Sports
Track and field gains speed
The Pointer
nmeye177@uwsp.edu
The Stevens Point men’s track team continued their strong start to the 2009 season on Saturday with a first place finish at the Tadd Metzger Invite at Carthage College. The team placed first of 17 teams scoring 239.5 team points on their way to their second first place finish of the season.
Coach Rick Witt enters his 31st year as Pointers head coach with a great showing in the first two meets of the season. This year’s team is showing great potential early on, and will rely on experience and depth to keep living up to that potential.
“We have a very well-rounded team where we can score in most all events,” Witt said. “This is the key to a good team. We also have very good depth in most areas.”
The Pointers have shown in the first two meets they definitely know how to score points. Eleven team members placed first during the year’s second meet and in many events finished with the top two spots. They even had a 1-5 finish in the 3,000m run.
Top finishers on Saturday included Keith Ingram in the 55m dash with a time of 6.42, Mike Dellemann and Keith Dismuske, finished 1-2 in the men’s 55m hurdles and Tim Thornburg and Terry Witkowski who finished 1-2 in the men’s one-mile run. Zach Scott-Keyser finished first in the 400m dash with a time of 51.39.
Finishing first in their events were Greg Haak (600m), Jason Lisowe (800m), Adam Duckart (1000m) and Keith Ingram (200m). In the field, Derek Stone and Jake Koss finished 1-2 in the men’s high jump, both clearing 1.98m. Mark Cufaude finished first in the men’s pole vault, clearing 4.57m.
The team has trained hard to get to this point, but their focus hasn’t been simply on speed. Distance runner Brian Finnel gave some insight into what the training has been like.
“Distance guys [run] probably about 80 miles a week and mid-distance about 50-60, it varies with everyone,” said Finnel. “Since the season started, we have been keeping up the mileage and then incorporating workouts throughout the week.”
“All of our training to date has been about getting stronger,” Witt said. “We are working on endurance and then speed will follow later in the year.”
Later in the year the Pointers will also deal with the switch from running indoors to getting back outside and running in the fresh air. Coach Witt said the team will make adjustments in practice focusing more on intensity and less on quantity. But the biggest adjustment will be well out of the team’s control.
“The biggest adjustment is the weather,” said Coach Witt. “Indoors you have a very controlled environment.”
Though the team is off to a good start there is still a long season left. If they want to accomplish the team goals of winning the conference and being in the top 10 at the NCAA meet they will have to keep their eyes on the prize.
“Just keep the training high and do all the little things to keep on getting better,” said Finnel.
The Pointers’ next challenge comes on Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7, as they host the Pointers Invitational at the Multi-Activity Center.
