The Handoff Texas Track & Field Coaches Association
Summer 2011
Volume 1, Issue 6
Collegiate National Champions continues its dynasty by sweeping the Men‘s & Women‘s Outdoor Championships for the third straight season—each victory coming down to the 4x4! Not to be outdone, South Plains also swept the Men‘s and Women‘s NJCAA Outdoor titles for the third straight year. The Abilene Christian men captured another DII title. The Wayland Baptist men finished fourth in the NAIAs, and McMurry‘s men finished third at DIII.
TX A&M Captures Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Titles for Third Consecutive Year
What a fantastic outdoor season for the Texas collegians! Texas A&M
Said A&M Coach Pat Henry: ―You don‘t ever want it to come down to the relay, but it has for us the last three years. It‘s a great, great feeling, especially when you know you have a pretty good group when fixing the lineup.‖
In this issue:
Membership Form and Benefits
Coaches and 5 Athletes of the Year
Third Annual Hall of 7 Fame Class
Summer Information
From 1965-82, Coach Lyle was the track coach and AD—as well as the basketball coach for 4 years.
He is a member of the TWU and USTFCCA Halls of Fame. Coach Grant coached track &
VS Athletics‘ Insane
Q&A with Chris Beene—page 9
field at Dalworth HS, SMU and UNT, but he‘s most noted for his tenure at Dallas South Oak Cliff, In his high school career, he produced 70 All-Americans and captured 4 state titles while earning Coach of the Year honors 16 times.
Confirmed Speakers thus far for the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas—page 10
D r. B e r t Ly l e a n d B o s t o n G r a n t In addition to coaching Leleith Hodges, a 2-time Olympian representing Jamaica, he coached Louise Ritter, gold medal high jumper in the 1988 Olympics.
8
Sale—page 10
Two Texas track and field giants passed away over the last few weeks—Bert Lyle and Boston Grant.
2-3
Logos from Several TTFCA partners— page 11
Texas Track & Field Coaches Association 2012 Membership Application Membership is open to any individual track & field coach – active or retired – official, student-athlete, or any individual interested in helping to promote track & field in the state of Texas. Membership is $10 for the calendar year January 1 – December 31. Benefits are provided on the Membership page of the website. For multiple coaches from a single school or organization, please photocopy this form so that we may have his / her information on file and that he / she may receive his / her benefits. [Please print legibly.] NAME: (FIRST)
(LAST)
(MIDDLE INITIAL)
MAILING ADDRESS: (street address / p.o. box)
(city)
(email address)
(phone #)
(state)
(zip code)
(fax #)
(School / Club affiliation – if any) CHECK APPROPRIATE COACHING CATEGORY AND RELATED INFORMATION ° High School
° Men‘s
° Women‘s
° Head
° Assistant
° Collegiate
° Men‘s
° Women‘s
° Head
° Assistant
° USATF Club
° Men‘s
° Women‘s
° Head
° Assistant
° USATF Youth
° Men‘s
° Women‘s
° Head
° Assistant
° AAU Youth
° Men‘s
° Women‘s
° Head
° Assistant
° Official ° Athlete – age ____ ° Fan ° Other – please clarify _____________________________________________
MEMBERSHIP [MEMBERSHIP IS $10. Please make check or money order payable to: Texas Track & Field Coaches Association. After processing, you will receive your membership card in the mail. All TTFCA benefits require TTFCA membership. Benefits are outlined on the TTFCA Membership page. Please make sure the email you provide will not be blocked by your school’s firewall.] A non-school email Hotmail, Yahoo, etc – works best.
Mail membership form to: TTFCA Membership / 1012 West Foxwood Lane / Wylie, TX 75098
Membership Benefits All-State Recognition
Improve Lines of Communication with the State
Discounts and Special Offers from TTFCA Partners Educational Opportunities through the State‘s #1
T&F Organizations—UIL, TAPPS, SPC Enhance the Visibility of our Marketing Partnership with the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
T&F clinic—The Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas … membership paid prior to the clinic
Enhance the Visibility of our Marketing Partnership with ESPN RISE / DyeStat, the nation‘s #1 T&F
entitles one to 10% off the clinic rate; those who
website for high school
pay in full for the clinic will have 10% deducted for membership A Monthly, Online Newsletter—The Handoff— which will include discounts and special offers from our partners
Track & Field News Magazine discount: $29.95, a $14 savings! Call 1-800-438-8725 and mention the code ‗TTFCA‘ Texas Track & Field Records annual electronic magazine emailed to you in the Fall, a $12 value
Continue Coaches of the Year and Athletes of the Year Recognition at the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas Continue Hall of Fame Banquet and Ceremony at
Check the Membership Page of the website as benefits will be updated
the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas Initiate a Scholarship Program
T T F C A & E S P N - R I S E / D ye S t a t This collaboration will enhance the visibility of track and field in the state of Texas and nationally. When you click on either the TTFCA
ESPN RISE / DyeStat and the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association are proud to announce their crosspromotional efforts to provide total Texas coverage via meet results, rankings and information of interest to athletes, coaches and fans of Texas track and field.
logo or DyeStat logo (on the Top Performance page), you‘ll be taken to the ESPN RISE / DyeStat Texas page or National page—treasure troves of information about our athletes and athletes from around the nation. This partnership is possible because we were able to send ESPN RISE / DyeStat hundreds of meet results that you sent us. Thank you!! Please continue to send them to ttfca@hotmail.com or fax them
to 1-888-634-0475. When possible, please let us know:
FAT or Handheld
Weather conditions
Records broken
The Texas Track & Field Coaches Association is honored to form this partnership with the nation‘s leader in track and field coverage—ESPN RISE / DyeStat. Over time, we hope to extend our coverage to stories and interviews with Texas athletes and coaches, photos and more.
Letter from the President Reflecting upon the outstanding athletic performances and coaching successes of the past season makes me swell with pride for our Texas coaches and athletes. The list of accomplishments includes Coach Greg Williams rallying his Lancaster boys team to repeat as State Champions for the 4th straight time; Jaylon Hicks, Galena Park North Shore, tying the national high school 100m record; Shelbi Vaughan, Mansfield Legacy, leading the nation in the discus; North Shore—boys, and Garland & DeSoto—girls, leading the nation in relays—and countless others. Eight hundred and nine (809) individuals and relays teams from Texas were recognized as MileSplit US First Team Elite performers, far outpacing all other states. Two-hundred and forty-five seniors (245) have committed to continue athletics in college with more to come—ttfca.com/Recruiting.html. One of the primary purposes of the TTFCA is to recognize student-athletes and coaches and their outstanding performances or contributions to the sport. Coaches and Athletes of the Year have been named and will be recognized at the annual coaches clinic, January 6-7, 2012. And this year a new award was given to the Most Outstanding Athlete in each classification at the UIL State Meet. Other ways the TTFCA supports coaches and athletes: (1) study and initiate proposed rules changes and make recommendations to the appropriate organizations, (2) provide educational avenues for coaches, officials and athletes via published materials and the annual clinic, (3) develop camaraderie among coaches, officials and athletes in an atmosphere conducive to sportsmanship, (4) recognize prominent contributors to the growth of track and field in the state of Texas through induction into the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and (5) promote track and field through media channels and facilitate media awareness of area meets, competitions and achievements by Texas teams and individuals. The Texas Track & Field Coaches Association now has over 600 members and growing! Soon we will be asking members to serve as Regional and District Captains to ensure everyone has a voice while promoting track and field in the state of Texas. If you are not already a member, download a new membership application on the website and join in celebrating the accomplishments of fellow Texans in track and field. ——— Mike Sheaner
Pole Vault Tip of the Month Do you blow through every pole you have? It may be you are under at the take off. It may seem the solution is to raise the grip and move to the next stiffness pole! Try just the opposite. Move the take-off out and move your grip down the pole. Getting sucked under on the pole is the best way to bend poles and go nowhere! Moving the step out gives you the opportunity to bend the pole with the swing and not with the takeoff. This is a much more efficient way to bend poles, and the pole lifts you when you perform a proper plant. You may be able to jump higher with a slightly lower grip—and on poles you used to blow through! The step has to be directly down from your grip and out about 3‖ in order to get the best energy conversion. This takeoff position is much easier on the shoulders and back. Bruce Caldwell
TTFCA Coaches & Athletes of the Year Presented by Boomerjack‘s Wings & Grill
Jennifer Madu © TTFCA
Jaylon Hicks, courtesy of Coach Cross
The Texas Track & Field Coaches Association is proud to announce its 2011 Coaches and Athletes of the Year. The Girls Coach of the Year is June Villers of DeSoto, and the Boys Coach of the Year is Greg Williams of Lancaster. Both coaches led their teams to UIL state titles; for Williams, it‘s his squad‘s fourth consecutive. The 2011 Girls Athlete of the Year is Jennifer Madu (junior) of Plano East, and the Boys Athlete of the Year is Jaylon Hicks (senior) of Galena Park North Shore. At the UIL state meet, Made finished first in the 100 meter dash and the triple jump. She also finished second in the long jump and sixth in the 200. She scored all of Plano East‘s 29 points, good enough for a fifth-place team finish. Hicks, a member of Galena Park North Shore‘s state title team for the second-consecutive year, tied the national record of 10.15 in the 100 meter dash (Henry Neal of Greenville, 1990). He was also a member of the 4x1 and 4x2 relay teams which captured first place. Villers‘ DeSoto squad ranks tied for third nationally with Boyd Anderson of Fort Lauderdale according to DyeStat‘s Fab 50 rankings of high school track teams. At the UIL state meet, DeSoto athletes finished first in the long jump and 4x4, third in the 400, fourth in the 300H and 4x1, sixth in the 400 and 4x2, and 8th in the 100H. Williams‘ Lancaster mini-dynasty keeps rolling; at the UIL state meet, his athletes captured first in the long jump, triple jump and 4x4, second in the 300H and fifth in the 400 and 4x1. According to DyeStat‘s Fab 50 rankings, Lancaster stands at 22nd nationally. Villers, Williams, Madu, and Hicks will receive plaques commemorating their accomplishments in a ceremony the evening of January 6, 2012 at the Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas—Crowne-Plaza Addison (near the Galleria). This ceremony will coincide with the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association‘s Hall of Fame induction.
2012 TTFCA Hall of Fame Class Presented by Boomerjack‘s Wings and Grill
Earnest James—not currently pictured
Clyde Hart: Legendary Baylor coach who retired in 2005 to become Baylor‘s Director of Track & Field. In 42 years at the helm of the Bears, the school earned the nickname Quarter-Miler U. ―His pupils won Olympic gold medals in the 400 meters in three straight Olympic Games‖ (1996-2004). Along the way, he coached 34 national champions, 524 All-American performances, and his teams captured a combined 20 NCAA Indoor / Outdoor titles. Earnest James: At Dallas Roosevelt, Coach James produced 18 district titles and 4 state titles. His athletes earned 30 individual and relays titles at the state meet. Roy Martin and McClinton Neal were also members of the US Olympic teams—1984 & 88; 1992. Randy Matson: In 1965, Matson became the first shot putter to surpass the 70‘ barrier when he threw shot 70-7.25. In 1968, he won the gold medal. A four-time national collegiate champion at A&M in both the shot and disc, he won the ‗67 Sullivan Award as the nation‘s top amateur athlete. Billy Olson: Olson is the first man to record a 19-foot vault indoors. In his heyday, he set 11 world records and had epic battles with Bubka. In four years of college eligibility, ―he won every single NAIA indoor and outdoor title and every Lone Star Conference Championship.‖ Louise Ritter: Ritter captured gold in the high jump at the 1988 Seoul Olympics with a record jump of 6-8. While at Texas Women‘s College, she won 3 consecutive AIAW high jump championships. Ritter was also national outdoor champion in 1978, 1982, 1985, and 1986.
Summer—Camps / Great Southwest / New Balance Outdoors / AAU / USATF / TAAF
The summer season officially kicks off with the Great Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then there‘s the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. All the while, there are weekly USATF, AAU and TAAF meets. And don‘t forget camps! Check the Camps page of the TTFCA website—we‘ll update camps as often as we receive information. Right now, there are two camps listed: Leap of Faith 8th Annual XC Distance Camp (June 13August 5) and DFW Throws Camp (June 20-22; June 23-25). Downloadable information can be found on the Camps page. Another camp is the T&F Camp at West Point, United States Military Academy (NY), July 5-9. Information for this camp can be down-loaded off the TTFCA homepage (1/2way down, below Jaylon Hicks‘ picture). Congratulations to those who performed at the GSW—meet results can be found at: http://www.competitiveshowcase.com/gsw/ media_kit.html or www.http://rise.espn.go.com/track-andxc/index.aspx
Among the stellar performances at GSW, Oklahoma‘s Gunnar Nixon broke Curtis Beach‘s US Decathlon record—8,035 points! Beach had 7,909. Denver, CO freshman Dior Hall ran a wind-legal 100H in 13.18, #3 all-time and the top freshman time in US history. Overall, Texans stood atop the medal stand in 18 events. Texas Women won the event with 187.50 points; Texas Men also won with 210 points.
Contact 903-217-3381 to place your order
Speakers Confirmed for the January Track & Field Coaches Clinic of Texas
Clyde Hart Erica Bartolina Greg Christensen Rob Lasorsa Q&A with South Plains Head Coach, Chris Beene Q. Congratulations on sweeping the NJCAA Outdoor T&F Championships for a third straight season. How does this season‘s success compare? A. This was a tough but very satisfying season. Anytime the meet comes down to the 4x400 relay, you know you‘ve been through a battle. Our men‘s team was a little beat up with some injuries going into the meet. So, it was really fulfilling to battle through that and win the title. Our women‘s team had a fantastic meet. I think we won 13 out of 22 events on the women‘s side. That was really fun to watch. Q. You‘ve enjoyed tremendous success in your 7 seasons. Have you been approached by a 4-year university to take over their program, or has moving on ever crossed your mind? A. It has definitely crossed my mind. I have had some small interest from a few schools, but no one is really beating down my door. I have a very good situation and support at South Plains College, and I do love what I do here. But I would like a chance to get to the next level as a head coach at some point in time and see what kind of program I could build at the NCAA Division I level. I am very confident that I could put a very good staff in place that could be very competitive if given the right opportunity. There is still a fire in me to recruit, coach and work with young people. If the good Lord gives me that opportunity, then I would give it everything I have to build a winning and successful program. Q. With your success both Indoors and Outdoors, you must have a target on your back … what has enabled your program to remain consistent at such a high level? A. I feel really blessed by the Lord to coach at South Plains College. SPC is a great school, and I have some great coaches that I get to work with. Blaine Wiley is my assistant (and the Associate Head Coach) and he is fantastic in all areas of coaching, recruiting, dealing with the student-athletes, etc. He has been with me during the 5 years we have won the 17 national titles (cross country, half marathon, indoor and outdoor track). I have other coaches (Chris Riley, Tom Slagle, and Frank Barker) that volunteer their time to come help our program. They are really knowledgeable at the events they coach, and make it fun to come to work every day. I also think being in Texas is a big advantage. We have some of the greatest talent to recruit from each year. A lot of kids want to stay in Texas, so we are a good choice for them. One last piece of the puzzle is that you have to have good relationships with the major DI track programs. Many schools will send us student-athletes that are not DI eligible out of high school, and I have been fortunate at SPC (through those relationships) to be the first phone call for many of those programs when placing those athletes. Q. Do your summer plans include track, or will you be able to get away and enjoy vacation? A. A little of both. We continue to recruit during the summer. We also get some kids ready for their country‘s championships. There will be some vacation time as well. I have a beautiful wife (Corye) who has been married to me almost 17 years. I have an 8-year old daughter (Faith) and an almost 2-year old boy (Sage), so we will take a family vacation this summer up to Maryland and New Jersey. Q. Your were an assistant at Texas Tech, Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville before taking over at Wayland Baptist (prior to South Plains). What are some of the things you learned as an assistant coach that have enabled you to be successful as a head coach? A. I was very fortunate to have Wes Kittley as a mentor. I was with him for four years at ACU and 3 years at Tech. The biggest thing I learned from him is that our job is really about recruiting. The coaching part is what we get to do if we can get them on our campus. There are many great coaches out there that can‘t get the talent to their school to show how good they really are. I have watched Coach Kittley over many years as he visits with recruits and their families. He is a master recruiter, and I think that is probably my strength as well. I think I am pretty good at selling what we have and what we are doing at SPC to our prospects. Q. How‘s South Plains looking for next year? A. We don‘t plan on slowing down anytime soon. I hope we can keep our streak alive (especially since we have nationals at our home facility). We have had another strong recruiting class, so it looks promising for next season.