Mustang Track & Field News

“Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals.”

-- Henry Ford

TRACK IS BACK! The Mustang Track & Field pre-season is in full swing, as the Thinclads eagerly anticipate their first competition, a practice meet at Atascocita High School on February 5. Actually, the track & field classes have been hard at work since the beginning of the school year in preparation of the 2020 Mustang Track & Field campaign, but a new semester also brings new personnel. The football players who also compete in track & field first day joined in on Monday, January 13th. There is always an excitement in the air as the various event groups ready themselves to continue the tradition of excellence. Hope you will join the fun and support Kingwood Mustang Track and Field! HERE WE GO!

“Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.” -- Michael Johnson

Kingwood High School Track & Field Newsletter - Vol. 1, #1 – Jan 31, 2020

THE SPRINTS – The sprint crews are comprised of athletes that will compete in the 100, 200, 400, Relays (4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400). They are beginning to work on skills such as block starts, relays handoffs, sprint form and race phases. Coaching the girls sprints this year will be Head Girls Coach, Jeremy Dye, along with Coaches Nick Cheesman and Jessica Dorris. The boys sprinters will be led by Coach Larry (the Legend) Gnatzig, Coach Cheesman, and Coach Jason Tucker. When asked how training was going in this phase, Coach G. (Gnatzig ) replied “Good… We’re mainly focusing on conditioning and beginning to blend the skill aspects. The guys are really doing well.” Coach Dye is excited about where the girls are at this time. “The girls sprint crew has been working on maximal speed through flying 30m and 40m runs, as well as focusing on using starting blocks, start ‘shapes’ and wicket drills. We will soon incorporate relay exchange work.” Start your engines because these Mustangs can fly!

THE HURDLES / HORIZONTAL JUMPS – Anyone who has followed KHS hurdlers and horizontal jumpers for very long knows of ‘the master,’ Coach Andy Ferrara. Coach Ferrara has coached these groups for the past sixteen seasons and has been coaching track athletes for 51 years. Coach Ferrara is, as always, excited about the upcoming season. “The Long and Triple Jumpers have been busy working on approach speed and steps in pursuit of learning how to efficiently hit the take off board without fouling, while the hurdlers are focused on steps and fitness.” He added that they “have a lot of work to do and little time to do it.”

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

THE THROWS: Some of the throwers began when school started. Fall training began with conditioning, weight training, agility work, quickness work and drills… and drills… and more drills. The throwers that also play football joined the squad after the winter break and are now doing offseason work in football and working on their shot and discus skills. The boys and girls throwers have been working with Coach Simpson throughout the fall. Coach Simpson will work with the discus throwers. Coach Justin Tims coached football in the fall and will be working with the shot putters this spring. Coach Tims is in his first season on the KHS track staff and he brings a wealth of throwing knowledge and experience to the event. Both Coach Tims and Coach Simpson are excited about the season. Even though they have been working hard all year, Senior Discus Thrower, Chris Mathes indicated that it is now “time to get down to business.” Good luck Throwers!

THE POLE VAULT & HIGH JUMP: The 2020 track season will be Coach Christian Barger’s 14th season leading the KHS Pole Vaulters to new heights. Coach Barger has established a vaulting program that is consistently competitive. He has had to load up the poles and head west to Austin for the State Track Meet on several occasions. The pole vaulters spent the fall either working hard with the sprinters or on the football field and are now working hard on steps and technique in preparation for the season. The vault is such a complex event that there is much to be done getting ready. When asked how the vault crew was doing Coach Barger stated, in true Barger style, “We’re young, working hard and improving everyday, and we have a regional qualifier coming back, Megan Anglin. It’s going to be exciting.”The high jump will be a team of coaches, primarily Head Boys Coach Symons, Coach Dye, and Coach Richard Rodriguez (after basketball). Like the vaulters, the jumpers really started specific training this semester and are well underway. The high jump draws many athletes that are also involved in other events. ALRIGHT STANGS REACH FOR THE STARS!

“I hope you never feel as if you have arrived. If you do, you will quit striving.” -- Former Rice Coach Augie Erfurth

THIS WEEK: The Boys and Girls Mustangs will open the season next Wednesday, February 5, at Atascocita High School for the annual AHS-KHS Practice Meet. I affectionately think the boys side of the meet should be called the “Twins Classic” as the head boys coaches at AHS and KHS are twins Tate & Todd Symons, who both ran the hurdles and relays for KHS and went on to compete for Wayland BaptistUniversity. It’s always fun to watch them compete against each other. It will be the first time this year for our athletes to test their development in competition against others and really see where they stand.

Schedule: 9:00 All Field Events and the 1500 meter runAll other running events will start upon the completion of the field events, and will follow this order of events:

(Each Event will run Girls then Boys)1. 4 x 100 M. Relay 4. 100 Meter Dash 7. 200 Meter Dash2. 600 M. Run 5. 400 Meter Dash 8. 3000 Meter Run3. 100/110 High Hurdles 6. 300 Meter Hurdles 9. 4 x 400 Relay

11:30 – VERY approximate start time of 4 x 100Location: Atascocita High School (13300 Will Clayton Parkway, AtascocitaNOTE: Please keep in mind that the meet will be run on a rolling schedule. This is our first practice meet, and everyone will be “ironing out” kinks,” so please be patient.

RUNNING MUSTANG TRIVIA: • One of the Mustang Coaching Staff has a remarkable record. Who and what is it?• Which Coach ran for the University of Houston and what did he run?• What was the first Invitational team championship won by a KHS team?

• ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S TRIVIA:• Come back next week for answers.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEKThis space is used to recognize the ‘Runner’ of the week, ‘Field person of the Week,) and ‘Mustang of the Week.’ The coaches select one in each category on all levels (Fr., JV, Varsity). These recognitions are made based on outstanding performances as well as work ethic.

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” -- Coach Lou Holtz

QUESTION OF THE WEEK (You always wanted to ask but never got around to it): How do I take relay splits?If you’re one who enjoys using a stop watch to time RELAY SPLITS, you should know, 1st & foremost it can be confusing.- 4 x 400 Relay - To understand 4 x 400 split timing one needs to have an understanding of ‘staggers.’

* All ‘oval’ races are staggered so that all races run the same distance. * Stagger distance is determined by the number of turns the athletes runs in their lane. (One turn uses a ½ stagger which is slightly over 3

meters per lane, 2 turns- 1 full stagger, 3 turns (4x400 R) -one and ½ stagger, 4 turns – double stagger.* The 1st leg of the 4 x 400, as well as the 1st turn for the 2nd leg run in their lane. (so the 4x400 uses a one and ½ staggered start.* After running the 1st turn, the 2nd leg breaks into lane one.

(Okay, thanks for that, but how do I time my kid’s split?)* The 1st to 2nd leg “split” for lane one is taken when the baton crosses the finish line. Lanes 2 and out the split is taken when the baton crosses the

½ stagger line past the finish line. As this is also the starting line for the 200 and 800 the line is usually white. * The splits for the 3rd and 4th legs are taken when the baton crosses the finish line.

THE DISTANCE CREW: The distance runners have been running and running and running. The dedicated athletes train year round, as was evidenced by the Lady Mustangs Runner Up finish at the State Cross Country meet last fall. In track, these men and women will fill the 800, 1600, 3200 and fill in spots on the various distance relays. Success in distance races requires discipline, strategy, mental and physical toughness and much training with specific purpose. It’s much more complex than just “run fast, turn left and hurry back.” Coach Dye and Coach Dorris will lead the Women, and Coach Symons will direct them Men. These coaches have a very specific training plan for success with great skills to implement them. After a very brief “break” (if any) after cross country season these guys have been continuing to build the foundation needed along with skill work needed to be successful.

Good luck harriers!

“The Finns have a word called ‘sisu’ which basically means guts. It is the strongest word in the Finnish language. If you were to tell a Finn he doesn’t have ‘sisu’ it would be like spitting in his face. Do you have sisu?”

- Arthur Lydiard