Stillwater Sub-4--Scott Christensen

Editor's Note: Here's the final installment of DtB's Stillwater Sub-4 series.


By Jim Ferstle

"The odd thing about the sub-4s," says Stillwater boys track and cross country coach Scott Christensen. "While there are a lot of things I could and have taken credit for, I shouldn't and couldn't take credit (for the four running sub-4 minute miles)."

All four of the runners went on to great college programs with great coaches and achieved the sub-4 milestone of their own accord, said Christensen. Yet they all note the contribution Christensen and the Stillwater program had on making the sub-4s possible. The program laid the foundation that contributed to their future success. Perhaps more importantly it taught them things about discipline, hard work, setting and achieving goals that has served them well not only in the sport, but in life.

They were and continue to be part of the Stillwater "family." “None of them could break 60 for 400 in the ninth grade,”said Christensen. “They were certainly good. Stronger, 3,200, 5K strength. We worked long and hard on their speed.” Christensen would have them run legs on the sprint medley or four by 400 relays.

“Used to love to have Luke (Watson) anchor the sprint medley relay,” Christensen said. ‘I had Ben Blankenship anchor the four by 400. Not because he was the fastest, but because I knew he would go after people. I knew it would pay dividends.”

The objective of these moves, Christensen said, was to “put these kids in a position to develop their speed capacity ... I’m a big believer in really running fast ... What works for older athletes doesn’t necessarily work for 15-16-year-olds.”

To maximize speed,Christensen’s program focused on quality over quantity. One way to get that quality was lengthening the rest between each interval, Christensen said. Many coaches approached workouts by cutting the rest time between intervals as the season progressed. The runners were not only running with less rest, but were also attempting to run faster. Christensen approached it with the goal of running faster and increasing recovery time from seconds to minutes. The objective being to see how fast you could run, not how fast you could run when you were tired.

“The purpose of a coach is not to tell you how much to run, but how much to rest," Christensen said. And there was “the secret workout,” as it became known at Stillwater. Right before a meet, the objective is not to run a workout that will destroy you, Christensen says. “We’ve done the work to get to where we want to be,” he said. There’s a tendency among distance runners to always want to squeeze in a little extra, but what we would do is have them run a lap at their race pace and have it feel easy.”

This boosts the confidence without tiring out the athlete. After the prior workouts of running at speeds faster than race pace, it feels comfortable to run a lap at race pace. The foundation has been laid, the confidence stroked, and the athlete should be ready for the challenge of the race. "Every mile we do has its purpose," Christensen says. He takes much of his training philosophy from two British coaches, Frank Horwill and Peter Coe. Both were avid proponents of the quality over quantity approach.

But the coach who set Christensen's career path was his high school coach at Lakeville, Jack Strommer. Christensen's best friend was hit by a car and killed while he was doing a training run at night. “That’s something no 17 year old should have to go through,” said Christensen. “(Strommer) got us through it. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a teacher and a coach just like him.”

Christensen became a science teacher, just like Strommer, and a coach. But he didn't stop there in "paying it forward." Christensen not only coaches at Stillwater, but is also very active in the USATF coaching education program. He gives presentations to other coaches and tries to pass on his knowledge and passion for the sport. Coaching he says “is not a job, it’s a passion fueled by the kids."

It's that passion that has played a big role in keeping him at Stillwater. He’s applied for college coaching positions, turned down one he was offered, but has stayed with what he loves. Also a more practical reason was that a move onto college coaching would have been a step down in income. Breaking into college coaching is, for the most part,having to break into a highly stratified system. You start out as an assistant making around $15,000 a year, said Christensen and work your way up the ladder.

Far below the salary one makes as a teacher, especially one who has been in the job for 32 years. As Christensen notes, he’s lived his whole life within about a 100 mile radius, grew up in Lakeville, went to college at Gustavus, and then moved to Stillwater. He’s been fortunate enough to travel around the world by being selected for various positions on USATF national teams, but home is still Stillwater.

With each passing year, the Stillwater family continues to grow. If a member is lost, the family rallies around and provides support. When Jon Francis, a member of “the magnificent seven,” the number one ranked team in the US in 1997, who died while hiking in Idaho,the Stillwater family created a half marathon to help raise funds for a Foundation set up in his memory.

“We’re really proud of our alumni,” says Christensen “(From their accomplishments) we can say this is what it takes to be great around here.” The alumni come back during the summer and train with the kids on the team. It becomes an incubator of sorts. “Success breeds success,” says Christensen.

“I get a lot of pats on the back. I got to take two US teams to World XC championships. What other high school coach gets to do that. I owe it all to them. I lived every big race they ran. If I wasn’t there, I was on the phone with them soon after they finished talking about their race ... It’s been exciting.”

Yes/No: Gophers Hahn or DeLakis 50' or Better?

The University of Minnesota women's track team continues their journey toward the Big Ten Indoor Championship with a trip to South Bend, Indiana, for the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.

The 25th year of the Meyo Invitational will feature some of the best collegiate athletes in the United States. It begins at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and picks back up on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

This week we will focus on the Gophers' throwers with this question...

Yes/No: Will DeAnne Hahn and/or Tina DeLakis throw 50 feet or further in the shot put?

DeAnne Hahn, a senior from New Jersey, is the top thrower on the squad. Her specialties are the weight throw indoors and the hammer outdoors. In the shot, Hahn has thrown over 48 feet twice this year with a best of 48-6.

Hahn is the 2010 Big Ten hammer champion and ranks fourth on the all-time Gopher list in the weight throw and fifth in the hammer throw. Her brother is two-time National Champion wrestler for the Gophers, Damion Hahn.

Tina DeLakis is a redshirt freshman from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She has thrown the shot at a meet twice this year. She started the season with a 48-9 effort in her first meet and bested that with a 49-7 throw last week.

If either woman is able to surpass 50 feet this weekend, she will move into the top seven on the all-time Gopher list in the indoor shot put.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 11:00 A.M. CDT, Saturday, February 4th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail.

My answer: Yes

Last week's question was: Will Jim Dilling jump 7-3 or higher at the U.S. Open on January 28th? The answer was no. Dilling was a just-miss as he jumped 7-2 1/2 to place fourth. Eighteen players answered correctly this week and seventeen are tied for first place with two points.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Anderson Honored for Courage and Inspiration

Team USA Minnesota’s Gabriele Anderson received the Wilma Rudolph Award for Courage and Inspiration yesterday at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day event in Minnesota. The ceremony was held at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Anderson (pictured), a Perham High School graduate, was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer in the salivary glands, in March 2009. At the time of her diagnosis, she was finishing her final track season at the University of Minnesota.

After surgery to remove the tumor and the parotid gland, followed by weeks of radiation, she petitioned the NCAA for another year of outdoor track eligibility. The result was a second place finish in the 1500 meters at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Anderson joined Team USA Minnesota in the summer of 2010. Things were going well until she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October 2010, which meant more surgery and treatment.

In 2011, however, Anderson finished third in the mile at both the USA Indoor Championships and the USA Road Mile Championships. Last summer she set personal bests in the 800 meters (2:03.03), 1500 meters (4:06.77) and 5000 meters (15:45.99).

She will compete in the U.S. Olympic Track Trials this summer.

Photo by Becky Miller.


Related Content: Gabriele Anderson Faces Cancer Challenge.

Gopher Men Ranked #8 in NCAA Division I

Thanks to the fleet half-miling of Harun Abda and David Pachuta, the Univesity of Minnesota men's track and field team finds itself in the top-10 of the laterst NCAA Division I indoor track rankings.

Rising ten places in a week, the Gophers are now tabbed as the #8 team in the country, and the top-ranked Big Ten men's squad.

Southeastern Conference powers Arkansas, Florida, and LSU occupy the top three spots in the rankings. Big Ten foes Indiana and Nebraska follow the Gophers as the #10 and #11 ranked squads.

The Gopher women are tabbed as the #90 team in D1. Oregon, LSU, and Arkansas lead the women's rankings; #15 Ohio State is the top-ranked Big Ten women's program.

Division II ... The Minnesota State, Moorhead and Minnesota State, Mankato men's programs are ranked #19 and #20, respectively, in the latest NCAA Division II rankings.

No Minnesota D2 women's programs cracked the top-25.

Division III ... New NCAA Division III rankings will be released later today, HERE. Last week, the University of St. Thomas men ranked #8, with rivals Hamline tabbed as the #21 team in D3.

No Minnesota D3 women's programs cracked the top-25.

Twin Cities Registration Opens Thursday

The event itself is some 250 days away, but registration for this year's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon will open on Thursday.

The field for the Sunday, October 7 event is limited to 12,000 runners.

Also opening on February 2 is registration for the TC 10K, TC 5K, and Medtronic TC Family Events, held the Saturday before the marathon.

Last year the MTCM filled to capacity in mid-June, marking the 24th-straight year the event has reached its entrant limit.

Lottery registration for the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, will take place from July 11 through July 20.

Find more registration information HERE.

Two Gopher Men Run Fast 800s in Iowa

Gophers Harun Abda and David Pachuta ran the fastest times in the 800 in the US at the Bill Bergan Invitational at Iowa State on Saturday. Both times were NCAA Automatic Qualifying times.  Abda won the race in 1:46.97 and Pachuta was second in 1:46.98. The times are the fastest indoor times ever by University of  Minnesota runners.

Stillwater Sub-4--Jake Watson

By Jim Ferstle

Being the younger sibling had its advantages and disadvantages for Jake Watson.  Being six years younger allowed him to watch his older brother Luke and sister Carly have stand out careers in endurance sports at Stillwater.  But being the youngest also meant that there were limited resources when it came to choosing what sports he could pursue.

Instead of being able to try ball sports or hockey, which didn't fit in with his parents or siblings' schedules and transport options, Jake did cross country, cross country skiing, and track.  So instead of being a future Minnesota Twin or Minnesota Wild player, Jake followed in his older siblings' footsteps and excelled in running and skiing.  He got further help in that direction by one of his junior high teachers who noticed that "I was too hyper, so he had me run laps in the morning before school to burn off energy," said Jake.

The discipline and structure of sports put Jake's energy to good use.  "(Sports) helped keep me on track," said Jake.  "It was a huge benefit, especially the team element."  And he was good at it.  He not only excelled at running, but was also All State in cross country skiing. His sister, Carly, was a standout skier at UW Green Bay, and Jake followed Luke to a successful track and cross country career at Notre Dame, but it was the high school experience under coach Scott Christensen that gave him the tools for success, he says.

"I trusted Scott's training," said Jake.  "I brought the techniques I learned with me to college and used them there."

Christensen excelled at providing a structure and motivation for his athletes, said Watson.  Scott gave the athletes booklets every year that contained statistics on the Stillwater athletes' performances from each meet.  He had each athlete keep a training log so they could see what they were doing, what was working, what wasn't.  What they needed to keep improving.  All this provided structure and motivation for the athletes, said Watson.

"(Christensen) was a very talented motivator,"  Jake added.  "He could get you amped up to commpete."  Many of the sayings Christensen used Jake still remembers, from "Our program owns the last mile," to T shirts stenciled with the letter S for Stillwater with "The Machine"  overlaid on the S.  Or Scott's admonition to his runners: "I don't want anybody out there feeling sorry for themselves."  Or "Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die."

Things didn't always go smoothly, Watson remembers, as in the early years of Jake's tenure on the team, the athletes were "a bunch of screw offs,"  immature and in need of discipline and direction.  Christensen didn't as much come down hard on their transgressions as admonishing them for "not realizing their potential."  Using reinforcement for positive behavior to extinguish the exesses of youth.

Christensen was able to transform "a bunch of jokers" to a team that, as seniors all PRed while finishing runner-up at the State Meet, said Watson.  "We weren't happy to finish second, but we were satisfied that we all did the best that we possibly could(on that day)," said Watson.  "(Christensen said) You guys are going to go on and do whatever you do in liife, but you're always going to remember what you did here today...He had a very good way of putting things in perspective."

"Trust in your training," was a motto Christensen used to bolster their confidence.  "Never worry about time.  Never put yourself against the clock."  Scott wanted them to race, not time trial.  And if they weren't responding, he would use other techniques to get them going.  "You're dealing with teenagers," said Watson.  "Sometimes you had to light a fire under their butts to get them to reach their potential."

For athletes with the ability who might be experiencing doubt, he knew how to light that fire, said Watson.  "That's how I ran my PR at 800 and I got the school record," said Watson, who was up against another talented half miler who was a 400/800 runner, lots of speed, but not the endurance that Watson had from his mile/2-mile background.

"I was having doubts," said Watson.  "I'm a miler and this guy's got great speed.  Scott came up to me and said: 'I want you to bury that guy.  I want you to run that guy into the ground because you're a distance runner, you can tolerate more pain than he can.'

"So that's what I did and all during the last 200, I'm in pain thinking, 'I can take more pain.'  It worked."

That focus on a tactic served Jake well when he broke 4 in the mile in June of 2007, he said.  He was running in the featured "pro" mile at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville.  He didn't go into it thinking sub-4.  He went into it to race.  But the race had been set up to enhance the runners chances to run fast with pacesetters who took them through on 4-minute pace. Luke was there at the track, as he was coaching Jake at the time, and Jake's mother and his aunt flew in for the race without telling Jake they were coming.

They came through 3/4 in 2:58/59, Jake remembers, and Luke was there beside the track with 200 to go yelling at Jake that all he had to do was finish it off.  Jake finished third and broke 4.  And he had his family there to celebrate.

Dilling Fourth at US Open

Jim Dilling finished fourth in the high jump at the US Open track meet in New York Saturday night with a jump of 7" 2.5"(2.2m). US World champion Jesse Williams won the competition with a leap of 7' 6"(2.29m).

Stillwater Sub-4--Sean Graham

By Jim Ferstle
The 1997 Stillwater boys cross country team dubbed "The Magnificant Seven"  by a local sportswriter. Sean Graham, Luke Watson, Greg Wikelius, Chris Boldt, Jon Francis, Joel Solomonson, and Pete Prince won the school's third consecutive state cross country title and were voted the number one ranked team in the country in a USA Today/Harrier poll.


"The training group that we had," said Graham.  "To say second to none wasn't even close. There was Luke and myself and three to five guys that were right there as well. Then there was Scott (Christensen, the coach). I'd say 90 to 95 percent (of our success) was due to his ability to develop us...There was a training atmosphere, a culture.  We were out there to win.  The fun came along with that.  What Scott did to get us prepared.  He set us up for being successful. He knew how to get us ready. The group that we had had a lot of different personalities, but we clicked.  There was no ego, we all worked for the team."

Graham had been a "B level" soccer player in elementary school until he went to a meet to watch his older sister run.  She started running track in the 8th grade, said Graham. She won the race that Sean observed, and he was hooked.  "I can do that," Sean remembers thinking after her race.  "It encouraged me to come out (for track and cross country).  I enjoyed it and kept improving.  It's hard not to have fun when you're successful.

"When you're that young, you're looking for things to gravitate towards (that you can be successful at).  But at the beginning I was thinking that I could beat my sister."  As he recounts his career, All American rankings in high school and college, ranked as high as fifth in the 5K in the US, Olympic Trials finalist, Graham believes that not only was he successful in running, but the lessons he learned in how to attain that success helped him in all aspects of his life.

"I was talking to my boss the other day and I said that really most of the things I did were influenced by my running," said Graham.  "I chose my college because of the running program.  When I went back to school (to get an advanced degree), I chose a place where I could do coaching.  When you started off in that kind of atmosphere(that they had at Stillwater), it sets you up for things later in life. It was a remarkably rewarding experience."

Running a sub-four minute mile in May of 2007 was just icing on the cake for Graham.  "(Running sub-four) was certainly on the wish list,"  Graham said  "It was pretty remarkable to actually do it.  You have to run a sub-four now, just to qualify for the NCAA championships.  I think when I did it, I was the 292nd American to have broken four."

Stillwater Sub 4--Luke Watson

By Jim Ferstle
"I owe everything I ever did in running to the foundation I got at Stillwater High School," said Luke Watson, the first of four Ponies to dip under the four-minute mark in 2003. "Scott (Christensen, the Stillwater coach) is one of the best coaches in the world at any level."

The year before Watson had "knocked on the door" of a sub-four, running 4:01 and 4:00+ outdoors and a 3:58 1,600 meter leg in a relay, but didn't get it. Then at the Meyo Mile, an indoor meet at Notre Dame, he won the race and broke four for the first time.

"At the time I think there were only five Minnesotans who had (run a sub four)," said Watson.  "You have to think of American distance running back in the '90s.  Back then a sub four minute mile was pretty rare.  I was thrilled (to have done it).  It still puts you in a little elite club.  When people ask you about running, they have three questions: 'How fast do you run a mile.  Have you run a marathon, and have you been in the Olympics.'"

Even people who are not sports fans can relate to the sub-four minute mile, says Watson.  He had thought about doing it one day, but in high school it was a far off goal.  Then a great time was anything around 4:10, but many of those 4:10 high schoolers from the state went on to break four in college or beyond, notes Watson.  "One of the neat things about Minnesota in general is it has produced a lot of sub four minute milers."

One of the reasons, he says, is the quality of the coaches in the state.  "When I was coaching at Edina that was one of the things that impressed me was the number of great coaches in the state."  The guy who set the standard for greatness for Watson was Christensen.  "(Stillwater) had a bunch of committed athletes who really bought into Scott's system.  He really prepared us well. When we went to the starting line we had so much confidence.  The more I learn about the sport, the more I've learned how importance confidence is.

"A lot of it was erasing those doubts (that most athletes often carry into a race) .  If you don't do that some of those doubts can be a big deal.  One of the things he did to boost are confidence was what we called the 'secret workout.'  It was a workout we would do, not before every race, but a couple times a year. We always came out of the secret workout feeling great. It always gave us confidence that we were prepared for the challenge."

"I can't tell you exactly what Scott did to get us peaking at the right time, but we just felt like we were the best team going into (a race).  Scott was a good manager of the emotional stability of the team.  He kept people on an even keel, not cocky, just the right amount of  confidence, self belief.  One of the things he used to say was that 'you had to immerse yourself in the present to get where you want in the future.'"

Focus. Concentrate on the task ahead. "Scott would individualize workouts right down to every person on the team.  He would have charts up on the wall on what you had to do if you wanted to reach a certain goal.  What pace you had to run in workouts.  It was very compartmentalized into what you can do today."

The quality of the competition around the state was also important, said Watson.  "We always went to the biggest meets.  Scott put the schedule together to compete against the best.  You always knew (that to be the best) you had to outperform those guys.  Our successes gave us confidence."

Christensen was also able to manage a team full of talented athletes so that the competition was against other teams, not teammates.  The rest of the guys, such as Sean Graham, another of the sub four club, were great training partners, said Watson, more than great rivals.  Individual success was not sought at the expense of the team, but as a contribution to the team's achievements.  Reflective of that is Watson's attitude toward the achievements of Stillwater's four-minute group.

Watson sees the teams' successes  not so much as their individual or collective accomplishments, but rather a reflection Christensen's program and what he taught them.  "When Ben (Blankenship, the most recent Pony alumni to break four) did it, we sent some e-mails around wondering about how it compared with other schools.  Scott did some research and found out that we had the most with Eugene South second with three.  We were proud of that mostly for Scott.  We like to see him succeed.  We're happy for his successes."

As a demonstration of that, they organized a reunion of Stillwater alumni in August last year.  Around 50 guys showed up, 30 ran in the 5K they held during the reunion.  "We had this alumni reunion for Scott.  All of the sub four guys showed up."

Not an insignificant effort as Watson is currently at Penn State University finishing up a five year program for a PhD in accounting, Graham is in Washington, DC, and Luke's younger brother Jake is working in LA.  But they all came home to honor the guy who made it all possible, Scott Christensen.

Photo by Gene Niemi

St. Thomas University senior Ben Sathre demonstrated last Saturday what his coach Pete Wareham already knew.  Sathre is a talent in the midst of a breakthrough year, having already won the NCAA Division III cross country title, Ben is now focused on track.  Below he talks about his start in the sport, the race at the Jack Johnson Classic, and the future.


Down the Backstretch: You didn’t start running until your junior year at Chaska. What were you doing prior to that? Why did you get into running?

Ben Sathre: I didn't do anything prior to running in high school. I played football until seventh grade, but didn't do much else. I got into running because my sister, Stephanie Sathre, was pulling me out. She was a pretty good runner for Chaska back in her day, and I guess everyone thought I would be good too. She tried unsuccessfully to get me out, but I really didn't want to. The idea of running to me did not sound like fun. Somehow she eventually got me out.

DTB: Now that you have a national championship “under your belt,” what are your goals for indoor and outdoor seasons?


BS: My goals have always been to see what I'm capable of and also to show others what I'm capable of. I want to see how high I can climb, and also want to show others that I deserve be there. This year, my goals are to stay healthy and learn to run more relaxed. I set goals of working on improvement, and  I'll see where that can take me. Last year I messed up my hamstring early and suffered most of indoor season before a stress fracture took me out for outdoors.  I don't want a repeat of last year. I guess if you were looking for more quantitative goals,  I'd like to be in the 3:45 range for 1500 and 13:50 range for 5000 meters.

DtB: You were low mileage in high school and have brought it up in college. How has that adjustment been as you only had two years of high school running to get your body used to the work?

BS: Surprisingly the adjustment from low mileage in high school to higher mileage in college has been quite easy. I just increased by about 15 miles per week each year and ended up around high 80's and Pete (Wareham)  keeps telling me I can't go higher than 90, so I leave it at that, but no problems adjusting really.

DtB: Your coach says that you are very tough mentally. It’s one of your strengths. Where does that positive, never-give-up attitude come from? The self confidence?

BS: The positive attitude is something I grew up with. I encountered a lot of obstacles as a kid, and life taught me that the only way to get anywhere in this world was to just pick yourself up and keep going. And Keep going. And Keep going.

If something doesn't work the first time, you just work a little harder and try again until it does work. Sometimes you don't have any other option. I've seen how much a difference it makes in life if you give that extra little effort. I try to surround myself with that idea and keep it in my head that way. If you surround yourself with positive role models who have fought hard for what they want, then you start to believe that you can do it to.

On race day, confidence comes from knowing you put in the work. Do what you are supposed to do and then do a little more. And then a little more. Last spring Pete was having me do workouts on a stationary bike when I couldn't run. We'd do a 15 minute all out or 60 minutes all out, and we had to burn a certain amount of calories in that time. I did that all summer too.

When I toed the line at nationals I knew I had put in the work and deserved the win. I set the St. Thomas record for most calories burned in one hour (1023) and 15 minutes (318) on the stationary bikes.

DtB: How do you approach a race like the 3K at the Jack Johnson meet? Do you have a specific time goal? A race strategy on how you think the race will go and what you need to do? Do you get intimidated by the competition or inspired to meet the challenge?

BS: My goal in the race was to hang with Mead as long as possible. I knew he would probably be around 8:00 to 8:05 and I felt confident that I could run that. I didn't have a time goal or anything and the 3000m isn't run in D III so I didn't have much riding on it. I just wanted to see what I could do.

It's tough to say. I wasn't really intimidated going into the race. I time trialed a 3000 on our track last fall after cross, and ran 8:16 in training flats all by myself and felt comfortable.  I knew I could go considerably faster, and so I had a lot of confidence. At the same time though, standing at the starting line I was a little shocked to be there next to Hassan Mead. I've followed his career for years, and I fully respect him and his abilities, and to be standing there and running with him was a little shocking to me.

DtB: How did the race play out for you? About like you thought it would go or did something surprise you?


BS: The race was about what I expected. I was thinking I'd be around 8:05 or so, but I was happy with the result. I didn't really prepare that much for the race. I didn't taper or rest up for it, so I wasn't expecting a perfect race and probably could have gotten a little bit more out of myself, but I was happy to start the season on a good note.

DtB: What did you learn from the race? Tactics? About yourself/ About what you have to do to improve,etc.?

BS: The thing I take away most from this race is that I feel like I can put myself on a different level. I felt like I was improving quite a bit, but to have that evidence is a boost to the confidence and allows me to think of my racing ability differently. To improve I think I have to stick my nose in there more than I did. My goal like I said was to sit there and run a quick time. I was more in a time trial mood than a race mood like I would be at nationals or conference.

DtB: You may be moving up in distance. How do you feel about the longer races, especially the 10K. Do you see them as your future?


BS: I'm not the fastest runner, and I don't have a huge kick so I would say that my future is in the longer distances. I don't understand Pete and his philosophy. Pete has never let me run 10K.  He always throws me in the 5000 and 3000 and 1500. He doesn't want me doing high mileage or long runs or anything that most other long distance runners do. I guess he is just trying to be careful with me since I don't have that high mileage background.

I don't know how I'll fare in 10,000 races, but I feel that I'll do even better than I do at 5000 and 1500 because I'm definitely better suited for longer distances, and I could see that in high school when I was running 9:36 for 3200 but couldn't break 4:30(for 1,600) or 2:04(for 800).

DtB: What are your plans for post-collegiate running? Try and get with a pro group?


BS: I would love to get with a pro training group. I love running and competing, and I feel like I have a lot more to offer to the sport. I don't know if it will happen though, because I don't have a proven record, and I havent done the kind of high mileage that most pros do. I'm thinking about running the half marathon at Grandma's in Duluth this summer to see if I can potentially make it as a distance runner post college. If it doesn't work out, I'll just move on with my life.

A Little History

By Jim Ferstle

At the Jack Johnson Classic on Satruday I had a chance to visit with a lot of old friends, people I hadn't seen for awhile. One of them was Rick Recker. If you've been at many running or track events in Minnesota, you either know or have seen Rick. He's been a jack of all trades--a runner, race official, course measurer, officer for MDRA, USATF. Rick knows everybody and/or they know him.

During our brief conversation he asked: Did you know that four Stillwater High School guys had run sub-four minute miles? I didn't. Which, among other things, indicates that I don't know everything, and I don't read high school news releases or I would have dicovered this long ago. Just look HERE.

And, as Rick probably knew, this is one of those factoids that inspire articles from guys like me. So I began educating myself. I talked to Stillwater's coach, Scott Christensen, an anatomy and biology teacher at the school for "32 years," he says with a bit of pride and wonderment. He has been a coach at the school since 1981. Scott said that when now Gopher runner Ben Blankenship became the fourth Stillwater grad to run sub-four, the kids were curious where this accomplishment ranked among the other US high schools. Doing a little research, Christensen discovered that Stillwater was number one, ahead of another high school with a storied tradition in distance running, Eugene(OR) South that has three sub-four alumni.

I got in touch with the first Stillwater grad to break four in the mile, Luke Watson, who is now in the fourth of a five year PhD program in accounting at Penn State University. It was a conversation that stretched probably around an hour and at the end I noted that the telling of this Stillwater story was not going to fit in a short item. It's a lot like another story I did last year on a trio of guys from Hammond High School in Indiana who are still the only trio of high school runners to have run under 9 minutes for two miles in the same year in high school. Every time I talked to one of these guys there was another great piece of information, a rich history that accompanied the accomplishment that attracted attention.

During my conversation with Luke I recounted my own experience arriving in Minnesota in the summer of 1972 and being impressed by the Minnesota running community. The fact that it stretched from high school programs that taught the young to a Masters running community that not only gave back by work at races, but allowed older athletes to continue to enjoy the old ABC Wide World of Sports tag line: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport. The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. The human drama of athletic competition." My first journalism job out of college was at the White Bear Press where I was the sports editor and darkroom technician.

There, among others, I met the track and cross country coaches at White Bear and Mariner High Schools--Ron Sass, Don Glover, Lyle Helke. Got to know that part of the Minnesota running community. Watched the Mariner girls win the State High School XC championship, but perhaps more memorably observed them singing and dancing, the radio blaring the music at full blast, in between events at track meets. I remember and still have photos of a young Mark Nenow, who ran for Anoka, winning the state cross country individual race. Mark went on to become the American recordholder for 10,000 meters on the track and now is a VP at the Columbia sportswear company in Oregon.

My first Minnesota track meet at the Macalester Track I met a seemingly crusty old guy named Pat Lanin and discovered over time how much the then high school coach at Hopkins contributed to the running community in his various volunteer jobs with the MDRA, USATF, and beyond. Became friends with Jeff Winter who directed most of the major road races in the area. Followed the example of the Masters guys, such as Paul Noreen, Bill Andberg, Alex Ratelle, Rick Kleyman, who demonstrated that running is a lifetime sport.

But what impressed me most was the generosity of the other runners in the area from Ron Daws, Steve Hoag, Garry Bjorklund, John Naslund, Chuck Burrows, Garret Tomczak, Don Timm, Bruce Mortenson, Doug Suker, Steve Benson, Dennis Barker, and others whose names I apologize for missing. They accepted a total stranger from Ohio with open arms and encouragement. All we had in common was running, but that was enough. And it wasn't just the men. There was Alex Boies, Pat Weisner, Judy Lutter, Jan Arenz, Emily Lanin, Mae Horns, Gloria Jansen, and, more recently, Pat Goodwin and Virginia Brophy Achman, who played huge roles in the development and advancement of the sport.

But those are other stories, and for the next few days, probably, I'll be telling the tale of the Ponies. It's a story of more than four guys, who happened to run fast, and their coach. I hope you enjoy it.

Yes/No: Jim Dilling over 7-3 at U.S. Open?

The USA Track and Field's Visa Championship Series returns in 2012 with the U.S. Open.  The meet will be held at the venerable Madison Square Garden and feature such luminaries as Bernard Lagat, David Oliver, Asafa Powell and Jenn Suhr.

Former Minnesota State-Mankato athlete Jim Dilling will kick off his indoor season by competing against Jesse Williams, Dusty Jonas and Jamie Nieto in the high jump.  Dilling, the 2007 USA Track and Field Champion is gearing up for a season which he hopes will culminate in a berth in the Olympic Games this summer.

Tell us what height Dilling will reach in New York...

Yes/No: Will Jim Dilling jump 7-3 or higher at the U.S. Open on January 28th?


Dilling has jumped 7-6 1/2 both indoors and outdoors in his career.  In 2011, he finished sixth in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a jump of 7-5 3/4.  After graduating from Minnesota State - Mankato, Dilling trained at Kansas State University with his coach.  This year, Dilling returned to Mankato to pursue a master's degree and coach the Mavericks' high jumpers.

In case a slam dunk contest breaks out at the meet, smart money will be placed on Dilling to dominate.  If you don't believe us, check out this video HERE.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 6:00 P.M. CDT, Saturday, January 28th. Please put your answers in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. 

My answer: No

Last week's question was:  Will Chris Rombough and/or Hassan Mead break 8:10 in the 3000 meters at the Jack Johnson Invitational?  The answer was yes.  Both runners were comfortably under 8:10 in their first track races of the year.  Almost everyone answered this correctly and there are currently thirty-eight contestants tied for first place in the overall standings.

For all the results, please visit DtB Fantasy Corner, HERE.

Anatomy of a Race

By Jim Ferstle
At every meet, there is usually a marquee event, one that is selected from all the rest to be the most anticipated contest or having the potential for the best result. Such was the men's 3,000 meters at this year's Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse on Saturday.

One aspect that made it special, noted one of the race officials, was that it was probably Hassan Mead's last indoor race at "the Barn," as the fieldhouse is affectionately known, as a Gopher. Mead has a special place in the hearts of Gopher track fans, not only for the talent he possesses, but also for the obstacles he has overcome. When Mead won a fast 5,000 meter race at Stanford several years ago, he appeared to be ready to contend with the best in the country, and/or a place on a future Olympic team, thus joining the luminous cast of University of Minnesota alumni who went on to make their mark in US distance running.

A seemingly ordinary leg injury that failed to heal threw a temporary wrench into Mead's rise, but just when he seemed to be ready to get back into the fray, he encountered a life threatening event, not your typical running injury setback, a collapsed lung. He battled back from those obstacles, and this year won the NCAA regional cross country individual title. He's built on that entering what will be his last season as a Gopher, hoping to regain his past form.

With the season still young, Mead was not in peak shape, but University men's track and cross country coach Steve Plasencia could see that he was, perhaps, ready to run fast last weekend. To increase the chance of that happening, Plasencia, a man who doesn't overlook the many small details that often go into creating outstanding performances, began to put the pieces together. He let it be known that Mead appeared to be in shape to run well this weekend.

He changed the schedule of events at the meet to put the 3K in a better spot on the program, so that the crowd would be there to witness and cheer the athletes, that they could become a part of the race by helping to will the runners to new heights. So, right after Goldy Gopher warmed up the crowd with a "sprint race" with kids. Goldy getting down on his stomach to crawl the final meters, while one of the kids who walked next to Goldie with a look of concern fearing that the oversized rodent was indeed in distress, but ultimately relieved as Goldy put up his paw for a high five with the child.

Meanwhile, Plasencia was moving around the track, talking to race officials making sure all was set for the 1 PM race start time. Plasencia brought former Gopher and US Olympic Trials marathon sixth place finisher, Andrew Carlson, onto the infield as Carlson was serving as the honorary starter for the 3K. The preparations finished, Plasencia stood anxiously at the top of the straightaway, a stopwatch in each hand, ready to monitor the action.

Sean Olson, a senior middle distance runner at the U from Menomonie, WI, was given the job of pacemaker. Chris Rombough, a former Gopher who now runs for Team USA Minnesota and holds the meet record for the event, and NCAA Division III XC champion, Ben Sathre of St. Thomas were in the field to challenge Mead.

Photo by Gene Niemi
The plan was to start by running 64 second quarters for as long as possible and take the race from there. Olson kept them on pace through 800 meters, but then the pace started to slide. They went through the mile in 4:20, ran 2:10 for the next half, and the race was on. Mead with his elegant, silky-smooth stride kept in control launching a final quarter of 60 seconds to leave Rombough nearly three seconds back, with Sathre a step behind Rombough, as Hassan moved around lapped runners and flashed past the finish in 8:03.84.

"We wanted to go through the mile in under 4:20 and take it from there," said Mead. "You really need two pacemakers to do (what they were trying to do)." Mead was given a bouquet of flowers and announced to the crowd as he did an abbreviated lap of honor after the race. The overflow crowd in the stands, which included area distance running luminaries, such as former Boston Marathon runner up Steve Hoag, 1976 US Olympic trials fourth place finisher Don Timm, NCAA steeplechase champion Bruce Mortenson, former U of M track and cross country coach Roy Griak, and 1988 Olympic marathon trials winner Rod DeHaven, who now coaches at South Dakota State, among others, gave him a round of applause.

The appreciative audience got what they came for and went away hoping for more thrills in the future from the 3K protagonists--Mead, Rombough, and Sathre--who will seek to build on their accomplishments on Saturday as they face the challenges of the Olympic year ahead.