STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET
I'm going to let the professional sports writers tell the story of my last state championship meet in New Mexico. For the meet preview story I'm using the story written by Pancho Morris in the Hobbs News Sun.
Lady Wildcats on Threshold
"For the good of the team.
The Lovington Lady Wildcats, a tradition-rich track program, got a taste of how the other half lives during the 1985 season. But through hard work, a tough mental attitude and most important, team work, the Lady Wildcats are again on the threshold of a Class AAA state championship.
Lovington's Lady 'Cats enter today's New Mexico Class AAA State Track Meet as one of the favorites. The two-time defending state titlists will get a stiff challenge from the likes of District 4AAA foes Tucumcari and Goddard, not to mention Aztec, Bloomfield, Las Vegas Robertson and Silver City.
Action will begin this afternoon at 4 o'clock with the prelims in the running events. Tomorrow's finals start at 8:30 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon.
The Lady Wildcats' road to state was anything but smooth. But retiring head coach Dana Anstey has never been prouder of a group of girls as he is this one.
'I've been pleased with all my teams, but I've never been prouder of any previous group,' said Anstey. 'There was a lot of pressure on these girls but they never folded. And, I don't expect them to fold this weekend.'
Up to this season Lovington had not lost a track meet to a New Mexico team in three years. And the Lady Wildcats had never lost to Tucumcari under Anstey. Though both streaks were ended, the losses were taken in stride. Anstey knew better days were ahead, especially when eight freshmen moved up after the junior high track season was complete.
'We didn't expect near as much help from them (frosh) as we got,' said Anstey of the pleasant surprise. 'It renewed our confidence.'
Once the frosh lent a much-needed helping hand, the Lady Wildcats were off and running. Lovington won its last three track meets by overwhelming margins, twice defeating Tucumcari, and locked up their seventh-straight district crown.
Now comes the state meet.
With freshman sprinter LJ joining state-meet record holder AB on the relays, Lovington has the potential to capture three of the four relays.
LJ will also compete in the 100 and long jump, which she is expected to win, while AB will run the 200 and 400 where she holds the AAA meet records of 25.1 and 57.4 respectively.
AR and VS could finish 2-3 in both the discus and shot put, trailing only WM of T or C. RB and CC, two more freshmen, also compete in the throwing events and could place in the top five.
KY, a track-tested senior, should pick up points in the 800, where she is likely to run behind only state-meet record holder MM of Tucumcari.
Lovington was also expected to pick up points in the 1500 and 3000 with BM entered. But BM had her leg put in a cast with a mysterious injury.
'The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with it (the leg), but if she was experiencing that much pain he would put a cast on it and rest it for two weeks,' Anstey said, explaining what the doctor told him.
Still, Anstey remains optimistic.
'We have a legitimate chance to place in every event,' he said. 'That hasn't always been the case. We don't have to go up there and win every event to win state. We just need to run as well as we can in as many events as possible.
'We're going there with the attitudes that things are going to go well for us. It's been the hardest year I've ever had to coach, what with injuries, illness and several people not coming out for various reasons. We didn't get our relays set 'til the last three weeks. But the kids always performed for the team all year. It's beginning to pay off.'
The final payoff could be another team championship.
This might be a good time to make note of how scoring was done in New Mexico at this time. Only the top 5 places earned points. Individual events were scored 7-4-3-2-1 and relays 10 -7 -5 -3 -1. By contrast when I finished coaching in Colorado scoring on a nine lane track was 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and was the same for individual and relays. I make note of this for two reasons. The first was to show how much harder it was to pile up large point totals at state in New Mexico and second to recognize that a lot of our athletes who were finalists in New Mexico would have scored points with a different scoring system.
I'm using Billy Dallas of the Lovington Daily Leader's state meet coverage to review the state results.
Lady Wildcats Take Third Straight Crown
Trailing 48 - 43 with only three events remaining, Lovington's Lady Wildcats won all three events to explode past district rival Tucumcari 70 - 58 here Saturday night at Wilson Stadium in the New Mexico State Track and Field Championships.
Lovington, capturing a record third consecutive Class AAA championship, was confirming its status as the top track and field power in the division. The Lady Wildcats have now won five AAA crowns since 1978.
With only five girls returning from the 1984 state meet team, the Lady Wildcats ran up 70 points -- the best ever for a LHS team -- and established several other team records. Like winning six first places, three relays and both the 1600 meter and 800 medley relays for the first time ever. It was the first time in the school's history that a LHS team -- boys or girls -- had won a medley relay in the state meet.
'I'm just extremely proud of all of them,' said Head Coach Dana Anstey, who has guided the Lady Cats to three titles in four years. 'Most importantly, the girls never lost their confidence when we were behind. They've been fighters all year and they showed it again Saturday. All of them will do anything I ask, especially when the going gets tough.'
Actually, a top-notch Tucumcari team held a 41 -32 lead at one point in the finals after winning the 800 meter relay. The Rattlerettes sensed the chance at hand, but the Lady Wildcats weren't through yet. Junior AB cruised to a big 58.89 victory in the 400 meter dash, the first of two individual wins for AB, and ninth grader RB added a gutty fourth place 61.44 clocking. The nine points tied the score at 41 - 41.
Tucumcari regained the lead in the 800 meter run where senior MM collected a first place in 2:22.7, but LHS senior KY finished fourth in the same race (2:25.21) to keep it close.
The next event, the 800 medley relay, was undoubtedly the turning point. Lovington (KY - OD - SB and LJ) had the fastest prelim time at 1:54.91, but when the baton was passed to LJ for the 400 anchor, the LHS ninth grader was eight to ten meters behind the leaders. One of the runners in front of Jones was Tucumcari's LF.
LJ, who had earlier won the 100 meter dash in a photo finish (12.66), stayed behind the leaders until the final curve and then turned on the burners. Running a 59.3 split, she sprinted to the tape in a school record 1:52.6. Tucumcari was third, leaving the score tied at 53 - 53.
'Only in the last few weeks of the season did we decide to go for the medley,' reported Anstey, who is stepping down as head coach. 'We thought we were going to have to use LJ on the 1600 relay, but then RB came along and gave us a shot at the medley too.'
It was AB's turn again in the 200 meter dash and she didn't let anyone down. AB, the defending champion, blew the opposition off the track with a 25.62 win. Tucumcari didn't place. Lovington had a seven-point cushion going into the 1600 relay.
Barring a disaster, the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight.
The Lady Wildcats (MA - KY - RB and AB) had already set a state and school record 4:03.6 in the prelims behind AB's 57.09 anchor leg. In the finals, Lovington ran another solid 4:04.06 to win by a full four seconds. When AB crossed the finish line, the entire LHS rooting section roared its approval.
Lovington's 400 meter relay team started the Lady Wildcats off in the right direction in the finals by upsetting Goddard and Aztec with a 50.59 rain-hampered win. Lovington (KY - AB - SB and LJ) was third in the prelims with a season's best 50.0. KY - OD - SB and LJ added a third place 1:47.78 in the 800 relay after timing a 1:46.98 during the prelims.
Of course, the Lady Wildcats also picked up 10 key points in the field events where VS placed second in the shot put (36'5 1/2") and fourth in the discus (110'9") while AR was third in the discus (113'5") and CC was 5th with a 108'9" toss.
LJ, who had the best mark in the state going into the long jump, missed qualifying for the finals by a mere quarter of an inch with a 16'3 1/4" effort. Other non-scoring performances included AR's 7th place 33' 1/2" throw in the shot, MA's 62.5 in the 400 and LS' 16.44 in the 100 low hurdles.
Lovington also missed a chance to score points in the 1500 and 3000 meter runs when sophomore BM was unable to compete because of a knee injury. She was qualified for state in both races.
Tucumcar's run at Lovington was sparked by LF and MM. LF, only a sophomore, scored 24 3/4 points. She won the high jump, long jump and 100 hurdles in addition to running on the Rattlerette's winning 800 relay team and third place medley relay team.
MM captured the 800 and 1500 meter runs for a third straight year and anchored Tucumcari's 800 meter relay team.
And with that 1985 and my Lovington coaching career was a wrap!
Tucumcari regained the lead in the 800 meter run where senior MM collected a first place in 2:22.7, but LHS senior KY finished fourth in the same race (2:25.21) to keep it close.
The next event, the 800 medley relay, was undoubtedly the turning point. Lovington (KY - OD - SB and LJ) had the fastest prelim time at 1:54.91, but when the baton was passed to LJ for the 400 anchor, the LHS ninth grader was eight to ten meters behind the leaders. One of the runners in front of Jones was Tucumcari's LF.
LJ, who had earlier won the 100 meter dash in a photo finish (12.66), stayed behind the leaders until the final curve and then turned on the burners. Running a 59.3 split, she sprinted to the tape in a school record 1:52.6. Tucumcari was third, leaving the score tied at 53 - 53.
'Only in the last few weeks of the season did we decide to go for the medley,' reported Anstey, who is stepping down as head coach. 'We thought we were going to have to use LJ on the 1600 relay, but then RB came along and gave us a shot at the medley too.'
It was AB's turn again in the 200 meter dash and she didn't let anyone down. AB, the defending champion, blew the opposition off the track with a 25.62 win. Tucumcari didn't place. Lovington had a seven-point cushion going into the 1600 relay.
Barring a disaster, the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight.
The Lady Wildcats (MA - KY - RB and AB) had already set a state and school record 4:03.6 in the prelims behind AB's 57.09 anchor leg. In the finals, Lovington ran another solid 4:04.06 to win by a full four seconds. When AB crossed the finish line, the entire LHS rooting section roared its approval.
Lovington's 400 meter relay team started the Lady Wildcats off in the right direction in the finals by upsetting Goddard and Aztec with a 50.59 rain-hampered win. Lovington (KY - AB - SB and LJ) was third in the prelims with a season's best 50.0. KY - OD - SB and LJ added a third place 1:47.78 in the 800 relay after timing a 1:46.98 during the prelims.
Of course, the Lady Wildcats also picked up 10 key points in the field events where VS placed second in the shot put (36'5 1/2") and fourth in the discus (110'9") while AR was third in the discus (113'5") and CC was 5th with a 108'9" toss.
LJ, who had the best mark in the state going into the long jump, missed qualifying for the finals by a mere quarter of an inch with a 16'3 1/4" effort. Other non-scoring performances included AR's 7th place 33' 1/2" throw in the shot, MA's 62.5 in the 400 and LS' 16.44 in the 100 low hurdles.
Lovington also missed a chance to score points in the 1500 and 3000 meter runs when sophomore BM was unable to compete because of a knee injury. She was qualified for state in both races.
Tucumcar's run at Lovington was sparked by LF and MM. LF, only a sophomore, scored 24 3/4 points. She won the high jump, long jump and 100 hurdles in addition to running on the Rattlerette's winning 800 relay team and third place medley relay team.
MM captured the 800 and 1500 meter runs for a third straight year and anchored Tucumcari's 800 meter relay team.
And with that 1985 and my Lovington coaching career was a wrap!
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| 1985 Seniors |
I was proud that both of my sons had the opportunity to be a part of the 1985 state track and field championship for the Lovington Wildcats. Jeff was a pole vaulter and Jason was a state qualifier in the 300 hurdles; he ran his season best time in the prelims at state.
Senior JH winning one of his 8 individual state championships! The inscription on the picture says, "Dad; This is coming from a state champ. I want to thank you, for what you have done for me in the past. I'm the black guy in the middle."
A key to the success of both of our programs was the willingness of Scottie and I to work together and share coaches where ever help was needed. The balance of both of our teams was another key to our year in and year out success.
One final athlete I need to single out taught me a very important lesson to take with me to my coaching future. That young lady was RB. She was one of the freshmen that we brought up after the junior high season. She was a thrower and in her first meet I was only able to enter her in the shot put because of the 3 entry limit. I already had two good discus throwers and she had a freshman teammate who was also better than her in the discus. She placed 7th in the shot put which was nonscoring.
After the meet she told me that she wanted to run the 400. Nobody asks to run the 400; the 400 can cause more fights between coaches and athletes than any event. I didn't know if she could even run so I told her that I would think about it. She let me know that if she couldn't run then she didn't want to be on the team just to throw. I was shocked, it was considered an honor for a freshman to be asked to be a part of the varsity when their season ended no matter what their role was.
As it turned out, fortunately for me our best 400 runner was ill for the Lovington Invitational so we were holding her out of everything but one event. That opened up a spot for RB who had worked with the runners all week. All she did was win the meet and then go on to finish 3rd in District and 4th at the state championship meet and was part of our state championship, state record holding 4 x 400 relay team. Running her in the 1600 relay also allowed me to run LJ on the anchor leg of the 800 medley relay and she came from behind so to lead us to victory in that event.
If you look at the team picture, RB is the tallest girl on the team in the back row. I learned a lot from that young lady about not prejudging athletes.
This chart tells the story of the four years that I was fortunate enough to take girls to the state championship meet. Ironically the only two events we never scored in are the long jump and the 1500. The reason that is ironic is because we had our school record holders in both set to compete at the state championships in 1985 and both were expected to finish high. As you read earlier in this post, LJ didn't qualify for the finals in the long jump and BM was in a cast and didn't even attend the state meet. The lesson? Nothing is guaranteed when working with young athletes. And a second equally important lesson is that balance is an important key to success as a track program.
I came to Lovington an "accidental" coach; I left a very "intentional" coach grateful for all the experiences that I had in Lovington good and bad. They were all learning experiences.
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