in events that they don't often get a chance to contest (jav, steeple, 400H). We want it all.

So we are naming it after two of those responsible for our stadium, Dick & Peg Vert who met at High Point University. Dick ran for the Panthers and is one of our number 1 supporters. But the naming of this meet also alludes to prestigious Weltklasse, and we hope this combo produces some of the greatest performances this track has seen.

If you haven't see the video on the Weltklasse website, you should definitely check it out! Click here for the video. It will get you excited for the Vertklasse!

His Dreams Are Becoming a Reality

LetsRun gives Jesse a Shout Out.

Pasted from the LetsRun Stanford Invite Distance Carnival Recap http://www.letsrun.com/2009/stanford0329.php

Men's 10000m - Georgetown's Dan Nunn With The Big Win And Big PR!

What a great race as the top 6 finishers crossed the line between 28:24 and 28:26.92!

Georgetown's Dan Nunn outkicked Big East rival Patrick Smyth of Notre Dame as they bettered their pr's by 27 and 49 seconds, respectively. Not to be outdone, 3rd-placer Mike Sayenko pulled a Wejo and ran 28:25.85 (the same time as Smyth). Coming into the race Sayenko had only run 29:41 for 10000m on the track. 4th went to 2008 USA 15km champion Andrew Carlson though he was only .01 out of 2nd. Overall, 8 collegiates hit the new NCAA auto mark of 28:45, and 13 collegiates broke 29:00, the final one being University of New Mexico's Chris Barnicle (3 more collegiates broke 29:00 in section 2).

The dominance of runners from the eastern timezone was impressive considering the 10km races were being run at around 1 and 2am eastern time.

Surprise! High Point's Jesse Cherry ran 28:59. Coming into 2009, Cherry sported personal bests of 14:44 in the 5k and 31:15 in the 10k. Way to go.
Event 22 Men 10000 Meter Run Section 1
================================================================
D1 Reg: R 29:30.00
D1 Auto: A 28:45.00
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Dan Nunn Sr Georgetown 28:24.10A
2 Patrick Smyth Sr Notre Dame 28:25.85A
2 Mike Sayenko NA Strands 28:25.85A
4 Andrew Carlson NA Brooks 28:25.86A
5 Girma Mecheso Fr Auburn 28:26.09A
6 Elkanah Kibet Jr Auburn 28:26.96A
7 Shadrack Biwott Sr Oregon 28:28.83A
8 James Strang Sr Arkansas 28:29.27A
9 Yosef Ghebray Jr California 28:32.27A
10 Sean Houseworth Sr US Air Force 28:33.71A
11 Diego Mercado So Oregon 28:48.54R
12 Abraham Kutingala Sr Alabama 28:52.45R
13 Danny Mercado So Oregon 28:53.02R
14 Jake Schmitt Jr Washington 28:53.99R
15 Dylan Wykes NA Mizuno Canada 28:58.49R
16 Chris Barnicle Jr New Mexico 28:58.96R

Event 23 Men 10000 Meter Run Section 2
================================================================
D1 Reg: R 29:30.00
D1 Auto: A 28:45.00
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Vegh, Tibor NA Unattached 28:52.21R
2 Uhl, Kiel Jr Iowa State 28:56.85R
3 Krisch, Michael Jr Georgetown 28:58.48R
4 Cherry, Jesse Jr High Point 28:59.16R

HPU Cribs, Part 3: Neal Darmody

Take our survey on the left!

Post-Race Interview with Manika Gamble

In her first collegiate 400 meter hurdle race, Manika Gamble qualified for the NCAA Regional Meet. Congrats Manika! You are awesome!

HPU CRIBS, Part 2

In today's installment of HPU CRIBS, Danel Slaydon takes us through the dorm room of Anthony Berkis and Mike Ali. Where do you actually purchase a fake grape?



Now Take Our Survey on the Right!

HPU Cribs, Part I

The first edition of HPU Cribs takes us to the dorm of Josh Cashman and Jevin Monds. View the video below of their room, and then complete the survey so that we can determine a winner at the end of the season. You don't want to miss the muscle shirt in this video.

Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships

UNC Classic

Narration by Kali Burt

ETSU Video

http://www.sebastienbonnot.com/hpu/ETSU/ETSU.html

Panthers at North Carolina Classic

A beautifully narrated video of our men and women in action this weekend

PapiJump PRs

Footage from the Appalachian Open this past Saturday.