Track teams juggle relays, reading and races
Timothy Henshaw
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: Sports
Every student athlete has to find a delicate balance. The UTC track teams have been able to combine good grades with hard work on the track.
So far on the track the results have been two Southern Conference titles and nine top-five finishes at the indoor championships.
With the Yellow Jack Invitational canceled last weekend, the running Mocs will be looking forward to meets at Austin Peay State University or Jacksonville State this weekend, and then to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville two weeks from now.
Mocs head coach Bill Gautier said his goals this weekend will include running more individual events and getting better qualifying times, as well as using the coming meet as a tune-up before the Mocs head to Knoxville.
"We're going to put our best teams together when we go to Sea Ray, and look to highlight the 4 by 800 and 4 by 1500," Gautier said.
The Mocs have been running more relay events to change up the pace. Without enough scholarships to compete in a full slate of events, the relays give the team an opportunity change things up in the heat of the season.
With three to five mile runs nearly every morning to go along with afternoon workouts during the seasons - cross country workouts are even longer - the Mocs have to find ways to keep things fresh. Most of the Mocs are in their third athletic season this school year, since many of them also run cross country or play football.
"Our kids are here first and foremost to get a degree," Gautier said, citing his cross country team's All-Academic honors in the fall. "It takes a special group of kids to run 70 to 90 miles a week and still keep up the grades."
With such time constraints on their schedules, the runners have to maintain a serious commitment to keeping up their performance on the track as well.
So far on the track the results have been two Southern Conference titles and nine top-five finishes at the indoor championships.
With the Yellow Jack Invitational canceled last weekend, the running Mocs will be looking forward to meets at Austin Peay State University or Jacksonville State this weekend, and then to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville two weeks from now.
Mocs head coach Bill Gautier said his goals this weekend will include running more individual events and getting better qualifying times, as well as using the coming meet as a tune-up before the Mocs head to Knoxville.
"We're going to put our best teams together when we go to Sea Ray, and look to highlight the 4 by 800 and 4 by 1500," Gautier said.
The Mocs have been running more relay events to change up the pace. Without enough scholarships to compete in a full slate of events, the relays give the team an opportunity change things up in the heat of the season.
With three to five mile runs nearly every morning to go along with afternoon workouts during the seasons - cross country workouts are even longer - the Mocs have to find ways to keep things fresh. Most of the Mocs are in their third athletic season this school year, since many of them also run cross country or play football.
"Our kids are here first and foremost to get a degree," Gautier said, citing his cross country team's All-Academic honors in the fall. "It takes a special group of kids to run 70 to 90 miles a week and still keep up the grades."
With such time constraints on their schedules, the runners have to maintain a serious commitment to keeping up their performance on the track as well.
