Indoor Track Update - Simplot Games

Darts - 

I always come home from the Simplot Games pretty exhausted, but in a satisfied, proud, accomplished way. This year was no different, I was definitely tired, but as I reflect on our performances, I know that we went to Pocatello and did our best. It made all of our work through the past 2 months worth it, and it has made me pretty excited to get going on outdoor track (after a week break to recover). 

Once again, the Davis Indoor Track TEAM was the largest, the loudest, and one of the most successful teams at the meet. We set a new TEAM record with 93 athletes--we also entered a record 28 relay teams into the meet. We brought home more medals than we ever have as a TEAM - including 5 individual medals, 5 relay team medals, and 3 coaching medals :)

There were a ton of PRs and a lot of great highlights of the meet. We set 4 new school records: Seth Fortin ran 6.92 in the 60m Dash to finish 3rd - it is the #17 time in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest ever run by a Utahn; Shea Martinez ran 2:09.12 in the 800m - breaking her school record she set a week ago at the oval - it is the #1 time in the U.S. We finished the meet by setting school records in both the girls and the boys 4 x 400 relays. The girls ran 3:57.93, which is also a new Utah State Record for indoor track - breaking a mark set in 1999 by Kearns. The girls were anchored by an impressive 56.3 split by Shea. The boys came back right after and broke our school record set in 1995. Our boys ran 3:27.25 - an average of 51.8, and setting us up for some fast relays in outdoor. While those were the TEAM performances of the meet, there were so many other great highlights . . . 

Thursday Night - In the first finals of the games, the weight throw, Ben Bracken, Sam Matina, and Jeff Whittaker all set new PRs and Davis top 10 marks. Ben's throw of 51'10 is #6 on our all-time list and was good enough for 10th place. On the track on Thursday night, we dominated the distance events. In a year where it took some very strong times to advance, we set a TEAM record for combined finalists in the girls and boys 1600m and 3200m with 14 total finalists (old record was 12 set in both '09 and '12). We had 7 boys and 7 girls advance - more than any other team in the meet. The most impressive performance to make it into finals was from Aimee Vance who ran a 9 second PR to make it in. It was also exciting to see 2 sophomore boys advance in the 1600m - both Josh Ward and Stokton Smith. Some of the other distance races that were very impressive were Hannah Albrechtsen's gutsy 1600 PR which left her just 1 spot out of finals, Sierra Haslam's 9 second PR with 5:48, Michaela Uresk's tough performance to run a season best by 10 seconds, and Colter Blanchard's solid 4:50 for the top freshman time from Utah. All together we end the indoor season with 22 boys under 5:00 and 24 girls under 6:00 - both new TEAM records.

Friday - We saw some ups and downs on Friday. The day didn't start out as strong as we would have liked. We missed qualifying for the boys 4 x 200 relay when Connor Badger strained both hamstrings - he still fought valiantly through the 2nd half of the race and showed a ton of toughness. The girls 4 x 200 also narrowly missed qualifying. We had a few other struggles throughout the day. There were some individuals who were very close to making it into finals, but didn't quite have their best days. One of the things that I really started to learn about this TEAM is that we have a lot of character. Where we could have hung our heads and felt discouraged, it seems that our TEAM fought back any way they could. For some, they had later opportunities to perform, and they really took advantage of another chance. For those who didn't make it through in any finals, they still showed a lot of TEAM support and really focused on encouraging their teammates who advanced. One thing was certain - our TEAM was out there doing their best. I was so impressed with our solid efforts and our positive attitudes. A few performances stuck out to me on Thursday: Hailee Carattini's PR in the 60m Hurdles (9.48) - which was her 4th event in less than 4 hours - where she just missed making finals. She was tired, but she gave it everything she had. The girls Medley A Team at the end of the day where BriAnna Gipson, Elise Berning, Liz Jones, and Hannah Albrechtsen all ran their best splits of the day to make it into the finals - especially Hannah's anchor leg 800m of 2:26 after running so hard in the 1600 the night before. The boys medley relay had a similar story - we had to make 2 substitutions because of injuries, but Palmer Flood and Ryan Lee both stepped in and performed great for us with the help of Colton Chronister and Sam Haws, they ran the 3rd fastest qualifying time. Sam had also just missed the 1600m finals with a strong performance - so it was awesome to see him bounce back and run 2:01 in the 800m (which would have been more than enough to make the 800m individual finals). Our boy and girl hurdlers (The 'Mafia') also had many great performances - led by Ammon Hanks with a PR of 9.10, Trace Arbon with 9.45 while getting punched in the nose, and Olivia Richard's PR of 10.63. In the 800m, we added 3 more boys and 2 more girls to our distance race finalists - giving us 19 total (10 boys and 9 girls) - beating our old record of 16 for the distance races. Lastly, I thought our boys 4 x 200 B and C teams really stepped it up after our A Team was out. All 8 boys on the B and C teams ran tough and determined. In fact, all of our relays really gave great efforts, from the sprinters in their 3rd events of the day to the distance runners who were given 200m medley relay legs - I loved the positive attitudes and the teamwork. 

Saturday - Possibly my greatest memory of Saturday is how much noise our athletes made cheering for each other. I was very pleased with the energy in the form of cheers, chants, and excitement that we provided for our teammates who were competing. I guarantee that the athletes on the track were inspired and motivated by the encouragement. Nice job by the 'mob'. Our medalists included Brayden Cromar (5th in the 1600 with an indoor PR of 4:27), Jackson Sagers (4th in the 800m with 1:58), Seth Fortin (3rd in the 60m), Shea Martinez (1st in the 800m), and Taylor Cox (3rd in the 800m with an indoor PR of 2:15). We also had 5 relay teams in 6 relay races end up on the podium - the boys 4 x 800 (Seth Thompson, Ryan Lee, Sam Haws, and Skylar Williams) finished 4th - very impressive considering that they had all raced a bunch going into that relay. We had some great 4 x 800 relay PR splits from Kent Thompson (2:04), Stokton Smith (2:04), Colter Blanchard (2:06), Brandon Peters (2:09), Josh Ward (2:06), Tatum Beard (2:32), Sam Hedquist (2:37), Madi Bledsoe (2:39). I know it fired me up as I was warming up for the Coaches 1600 when I was watching the 4 x 800s - I had goose bumps a few times as I watched our boys and girls dig in and run very gutsy races. Both the boys and the girls medley's also ended up on the podium. The girls all ran PR splits to finish 5th - BriAnna Gipson (63), Elise Berning (27.2), Liz Jones (27.9) and Hannah Albrechtsen (2:24 - in her 3rd 800 in less than 24 hours - all 3 under her old PR). The boys showed more of the same as they ran their best splits for a 3:38.30 - and a 3rd place finish - Trevor Leavitt (50.6), Palmer Flood (23.9), Colton Chronister (23.8), and Sam Haws (1:59.8 - also in his 3rd 800 in less than 24 hours and his first time under 2:00). It was fun to watch - both the races and the excitement of our fans. The boys time is the 2nd fastest in Davis history. We ended the day with 2 final performances that put us on the podium in the 4 x 400s. As I said earlier, the girls broke a 14 year old state record with their 3:57 to finish 3rd - with Ellie Child (61.9), Christine Van Brocklin (59.0), Taylor Cox (60.2) and Shea Martinez (56.3). The boys were all a bit tired, but dug deep for 3:27 for 4th place with Seth Fortin (51.6), Seth Thompson (52.8), Jackson Sagers (51.8), and Trevor Leavitt (50.6 for the 2nd time that afternoon).

It was a very memorable Simplot Games, and we couldn't have done it without great athletes, but we also couldn't have done it without a lot of help from coaches and parents. THANKS to Coach West, Coach Lauren, Coach Alayna, Coach Brad, and honorary Coach Caleb for all the help in keeping the athletes in line and in keeping them prepared and motivated. THANKS to some outstanding parents who are so willing to help and to support our program - especially our chaperones - the Andersons, Charla Williams, and Jill Hedquist. THANKS to so many parents who were willing to drive to and from the meet - even some who didn't get a chance to watch their kids race.

WHAT'S NEXT? - This week will be pretty light. We will be having workouts during the track class (Tuesday and Thursday), but we will not have practice on Wednesday and Friday. If you have been sick or injured - take this time to get recovered. Take really good care of yourselves over the next few weeks so that we can work hard through the outdoor season. I hope that all of you are motivated and hungry for a very strong outdoor season. Our official outdoor track meeting will be next Tuesday, February 26th after school. While I am doubtful about it, I am trying to stay positive that the snow is going to melt sometime soon. 

Golden Sprint Challenge - For any sprinters or hurdlers interested in one last indoor race, there is one final meet at the Olympic Oval on Saturday, February 23rd. The events will be the 60m, 200m, 400m, and 60m hurdles. You will have to register yourselves at www.runnercard.com. The cost is $10 per race. It is an "open" race for any ages. You will not be able to race in 'Davis' apparel. If you have more questions, check with me at school. 

Full results can be found at www.simplotgames.com 

Girls Results

High Jump

Hailee Carattini - just missed qualifying at 5'00"

Pole Vault

Hailee Carattini - just missed qualifying at 9'03"

60m Hurdles

Hailee Carattini - 9.48; 21st 

Christine Van Brocklin - 9.61; 26th 

Phebe Krutsch - 10.13; 40th

Lizbeth Jones - 10.45; 56th

Olivia Richards - 10.63; 61st 

Baylee Reynolds - 10.68; 85th 

200m Dash

Elise Berning - 27.99; 25th

Brittney Rounkles - 28.38; 30th

Rachel Anderson - 28.54; 35th

Tauni Larsen - 29.61; 54th

Candace Casey - 29.83; 56th

Brooke Jensen - 30.94; 70th

400m Dash

BriAnna Gipson 1:04.71; 41st 

Tatum Beard 1:05.62; 53rd

800m Run

Shea Martinez - 2:09.12; 1st place in finals; Davis SCHOOL RECORD; Current U.S. #1

Taylor Cox - 2:15.97; 3rd place in finals; Davis #3 all-time; Current U.S. #30

Katie Frandsen - 2:27.82; 31st 

Tiahna Cipriano - 2:32.02; 48th

Elise Anderson - 2:35.85; 62nd 

1600m Run

Ellie Child - 5:15.31; 11th in finals

Chelsey Johnson - 5:25.44; 24th in finals

Joanna Boyd - 5:32.69; 32nd in finals

Sierra Graham - 5:37.11; 34th in finals (5:33.74 in trials)

Aimee Vance - 5:37.90; 35th in finals (5:32.34 in trials)

Hannah Albrechtsen - 5:35.12; 39th

Josey Hedquist - 5:45.01; 59th

Sierra Haslam - 5:48.36; 64th

Sam Hedquist - 5:50.95; 74th

Sadie Hutchinson - 5:53.21; 80th

Madi Bledsoe - 5:59.94; 94th

Kaitlyn Datwyler - 6:01.15; 97th

Nicole Wood - 6:08.15; 106th

Michaela Uresk - 6:08.97; 109th

Sydney Zaugg - 6:10.76; 113th

Alex Tanner - 6:17.83; 120th

Shaylee Argyle - 6:18.47; 122nd 

3200m Run

Ashley Tyndall - 11:34.75; 10th in finals; Davis #7 all-time

Kenzie Weir - 11:35.71; 11th in finals

4 x 200m Relay

A - Hailee Carattini, Rachel Anderson, Phebe Krutsch, Christine Van Brocklin - 1:52.11; 17th

B - Liz Jones, Candace Casey, Tauni Larsen, Brittney Rounkles - 1:55.76; 29th

C - BriAnna Gipson, Brooke Jensen, Baylee Reynolds, Olivia Richards - 2:02.73; 43rd

4 x 400m Relay

A - Ellie Child, Christine Van Brocklin, Taylor Cox, Shea Martinez (Katie Frandsen in the trials) - 3:57.93; 3rd place; New school record; New Utah state indoor record

B - Rachel Anderson, Elise Berning, Candace Casey, Tatum Beard - 4:24.61; 15th

C - Nicole Wood, Sydney Zaugg, Kaitlyn Datwyler, Alex Tanner - 4:42.76; 29th

4 x 800m Relay

A - Katie Frandsen, Hannah Albrechtsen, Chelsey Johnson, Joanna Boyd - 9:53.65; 7th in finals

B - Tiahna Cipriano, Sierra Graham, Aimee Vance, Josey Hedquist - 10:20.96; 16th in finals

C - Elise Anderson, Tatum Beard, Sam Hedquist, Madi Bledsoe - 10:22.41; 17th in finals

Medley Relay 

A - BriAnna Gipson, Elise Berning, Liz Jones, Hannah Albrechtsen - 4:24.00 - 5th in finals

B - Tiahna Cipriano, Tauni Larsen, Brittney Rounkles, Josey Hedquist - 4:34.70 - 19th

C - Madi Bledsoe, Brooke Jensen, Olivia Richards, Sam Hedquist - 4:49.71 - 33rd

D - Michaela Uresek, Shaylee Argyle, Sierra Haslam, Sadie Hutchinson - 5:03.65 - 37th 

Boys Results

Weight Throw

Ben Bracken - 51'10; 10th; Davis #6 All-Time

Sam Matina - 48'09.75; 14th; Davis #7 All-Time

Jeff Whittaker - 47'06.25; 16th; Davis #8 All-Time

Shot Put 

Ben Bracken - Qualified for finals with a throw over 45'

Sam Matina - hit the qualifying mark, but scratched on the throw

Jeff Whittaker - just shy of the 45' qualifying

Nate Hatch - just shy of the 45' qualifying

Pole Vault

Trace Arbon - very close to qualifying at 13'03"

Andrew Tyndall - very close to qualifying at 13'03"

60m Hurdles

Ammon Hanks - 9.10; 29th; Davis #13 All-Time

Rex Sumsion - 9.31; 36th; Davis #23 All-Time

Trace Arbon - 9.45; 43rd

Palmer Flood - 9.50; 44th

Andrew Tyndall - 9.55; 48th

Austin Atkinson - 9.59; 49th

Spencer Shaw - 9.96; 58th

Derrek Parry - 10.27; 60th

Colton Chronister - 10.74; 63rd

60m Dash

Seth Fortin - 7.06 in trials; 6.92 in finals; 3rd place; new SCHOOL RECORD; #17 in the U.S.

200m Dash

Gabe Alfaro - 25.77; 80th

400m Dash

Trevor Leavitt - 52.59; 27th

800m Run

Jackson Sagers - 1:59.37 in trials; 1:58.36 in finals; 4th

Seth Thompson - 2:05.48 in trials; 2:02.29 in finals; 13th 

Ryan Lee - 2:04.25 in trials; 2:03.87 in finals; 17th

Taylor Goldsberry - 2:06.34; 35th

Logan Haviland - 2:10.97; 57th 

Josh Robinson - 2:13.06; 68th

Kimball Potter - 2:15.25; 73rd

Caleb Gipson - 2:23.95; 95th

1600m Run

Brayden Cromar - 4:30.86 in trials; 4:27.52 in finals; 5th; Davis #11 All-Time

Skylar Williams - 4:35.33 in trials; 4:28.85 in finals; 9th

Stokton Smith - 4:39.06 in trials; 4:32.24 in finals; 20th; #2 sophomore in the race; Davis #17 All-Time

Alex Hedquist - 4:33.47 in trials; (15th)

Josh Ward - 4:35.53 in trials; 4:39.04 in finals; 30th

Andrew Aposhian - 4:36.54 in trials; 4:38.30 in finals; 29th

Sam Haws - 4:41.23; 40th

Hayden Hansen, 4:42.54; 45th

Isaac Clouse - 4:48.78; 69th

Ethan Stuart - 4:48.82; 72nd

Colter Blanchard - 4:50.19; 81st - #5 freshman in the race

Joseph Bailey - 4:55.93; 99th

Brandon Peters - 4:57.92; 115th

Alex White - 5:00.93; 125th

Kent Thompson - 5:02.20; 130th

Bryce Ferguson - 5:02.96; 135th

Devin Farnsworth - 5:04.22; 142nd

Daniel Tumblin - 5:05.40; 149th

Mitch Perry - 5:06.09; 152nd

Zach Wilde - 5:07.12; 154th

Adam Aposhian - 5:08.46; 161st 

Jackson Rayl - 5:10.22; 167th

Tanner Horrocks - 5:10.80; 168th

JR Oldham - 5:11.32; 170th

3200m Run

Preston Johnson - 9:44.22 in trials; 9:49.93 in finals; 13th

Colton Rimann - 10:38.97; 49th; #4 freshman in the race

Kimball Potter - 10:41.93; 53rd

4 x 200m Relay

C - Gabe Alfaro, Palmer Flood, Derrek Parry, Rex Sumsion - 1:39.94; 30th

B - Carson Hunt, Todd Froisland, Ammon Hanks, Austin Atkinson -1:40.94; 34th

A - Seth Fortin, Trevor Leavitt, Conner Badger, Colton Chronister - 1:50.55; 46th

4 x 400m Relay

A - Seth Fortin/Skylar Williams, Jackson Sagers, Seth Thompson, Trevor Leavitt - 3:36.78 in trials; 3:27.25 in finals; 4th; NEW SCHOOL RECORD; Utah # 10 All-Time

B - Joseph Bailey, Devin Farnsworth, JR Oldham, Zach Wilde - 4:00.28; 32nd

4 x 800m Relay

A - Seth Thompson, Ryan Lee, Sam Haws, Skylar Williams - 8:14.80; 4th

B - Josh Ward, Stokton Smith, Hayden Hansen, Taylor Goldsberry - 8:21.52; 8th

D - Colter Blanchard, Kent Thompson, Brandon Peters, Kimball Potter - 8:34.43; 15th

C - Isaac Clouse, Logan Haviland, Andrew Aposhian, Ethan Stuart - 8:48.91; 18th

Medley Relay

A - Trevor Leavitt/Ryan Lee, Colton Chronister, Palmer Flood, Sam Haws - 3:45.01 in trials; 3:38.30 in finals; 3rd; Davis #2 All-Time; Utah #11 All-Time

F - Austin Atkinson, Derrek Parry, Todd Froisland, Gabe Alfaro - 3:55.23; 23rd

B - Ammon Hanks, Trace Arbon, Andrew Tyndall, Kent Thompson - 3:56.43; 27th

C - Caleb Gipson, Rex Sumsion, Spencer Shaw, Alex White - 4:03.98; 38th

E - Colter Blanchard, Daniel Tumblin, Colton Rimann, Bryce Ferguson - 4:12.69; 43rd

D - Josh Robinson, Mitch Perry, Brandon Peters, Jackson Rayl - 4:19.57; 49th

Coaches 1600m

Coach Talley - 4:43.49; 3rd

Coach Timothy - 5:05.77; 8th

Coach West - 5:59; 3rd

Coaches 200m

Coach Lauren - 28.52; 3rd

Indoor Track Update

Darts -

The indoor season has flown by. We are wrapping things up this coming week with the Simplot Games in Pocatello, ID. It has been a successful indoor season for us, and I am excited about this spring (especially excited for the snow to melt). 

Utah Distance Challenge - We hosted an indoor meet at the Olympic Oval on Friday night. There was a great turn out and some pretty fast times. I was pleased with all of the PRs that I saw from our 400 runners and our distance runners. The full results can be found at www.utahdistancechallenge.blogspot.com. In the 400m, Trevor Leavitt ran a SCHOOL RECORD 49.98 - the first time a Davis athlete had run under 50 indoors (it was a 15 year old school record); Seth Fortin finished his first 400m race in 50.60 to place 5th. In the 800m, we had the winner for the girls and the boys - Shea Martinez ran a personal best 2:09.84 - also a SCHOOL RECORD and currently #2 in the U.S. Ellie Child finished 2nd in 2:18, Taylor Cox was 4th in 2:20 (both Ellie and Taylor are ranked in the top 60 in the U.S.), and we had some great prs from Katie Frandsen, Hannah Albrechtsen, Tiahna Cipriano, and Tatum Beard. For the boys, Skylar Williams got the victory in 1:59.08, and we had some strong prs from Logan Haviland and Mitch Perry. In the 1600, Taylor Cox led the way for our girls with a 5:17 and we had some strong prs from Chelsey Johnson, Kenzie Weir, Ashley Tyndall, Aubrey Argyle, Sam Hedquist, Kaitlyn Datwyler, Nicole Wood, Sydney Zaugg, and Alex Tanner. We now have 22 girls under 6:00 - a new TEAM record. The top prs for the boys came from our young guns: Stokton Smith (4:33), Josh Ward (4:37), Colter Blanchard (4:51), Brandon Peters (4:58), Daniel Tumblin (5:01), and Adam Aposhian (5:08). We also have 22 boys under 5:00 - also a TEAM record. It makes Simplot interesting to see which team can end with the most under 6:00/5:00. Both the boys and the girls have some potential to add to their total. In the final race of the night, Sam Hedquist ran a solid 12:51 in the 3200 in her first try at that distance, and Sam Haws finished in 10:21 to lead the way for the boys. 

If you have been sick or have been recovering from an injury. Don't get discouraged if you are not quite where you were hoping to be at this point. Just stay determined and work as hard as you can. The challenges that come with running are the things that make you the toughest - both physically and mentally. 

Simplot Games (February 14-16) - I feel like I have sent out enough information on the Simplot Games, but if you or your parents still have some remaining questions, please let me know. I sent a very important email yesterday about the 2 waivers you each need to turn in. If you are going to Simplot - please be at the mandatory meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 2:30 in my classroom (9th graders can come to my room when they get out of school). Also keep in mind that we are leaving from the south Davis parking lot at 3:00pm on Thursday. There will be one small group that will leave earlier with me (primarily 3200m runners). I will hand out a schedule with all of your events (including relays) on Tuesday.

Track Class - In talking with all of the coaches from the different events, I feel that the workouts are going well, but I also feel that we can show a little more toughness on an individual basis. Try to come into the workouts with a positive mental attitude and with a determination to push yourselves and your teammates to get better. Don't let yourselves hide in the crowd. I want to see a lot of surprises from our young group as we get going in the outdoor season - which will be here before you know it. Also, with that big of a group, make sure that you are on task. Listen to your coaches, and follow your senior leaders. 

Outdoor Track Meeting - will be on Tuesday, February 26th after school. You are all required to be there.

Track Apparel - We will be putting together an apparel order in the next 2 weeks. Purchasing track clothing will be optional. The available items will include - warm ups (jacket and pants), t-shirt, and spandex. There will be a sign up starting next week. 

Be proud to represent Davis Track & Field - learn what it means to be a member of this TEAM. 

- Coach Talley

Indoor Track Update - Feb 4

Darts - 

We had a great weekend at the Olympic Oval for the UHSTCA Invitational (the Utah Indoor State Championships). We had a ton of PRs (personal records), and as a coaching staff, we were very pleased with our efforts and our performances. Our highlights included Seth Fortin setting 2 new indoor school records: 6.95 in the 60m dash, and 22.38 in the 200m dash (finishing 1st and 4th); Jackson Sagers running 1:55.16 in the 800m (Davis #3 all-time and currently #12 in the U.S.); we had 3 other guys under 2:00 in the same race (Preston Johnson, Seth Thompson, and Skylar Williams); Trevor Leavitt with 22.67 in the 200m and 50.75 in the 400m (both #3 on the Davis all-time list); Ben Bracken with a monster PR in the shot put with 51'05 (top Utah mark at the meet); 16 boys under 5:00 in the mile including big prs from Josh Ward (4:38), Isaac Clouse (4:47), Colter Blanchard (4:53), and Kent Thompson (4:59); some big PRs in the pole vault - Trace Arbon (13'00), Andrew Tyndall (12'06), and Korbin Birrell (11'06); we had a pretty fast 4 x 200 with Colton Chronister, Chance Parker, and a couple of young guys - Ty Hinds and Conner Simonsen; Shea Martinez running 5:02 in the 1600 (Davis #2 all-time) and 2:13 in the 800 barely missing her own school record; Ellie Child with 5:07 in the 1600 and 11:14 in the 3200 (both Davis #3 all time marks); Taylor Cox with 2:18 in the 800m - good enough for 2nd place; a total 13 girls under 6:00 in the mile (including 3 great races from 8th graders Ally Geisler, Aubrey Argyle, and Grace Neuenschwander); 4 girls made finals in the 60m hurdles - Christine Van Brocklin (3rd), Hailee Carattini (4th), Karly Sprague (6th) and Phebe Krutsch (7th); a 1st place finish from our girls 4 x 200m relay team (Rachel Anderson, Elise Berning, Tyra Colohan, Bailey Carling); and a 1st place finish from our girls 4 x 400m relay team (Ellie Child, Christine Van Brocklin, BriAnna Gipson, and Taylor Cox). You can see the full results at http://www.runtwolf.com/uhstca-indoor-2013.html

For current national rankings, you can visit: http://www.milesplit.com/rankings/2013/indoor/hs

Overall it was a very positive meet for the Davis Darts. Both the girls and the boys ended up in first place. The girls won in dominating fashion with 106 points - 2nd place was Box Elder with 27 points (the teams who finished 2-5 combined for 95 total points). The boys win was much closer - we scored 75 points and finished 28 points ahead of 2nd place Woods Cross (47). There were more than 40 teams represented in the meet. 

I did feel that there were a few things we can continue to work on. I thought our attitude was not as positive as it could have been when it came to running in our 2nd or 3rd events. Although you might have been tired or possibly even discouraged with a previous performance, you have to work on coming back strong in your later events. So much of that is mental toughness. We want to train ourselves to be ready to still compete our very best - even when we may be tired or may not be having the best day. I was impressed with some of you who showed that toughness and who stayed positive. I wanted to point out just a few - Andrew Aposhian is coming back from being injured. He ran his first mile of the season on Friday night. It didn't go as he would have hoped. He struggled through it just a bit, and was discouraged with his finishing time. He could have given up on himself, but instead he came back on Saturday as determined as ever to run the 2 mile. Watching the race you could tell that Andrew was fighting for something. He wanted to run his best. Although it was not quite back to his PR, Andrew fought hard through the entire race for a very solid 9:54. Christine Van Brocklin was another one I was very proud of. She is doing everything she can to improve at the hurdles (extra running at practice, extra hurdle drills, time in the weight room, working for hours on her hurdle form), and it is not 'clicking' yet, but it will. In her 3rd race of the meet, Christine ran a PR in the 60 hurdles (9.42), but it is still not quite where she wants to be, and I could tell she was a bit discouraged. I know it was really hard for her to get excited for the 4 x 400 at the end of 2 long days of competing, but she did it - without complaining. She led the way for us in our 4 x 400 victory with a very strong 60.5 split. She was not making excuses and she wasn't focusing on being tired - she was just determined to get on the track and run her best. We can all learn from their toughness and from the toughness that others on the TEAM have also shown us through this indoor season - there really were quite a few examples of members of our TEAM showing they have guts when it counts. We have to keep working hard, and we have to be passionate about doing our best - every opportunity we get. I want to see less fear and more desire. And I think that desire starts in practice - don't be afraid to push those limits as we practice.

Coming Up: 

The Utah Distance Challenge is this week on Friday. The races begin at 5:00pm with the girls 1600m. The track is open at 4:00 for warm ups. The cost is $5 and you can run as many events as you would like, but for most of you, I would recommend 1-2 races. We will talk about it more at practice this week. You can also see the information at www.utahdistancechallenge.blogspot.com I am in charge of the meet, and I am still looking for a few parents to help - if any of you are interested, please let me know. 

Simplot Games - February 14-16. We have finalized the list for the trip. If you would like to see that list, please come to my classroom in the next day or two. I will be doing the entries this Saturday. There will be an email coming with the final Simplot information later this week. The money ($130) is due by next week Monday - in cash or checks made out to 'Davis County Running Club'. Do not pay in the office. If you previously committed to going, but for any reason cannot - please let me know ASAP. 

Track Class - We are down to 6 more A-days inside, and then we will be running on the outdoor track and jumping and throwing in our new facility. I encourage you all to work hard and to get to know your teammates. We will be in the middle of the outdoor season (enjoying the sun) before you know it. Doing a little extra on your own at this point would be a good idea :)

For anyone interested in the outdoor meet schedule, you can go to: http://www.darttrack.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-davis-track-schedule.html

Keep up the good work. 

- Coach Talley