Bringing home four individual KCAC Champions, the OU track and field program showed a impressive performance at the KCAC Championship meet held at McPherson College on May 1 and 2.
“I always expect high standards from my student-athletes and when they accomplish what they are capable of, the results show it,” Head Track and Field Coach Kirk Wren said.
Alongside the athletes’ hard work and performance, Wren attributed the team’s success to his assistant coaches.
One athlete, senior Justin Garrard captured the first place title in the 5000M, breaking his own school record and qualifying him for Nationals held in Edwardsville, Ill. from May 21 to 23. Garrard finished third in the 3000M steeplechase. He also qualified for Nationals with the Marathon Run, a 26.2 mile race. In running the Marathon, he will be taking his last trip to Nationals as an OU Brave at the end of May.
“Being a senior and taking a final trip to Nationals is both exciting and bittersweet - but mostly exciting,” Garrard said. “My [race] times are looking good on the national level right now.”
Garrard’s upcoming trip to Nationals will be his eighth overall trip encompassing cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and field performances.
“I’ve been in the position before. I know what to expect. I’m ready for it,” Garrard said.
In preparing Garrard for Nationals, Wren said that Garrard needs to get more and more miles in each week.
Along with Garrard, freshman sprinter Clarence Anderson and freshman javelin thrower Courtney Harris have both qualified for Nationals.
“Clarence needs to focus on keeping his body healthy and do some more agility work,” Wren said. “It’s necessary for throwers like Courtney to continue to work on flexibility and strengthing the core.”
In preparing for Nationals, Wren wishes it was just another day of practice for the sake of his athlete’s mentalities.
“In track and field there aren’t any divisions at the national level,” Wren said. “Athletes compete from all over the nation - from New York to California. It’s the best of the best.”
Prior to Nationals, several other OU Braves will compete in the Last Chance meet on May 9 in Emporia.
“The Last Chance meet at Emporia is important,” Wren said. “We take individuals who are close to qualifying for Nationals or close to breaking records. Among the athletes we are taking to the meet is the men’s 4x100M relay team who missed out on medaling at the KCAC meet by two-hundreths of a second.”
Sophomore javelin thrower Maggie Hasenkamp is another individual competing in the Last Chance meet.
“This is a big week for me,” Hasenkamp said. “I’ve been improving each week - improving every track meet. I just can’t wait to throw. I know I can make it [to Nationals]. I want to focus on staying positive and control what only I can control. The rest is in the hands of God.”
The Last Chance meet and Nationals are important events coming upon the OU track and field teams, but the teams have also been breaking many school records.
“[Having individuals break records is] a testament to the quality of student-athletes Coach Wren recruits,” Garrard said. “It also reflects on all of the hard work and extra effort that the student-athlete has put in.”
Wren is prideful of the records being broke by his student athletes. The men’s and women’s track and field teams had seventeen individuals named as All-Conference performers and eleven student-athletes were named as Academic All-Americans.
Many track and field student-athletes perfomed well at the KCAC Championship meet.
Sophomore Kylie Covey took first place in the women’s 100M dash and finished third in the 200M.
Anderson claimed two first place finishes at the KCAC Championship meet in the 200M and 400M dashes.
Freshman Max Brown placed second in the men’s shotput at the KCAC Championship meet.
For complete results of the KCAC Championship meet, please visit http://www.ottawabraves.com/documents/2009/5/4/2009_KCAC_TF.htm
Be the first to comment on this article!