By Richard Torres
Fri, May 16 2008
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ANDERSON — When winning conference championships becomes the routine, preparation is anything but, especially when your program holds the “paramount” label.
“We try to focus on the daily process, and the results will follow,” Anderson University track and field coach Scott Wilson remarked shortly after his team wrapped up practice Thursday at Macholtz Stadium.
“Everybody plays their part. Basically, we worry about what we can do. In our sport, you don’t get tackled. You focus solely on what people can do to get their best performance, and not try to look at other people. It keeps them focused on the task.”
With two streaks at stake this weekend at Anderson University, a 13-year run by the men’s team and a nine-year trend for the women, the notion of capturing yet another set of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference track titles comes down to simple mathematics.
“You need numbers,” Wilson said.
When the HCAC Championships begin today at 3:30 p.m., the Ravens will hold 16 top seeds. A total of 20 events will be conducted the first day with the 10,000-meter men’s final scheduled last at 7:40 p.m.
On Saturday, 24 events will highlight the final day beginning at 10 a.m. and ending with the awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m.
Each school’s top-eight competitors score team points, which Wilson believes could play crucial as Anderson University aims to fend off Manchester College and a strong Rose-Hulman program.
Earlier this season, Rose-Hulman defeated Anderson in indoor competition. In 2007, the Rose-Hulman men placed runner-up to the Ravens; they’re seeking their first league title since 1989. The Rose-Hulman women were third a year ago.
“It is difficult. We have some good coaches in our conference, and they’re all working hard. You just try to do the best you can,” said Wilson, whose men’s team captured six HCAC event titles and 11 women’s event championships.
“If you do the right things on a daily basis, the results are going to be where they’re going to be.”
For AU seniors Gwen Kemple and Amanda Nagy, their outcomes to date have been spectacular.
As a four-year participant, Nagy holds the school and HCAC records in the 100- and 200-meter dash and is a part of the school-record 400-meter relay team.
Nagy is a six-time HCAC individual event champion and a five-time conference relay-team champion.
This weekend, she owns top-seed times in the 100-meter (12.38), 200-meter (25.42) and as a member of the 400-meter relay team (51.23) composed of Whitney Arnold, Rena St. Clair and Tonia Cooper.
Kemple, who shared the title of the 2008 Outstanding Senior Athlete with Nagy, is a three-time national qualifier in the 10,000-meter run, a two-time HCAC champion and a three-time Academic All-American.
Kemple will pace the competition in the 1,500-meter run (4:49.48), the 5,000-meter run (18:01.84) and the 10,000-meter run (36:36.19).
On the women’s side, junior Michelle Roth is No. 1 among long jumpers, posting a seed mark of 4.99 meters. She also comes into the triple jump event listed first with a mark of 10.46 meters.
The AU men’s team enters with eight top spots. Senior Sean Hudson stands the favorite in both the 1,500-meter run (3:54.72) and the 5,000-meter (14:50.33).
Sophomores Ryan Fultz (2.04 meters) and Brett Sears (42.04 meters) lead the seed marks in the high jump and hammer throw, respectively.
Josh Randolph’s mark of 6.63 meters in the long jump secures the junior a top seed, and senior Nic Huffman is ranked first in the javelin throw (53.42 meters).
Senior Garrett Jack’s 400-meter time of 49.05 and freshman E.J. Cripe’s 100-meter time of 10.94 secure AU’s final two top seeds.
According to Wilson, endurance and depth remain the keys for the Ravens, in addition to already existing team pride.
“I talked to them today, ‘there’s going to be momentum swings, so you don’t want to get too high or too low. It’s not over until the whole thing is over.’ We try not to evaluate before the event is over,” the coach said.
“Our kids were talking about (the tradition) today. ‘When you put on your uniform, wear it with pride.’ That helps you dig a little deeper when it’s crunch time and you expect good things. If you have a positive mental attitude, you have a better chance of a positive outcome.”
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