Strategic planning helps runners take national titles A frer intense workouts and countless miles, the training of junior outdoor track runners Julius Kosgei ofTimboroa, Kenya, and I'rzemek "Bob" Bobrowski of Bialystok, PoLUld, paid off. They each (Ook home nadonal champion tides in May of2006 at the NCAA TI Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. Harding placed sixth overall, rhe best performance in the school's hisrory. Sophomore Kosgei placed first in the 1O,OOO-meter race while junior Bobrowski won the 1,500-merer race. "1 was nor expecting to win because 1 didn't feel that 1 was in good shape," Kosgei said. "The guy whom 1was expecting to win had the best time in rhe nation for that race." Bobrowski was not sure of a victory either. "1 did not expect to win," Bobrowski said. "I knew I could; 1 knew there ,;as a p,?ssibiliry for me to be the guy who would win the race, bur I wasn t sure. Although neither ofthe runners anticipated a win, Coach Steve Guymon held high expectations for them. "Bob and Julius are just extremely smart runners," Guymon said. "You can have the best time at the national meet, but you may not win. They're not only the fast;st, they're the smartest. They just did a uemendous job as far as strategy. The runners endured immense amounts of training to work up to nationals, Bobrowski said. "Some people think distance running is you just go out there and Freshman Janee Jones, junior Kalina Szteyn and senior Vicky Echeverria run the I,SOO-meter at the Ted Lloyd Invitational on April 8 in Searcy. Jones, Szteyn, Echeverria and sophomores Savita Chelimo and Gosia Drazkowska all competed at Nationals. -Chelsea Roberson Soaring over the bar, sophomore John Langford competes in the high jump at theApril8Ted Lloyd Invitational in Searcy. Langford won this event clearing the bar at 6-00.00. -Chelsea Roberson _..,cp.2 athletics y~u just run and keep in shape. bm rhere's a lot involved," Guymon said. "They started back in the summer where they were putting probably 100 miles a week in. As the season progressed and got closer (Q outdoor, you don't do as much volume, and you do things a little quicker. They were able to handle that throughout the year and remain consistent, and it all came wgetber." Both Bobrowski and Kosgei said differenr rypes oftraining were involved in outdoor track. "We ran quite high mileage," Bobrowski said. ''At rhe beginning, it was like a build up: building strength, building endurance and obviously watching the speed. We were spooring for nationals - that was the main goal for the season. We actually changed it a linie bit. Somewhere in the middle, we started to run a little faster and a liale less mileage. " As Bobrowski said, nationals was the goal; however, the strategies the team used during the season were nor the same strategies they used at nationals. Although it was Bobrowski's last outdoor track season, he finished well, and Kosgei hoped to have a repeat of his success next season. They both gained experience, which, according to Guymon, helped many of the successful runners. "Each year, you learn a litrle bit more abom your event. You learn about your competition," Guymon said. "You have to know how to race, and thar's what they did." ·Lauren Mitchell
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