Monday, January 19, 2015

News: NCAA Dual Meet Rankings

Gopher men 12th women 23rd in NCAA DI dual meet rankings HERE.
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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Results: Houston Half Marathon; Carlsbad

Annie Bersagel finished fifth in the Houston Half Marathon/US Half Marathon Championships on Sunday in 1:10:58. Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton was 25th in 1:14:28. In the men's race, Eric Finan was 19th in 1:03:29, Joe Moore was 29th in 1:03:55,  Jon Peterson was 38th in 1:04:26, Eric Loeffler was 45th in 1:04:48.








USATF summary of the Half Marathon Championship races HERE.

Carlsbad Marathon and Half-Marathon results are HERE
Photo and results on the Post by Run N Fun.
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Saturday, January 17, 2015

Results: Minnesota Open; Bison Classic, St. Mary's Early Birdinal; Dordt Indoor Invitational; Bemidji State Super 8 and Multi; Holiday Inn Invitational; The Opener(STU)



NDSU Bison Classic results HERE.
NDSU men's summary is HERE, women's HERE.
Moorhead State University summary is HERE.
U Mary women's summary is HERE, men HERE


Minnesota Open results are HERE.
Gopher men's summary is HERE. women's is HERE.
St. Cloud State summary is HERE
Mankato State men's summary is HERE. Women's is HERE.
UMD women's summary is HERE.
Concordia St. Paul summary is HERE.
Hamline women's summary is HERE
Holiday Inn Invitational results are HERE.

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St. Mary's Early Birdinal results are HERE.
Winona State summary is HERE.
St. Mary's summary is HERE.

Dordt Indoor Invitational results are HERE.

Bemidji State Super 8 Open and Multi results are HERE.
Bemidji State summary is HERE.
St. Scholastica men's summary.  Women's HERE.

The Opener(St. Thomas Intrasquad meet) men's results are HERE. Women's are HERE
St. Thomas men's summary is HERE. Women's HERE
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Results: Heather Kampf Does the 1M/10K Double; Ellenson; Will Burke; Houston

Team USA Minnesota's Heather Kampf completed a Bermuda One Mile/10K/Half Marathon triple a win in the half marathon on Sunday. 10K results HERE(scroll down to Bermuda 10K walk and run for those results.  Further down is marathon and half-marathon.  Click on half marathon to see those results).

Edina grad Will Burke, running for Michigan, finished fourth in the 3K at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in 8:34.04. Full results are HERE.



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Friday, January 16, 2015

Results: Heather Kampf Wins KPMG Front Street Mile; Carleton Triangular; Montana State Open; Minnesota Open Results and NDSU Classic Live on Saturday

 Heather Kampf defends her title at the Front Street Mile in 4:53.32.  Results are HERE.

Carleton Triangular resutls are HERE.
Carlton men's summary is HERE, women's HERE

Montana State Open results are HERE.


Minnesota Open live results HERE on Saturday. NDSU Bison Classic live results HERE.
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News: Olson/Megan Hasz; Ferlic; Ice; 2015 Pan American Games; Multi-Sport HS Athletes; Houston/Bersagel

Connor Olson and Megan Hasz selected as Gatorade Minnesota XC runners of the year for 2014 HERE .

Michigan Daily article on Mason Ferlic is HERE.

Ice.  A revised version of when and how to use it to help manage an injury HERE.

2015 Pan American Games, which will be held in Toronto, qualifying standards and selection procedures are HERE.

Even football goes for multi-sport HS athletes



FloTrack interview with Annie Bersagal prior to the Houston Half-Marathon HERE.

Gopher redshirt freshman middle distance runner Derek Wiebke named men's MVG(Most Vlauable Gopher) for January HERE. Also joined other Gophers for the team's Youth Track Clinic HERE.
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Thursday, January 15, 2015

News:Garrett Heath, Mudder; Bill Miles' COY Interview; Rombough; Economics of College Basketball; Compression Clothing



USTFCCCA interview with HS boys' XC Coach of the Year Bill Miles HERE.Sun Sailor story on Miles is HERE.



An interesting look at the economics of the major college sports--in this case Kentucky basketball--HERE.

Can compression clothing aid your workout HERE?
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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

News: USATF MN JO records/USATF MN Outdoor Records; Outdoor Records; NSIC Myles Brand All Academic with Distinction Award Winners; Drug Testing in Africa

USATF MN JO multi event all time records and JO meet records are HERE. USATF MN Outdoor records are HERE

NSIC schools Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award winners are HERE.

Financial support for a drug testing lab in East Africa pledged by World Marathon Majors HERE.
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News: Bill Miles/COY; Will Leer/CTolleRun; Jon Peterson; Harun Abda; USATF.TV Broadcast Schedule; Eclipse; Ben B's Training Partner; Corrected Meet of Miles Results






RunnerSpace interview with Jon Peterson is HERE.




I'm not trying to be cocky but we really get paid to do this. We have the best job! Thanks to… http://t.co/stH6CYRV1r
— Harun Abda (@Ha_RunAbda) January 14, 2015">Aurélie Petibon



Not a running story, more urban transport goes to the dogs:




Corrected Meet of Miles results are HERE.
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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

News: NSIC Weekly Summary, AOW; UMAC AOW; Sara Tseng; USATF Board/IAAF Council Vote

NSIC men's summary and AOW HERE. women's summary and AOW HERE.

UMAC Athletes of the Week HERE

NCAA DIII indoor preseason rankings HERE

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Calls for USATF Board to reverse their decision regarding the US Candidate for IAAF Council HERE.
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Results: Corrected Meet of Miles Results

Meet of Miles results updated with corrections are HERE.
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Monday, January 12, 2015

News: Leer; doping; Ultras/Sponsorship; Ski Rankings; Meet of Miles; MDRA




Sponsorships and ultras HERE.





MDRA Race Director Conference scheduled for Saturday.  Held in conjunction with the MDRA Annual party, details HERE.
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Sunday, January 11, 2015

News: Blankenship Training: Border Battle; Roesler; Plantar Faciitis; Olympic Track

The work that leads to good times later...

 More results: CDH grad Kevin Docherty was fourth in the mile in 4:17.06 at the Border Battle in Iowa City. Full results are HERE.

Flotrack Q & A with Laura Roesler is HERE.

Have plantar faciitis? HERE are some possible remedies.

If track & field has to shed events for future Olympic Games, what are the events that would do the least damage if lost?  T&F News' Gary Hill speculates HERE.
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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Results: Northwest Open; Michael Smith/Cornell; Bethel Open, Mankato Alumni Open

Northwest Open results are HERE.
Gopher men's summary is HERE.
Hamline men's summary is HERE.
St. Cloud State summary is HERE
Concordia St. Paul summary is HERE.
Bethel Open results are HERE.
Bethel men's summary is HERE. Women's HERE.
UMD women's summary is HERE.

Mankato Alumni Open results are HERE.
Mankato State men's summaary is HERE.Women's is HERE.
Southwest Minnesota State summary is HERE.

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Heath, Derrick Defend Titles in Great Edinburgh XC; US Wins Team Title



Chris Derrick, a Stanford grad along with Heath, defended his 8K title that he won last year.  Team USA's Jon Grey was the seventh US finisher for the winning US team, 15th overall in 26:16.  Results are HERE.

Emma Bates was in the lead pack after the first lap of the women's race on a tough, sometimes muddy, slippery course in Scotland. Bates was sixth after lap two, eight seconds off the lead. As snow began to fall, Bates finished sixth in 22:01, 35 seconds behind the UK's Emilia Gorecka, who won in 21:26. Results are HERE. The US team won the team competition with 121 points. Europe was second with 189, and the UK third with 223.

Team USA's Heather Kampf  helped the US 4 by 1K mixed relay team finish fourth in the first event of the team competition. Results are HERE.  Results for all the races are being posted HERE.  The 4K men's race didn't count in the team scores.




USATF.TV highlights 4 by 1K mixed relay HERE. Men's 4K replay is HERE. Men's 8K replay is HERE. Women's 6K replay is HERE. Photos of the mud from Heather Kampf HERE.







IAAF story on the Great Edinburgh XC meet is HERE. Paul Merca's story on Garrett Heath is HERE.
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Friday, January 09, 2015

News: HS Coaches of the Year; Garrett Heath; Dani Stack; Running with the Deer; Great Edinburgh XC

USTFCCCA high school XC coaches of the year by State(a Wayzata sweep) are HERE.









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Thursday, January 08, 2015

News: Mead; MIAC Previews; World Athletics Coaches Ed Classes Coming to Mankato; Cheating; Winter Dog Walking; Keegan Hurley



MIAC  T&F Previews for women HERE, men HERE.

The Dog Channel's advice on winter dog walking is HERE.From MPR HERE.







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Wednesday, January 07, 2015

News: Goucher; Grandma's; Come Together

Kara Goucher on her plans for 2015 HERE

Grandma's on RW editor-approved list of marathons HERE.

Toni Reavis writes on the need for sprinters and distance runners to put aside their differences for the good of the sport HERE.
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Tuesday, January 06, 2015

News: Recap of USATF Masters Club XC Championships; Ask the Coach; Schwamberger; Meb; Marathon Top Ten: MN Indoor Age Group Records

A great recap of the USATF Masters Club XC Championships with photos is HERE. Run 'N Fun's men's 40+ Masters team finished seventh. Results are HERE.

Dennis Barker's latest Ask the Coach column HERE.

USTFCCCA interview with UW Eau Claire's Dan Schwamberger is HERE.

USTFCCCA Pre-season Indoor DI rankings are HERE.

Carrie Tollefson interviews Meb tommorow via Skype HERE. Bob Larsen, Meb's coach grew up in Northwestern Minnesota

Hal Higdon, a Carleton grad, lists Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon  and Grandma's among his top ten HERE.

Update on USATF MN indoor age group records are HERE.
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Monday, January 05, 2015

2014 Person of the Year

Bill Miles the 2014 DtB Person of the Year
I don't know if we're starting a tradition with this or if we'll do it again, but this year we're naming a Person of the Year for 2014.  The recipient of the award is someone very familiar to those in the sport in Minnesota.  Not many people have had the wide impact Bill Miles has had during his 45 year tenure as a high school track and cross country coach. 

 A lot has already been written about him.  But I realized that while we know a lot about his accomplishments, I didn't know that much else.  So, I invited Bill Miles for a chat a few weeks ago, not because I was planning on doing a Person of the Year feature, but because I wanted to know more about him.  Below are some of the things I learned.

 Like most high school kids, Bill Miles, played a variety of sports at Cretin High school.  Like many runners, a basketball player was what he hoped he could be, but running became his focus, not so much for his own achievements, but because fate pushed him in that direction.

A ten minute two miler, Miles was fortunate enough to go to high school and college at a time when numbers weren't an issue.  He'd gravitated toward running because it was inclusive.  You didn't need to be one of the top runners to be part of the team.  He liked the sport enough to want to be part of a team in college and Roy Griak at the University of Minnesota was the type of coach who not only welcomed the elite, but helped nurture and develop those with less talent as well.

It was at Minnesota where fate intervened.  During his senior year at Minnesota, Miles and a teammate went back to Cretin to do a workout and had a conversation with the team's coach.  It was obvious to the coach that, even back then,  Miles had a knowledge of the sport, a grasp of all the things one might need to be a coach, and perhaps more importantly a passion for it.  Cross country was not a high priority in the school's athletic department.

"He said he took the job to prevent them dropping cross country as a sport," said Miles.  He didn't have a passion for the sport, just a sense of preservation.  Would Miles consider coaching the team, he asked.  Miles was shocked by the offer, but intrigued.  He hadn't planned on being a teacher, must less a coach.  Miles had none of the certification needed.  All he had was the knowledge and the passion.

Miles thought the opportunity was too good to pass up, but he also knew it would mean leaving the Gopher team.  He went back to tell Griak.  Said he had this job offer and that if he took it he couldn't run for the team. get his school work done, and coach.

Griak gave his blessing, and Miles took the job.  Miles was  wise enough to know what he didn't know and he sought out other coaches for advice and guidance.  Minneapolis Southwest was the dominant team in cross country in Minnesota then.  To win a state title in the sport in Minnesota the challenge was simple, you had to beat Southwest.  At that time the Catholic schools, such as Cretin, had a separate championship, so Cretin didn't have to go up against Southwest to get a state title.  The school's legendary coach, Al Halley, was ready to retire.

Miles found a mentor in Halley whose instructions to his team members was "to be the best you can be...or quit."  Cretin also had the good fortunate of having a glut of talent.  Starting from a program that only had a handful of kids coming out for the sport, Miles had a number of very talented runners who joined the program.  The Roth twins were two of the top runners in the state.  Then there was a hockey player named Don Hurley, who really wanted to be a professional hockey player, but his potential was such that he had the talent to be an outstanding runner.

Fate stepped in again at this point, however, as Miles overheard a conversation among the Cretin administration one day in the lunch room.  The conversation centered around hiring and salaries, and it was made clear that hiring a teacher for a lower salary had a big influence on who was hired and who was let go.  There was no tenure at Cretin, thus Miles knew that the chances he would finish his career at Cretin were slim.

Not long after that Wayzata High School was in the market for a coach.  Miles had a short but impressive resume.  Again, through chance Miles was offered the job and he took it, but not before some unfinished business at Cretin.  Miles had a conversation with Hurley.  "Promise me that you'll keep running," Hurley remembers Miles telling him.  Hurley not only kept running he won two individual state titles in cross country.

Miles had not only shown that he could recognize talent, but also develop that talent.  He'd be the first to tell you he has no secret formula or plan.  He talks about the rivalry between Stillwater's teams under Scott Christensen and his own.  The conversation doesn't focus won/lost statistics, but, as Christensen echoes when he talks about it, the value of the rivalry.

He says that if you took the same group of kids some would perform better under his program, which he describes as focusing on building endurance, and another would thrive on Christensen's, which is centered on developing speed.

Both have been at it a long time.  Neither one was going to change.  They each developed champions, but neither one has the answer for all athletes.  The key being that both develop talented athletes, and the schools push each other to new heights along with other legacy programs at Edina, Hopkins, Marshall, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, etc..

Miles has been more than a coach.  He, along with his brother, Tim Miles, who coaches at St. Johns, are the stewarts of Minnesota high school track stats history.  The Miles Lists keep track of performances of each year's boys' athletes along with an anually updated list of the all time lists in each event.

After our conversation, he was headed off to the Minnesota History Center to do more data mining.  Bill Miles may have left the coaching profession behind, but he'll still be chronicling the performances, watching the kids develop.  For one of the keys to Miles' success has been the inclusiveness, call it the no child left behind program for coaching.  For 45 years Miles has given them a "home away from home," a place to explore their own talent, motivation, discipline, and personalities.

For his service and devotion to the sport, Bill Miles has been selected as the first DtB Person of the Year.




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