MAKING TRACK FUN
by Stephen Schroats
by Stephen Schroats
It won't be business as usual this week but it should be a fun and revealing experience for the track teams from Lovington High School.
First, the LHS tracksters will run twice in two days rather than the once-a-week norm for the regular season. Second, Thursday's Oil Patch Relays that start at 4 0'clock in Andrews, Texas, won't be a typical meet by any standards.
"It's a fun meet. The kids really enjoy it," said Lovington girls' coach Dana Anstey about the meet featuring seven relay races and a sort of tag-team effort in the field events. "This kind of meet is unusual for our area but they have them in Albuquerque and quite often in Texas. It gives some of our kids a chance to participate in relays and get some awards they might not usually get."
Everyone who competes in the meet will do so in a relay capacity. There are no individual races but there are some interesting relays. How about, for example, the 4 x 70 hurdle shuttle where each team takes two lanes with oppositely aligned hurdles. The leadoff leg runs 70 meters worth of hurdles and tags the next team member who sprints down the adjoining lane and continues the pattern -- somewhat like a swimming relay. (There was no tagging involved).
At last year's meet when Lovington's girls finished second and the hurdles and field events were scored individually, Anstey's troops had three of the top six hurdlers. This year the Lady Wildcats won't even enter the shuttle hurdle relay because LS is the only hurdler Anstey's depth-shy team boasts. Though LS would definitely contend in any individual hurdles race, Anstey said he'd be "a little reluctant to get anyone hurt" by trying to throw together a hurdle team.
There will be the usual fare of 400, 800 and 1600-meter relays as well as a 3200-meter relay made up of four 800-meter legs; a sprint medley relay of 100, 100, 200, 400 exchanges; and a distance medley of 800, 400, 1200 and 1600 legs.
"This is different only because of so many different handoffs," said Anstey. "We've got people who are not used to getting handoffs, like (distance runner) KY who'll run in the distance relay. There are others who haven't run a relay since junior high."
Field events will be worked in another unique manner. In every event a team will add the marks of its three best competitors for a team score. Those scores will be compared to determine the event's place winners. If a team doesn't have three competitors, or even two, the event comes complete with a generous "minimum score" that is given in lieu of other team members.
"Say you have two discus throwers that go over 100 feet and a weak third thrower or no third at all. You can use the minimum score to round out your total," said Anstey. "The minimum gives you an incentive to enter whoever you have."
So does the relay-style scoring that awards points in relay events on a 20-16-12-8-4-2 basis, and in field events on a 15-12-9-6-3-1 scale -- even though LHS joins just four Texas teams in the boys' and girls' divisions.
Lovington's girls will be caught a bit short as three competitors -- quarter-miler MA, sprinter SB and distance runner supreme BM -- will miss Thursday's fun and games because of a school band commitment in Clovis.
But the trio should be ready to bounce back into action on Friday when Lovington competes the other half of this week's double with a meet in Portales. The back-to-back competitions should give LHS athletes a taste of what will be expected of them a little later this year.
"The two meets in a row is a good test because it duplicates the state meet situation," said Anstey. "That's why we like to do it in the middle of the season. More than what I would see in the kids, this situation lets the kids see something in themselves as to what type of shape they're in. At state they might have to go four events on Friday and the same four on Saturday -- hopefully. It's good to see how you handle that."
It will also be interesting to see how Lovington's girls respond after last week's Hobbs Invitational where they lost a New Mexico meet for the first time in three seasons.
"It was so darn cold and windy that a lot of our kids are sore this week and fighting off colds or viruses," Anstey Said. "We've pretty much taken it easy this week knowing that we'd get a good hard workout Thursday before Friday's meet".
Despite losing some quality athletes to other commitments the team went to Texas and competed well, finishing 2nd to host Andrews 162 - 138. In the process they set 3 meet records including the team high jump record where distance runners were two of our three high jump competitors. At Portales the next day we again finished 2nd; our second loss in New Mexico this season. Despite some outstanding performances we also had some lackluster efforts and that cost us a 92 1/2 - 72 loss to Tatum the state champion from A last year.
Now the questioning really started. "Ladies let's get the main point straight first. I'm proud of your efforts this past weekend, as are coaches Fort and Payne. Keep up those kind of efforts and we'll accomplish all of the goals that we set as individuals and as a team. People are asking me, 'Why are you losing?'; as I told one reporter, 'when you run against 12 teams in two days, get beat by two of them and defeat 10, that's not losing.'
A different reporter from the Hobbs News Sun wrote an article that he called "A Sports Analysis". In it he was very clear about everything I had been saying.
Track meets are more than just running, jumping and sunning.
What separates track from every other sport is that it is not just one sport. As many as six different events can take place simultaneously. Being in six different places at one time is impossible, unless -- of course -- you happen to be Dana Anstey of Lovington.
Anstey, who has coached the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back state championships, seems to be everywhere at track meets. Assisted by Patti Ann Fort and Paul Payne, an event does not take place without Anstey somewhere in the vicinity, continuously offering encouragement, checking on injuries and making sure the athletes are stretching properly before each upcoming event.
While some coaches prefer to watch the action from Anstey is always part of what's going on the field. Lately, a lot has been going on in the Lady Wildcat camp.
For example, Lovington has failed to win its last three track meets. Is the dynasty that Anstey constructed crumbling? Probably not.
While no championship trophies have been taken home, how can beating eight teams and losing to one be considered a losing effort?
The Lady 'Cats finished second to a tough and talented Tatum Coyote squad Friday in Portales after Thursday night's runner-up spot in Andrews, Texas. Lovington was also second last weekend in the three-team Hobbs Invitational.
Though most observers only remember the state championships, only the astute followers of LHS track remember that Lovington did not finish on top in three consecutive track meets last year. And that was when Lovington had an enormous amount of depth.
This year the numbers of talented runners are fewer and Anstey has been doing a juggling act with his relays. Just when it appears everything is in its proper balance, one or two girls won't be able to run and the juggling starts all over again.
"After Friday's meet, one of the girls came over and told me she will be glad when everything is finally organized," Anstey said, explaining the plight of the relay situation.
Lovington's revolving relay door took another turn on Friday. In the 1600-meter relay Anstey turned to miler CR to run the opening 400-meter leg when AB was unable to compete and no other sprinters had any quarters left to run.
A miler running a quarter? CR is no AB, but she did a commendable job and kept the Lady Wildcats within striking distance. When regulars MA, CR, and KY took the baton, Lovington wound up second to Fort Sumner.
Field events will be worked in another unique manner. In every event a team will add the marks of its three best competitors for a team score. Those scores will be compared to determine the event's place winners. If a team doesn't have three competitors, or even two, the event comes complete with a generous "minimum score" that is given in lieu of other team members.
"Say you have two discus throwers that go over 100 feet and a weak third thrower or no third at all. You can use the minimum score to round out your total," said Anstey. "The minimum gives you an incentive to enter whoever you have."
So does the relay-style scoring that awards points in relay events on a 20-16-12-8-4-2 basis, and in field events on a 15-12-9-6-3-1 scale -- even though LHS joins just four Texas teams in the boys' and girls' divisions.
Lovington's girls will be caught a bit short as three competitors -- quarter-miler MA, sprinter SB and distance runner supreme BM -- will miss Thursday's fun and games because of a school band commitment in Clovis.
But the trio should be ready to bounce back into action on Friday when Lovington competes the other half of this week's double with a meet in Portales. The back-to-back competitions should give LHS athletes a taste of what will be expected of them a little later this year.
"The two meets in a row is a good test because it duplicates the state meet situation," said Anstey. "That's why we like to do it in the middle of the season. More than what I would see in the kids, this situation lets the kids see something in themselves as to what type of shape they're in. At state they might have to go four events on Friday and the same four on Saturday -- hopefully. It's good to see how you handle that."
It will also be interesting to see how Lovington's girls respond after last week's Hobbs Invitational where they lost a New Mexico meet for the first time in three seasons.
"It was so darn cold and windy that a lot of our kids are sore this week and fighting off colds or viruses," Anstey Said. "We've pretty much taken it easy this week knowing that we'd get a good hard workout Thursday before Friday's meet".
Despite losing some quality athletes to other commitments the team went to Texas and competed well, finishing 2nd to host Andrews 162 - 138. In the process they set 3 meet records including the team high jump record where distance runners were two of our three high jump competitors. At Portales the next day we again finished 2nd; our second loss in New Mexico this season. Despite some outstanding performances we also had some lackluster efforts and that cost us a 92 1/2 - 72 loss to Tatum the state champion from A last year.
Now the questioning really started. "Ladies let's get the main point straight first. I'm proud of your efforts this past weekend, as are coaches Fort and Payne. Keep up those kind of efforts and we'll accomplish all of the goals that we set as individuals and as a team. People are asking me, 'Why are you losing?'; as I told one reporter, 'when you run against 12 teams in two days, get beat by two of them and defeat 10, that's not losing.'
A different reporter from the Hobbs News Sun wrote an article that he called "A Sports Analysis". In it he was very clear about everything I had been saying.
Track Is More Than Running, Jumping, Sunning
by Pancho Morris
Track meets are more than just running, jumping and sunning.
What separates track from every other sport is that it is not just one sport. As many as six different events can take place simultaneously. Being in six different places at one time is impossible, unless -- of course -- you happen to be Dana Anstey of Lovington.
Anstey, who has coached the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back state championships, seems to be everywhere at track meets. Assisted by Patti Ann Fort and Paul Payne, an event does not take place without Anstey somewhere in the vicinity, continuously offering encouragement, checking on injuries and making sure the athletes are stretching properly before each upcoming event.
While some coaches prefer to watch the action from Anstey is always part of what's going on the field. Lately, a lot has been going on in the Lady Wildcat camp.
For example, Lovington has failed to win its last three track meets. Is the dynasty that Anstey constructed crumbling? Probably not.
While no championship trophies have been taken home, how can beating eight teams and losing to one be considered a losing effort?
The Lady 'Cats finished second to a tough and talented Tatum Coyote squad Friday in Portales after Thursday night's runner-up spot in Andrews, Texas. Lovington was also second last weekend in the three-team Hobbs Invitational.
Though most observers only remember the state championships, only the astute followers of LHS track remember that Lovington did not finish on top in three consecutive track meets last year. And that was when Lovington had an enormous amount of depth.
This year the numbers of talented runners are fewer and Anstey has been doing a juggling act with his relays. Just when it appears everything is in its proper balance, one or two girls won't be able to run and the juggling starts all over again.
"After Friday's meet, one of the girls came over and told me she will be glad when everything is finally organized," Anstey said, explaining the plight of the relay situation.
Lovington's revolving relay door took another turn on Friday. In the 1600-meter relay Anstey turned to miler CR to run the opening 400-meter leg when AB was unable to compete and no other sprinters had any quarters left to run.
A miler running a quarter? CR is no AB, but she did a commendable job and kept the Lady Wildcats within striking distance. When regulars MA, CR, and KY took the baton, Lovington wound up second to Fort Sumner.
******
Speaking of AB, the question around Portales was, "What's wrong with AB?"
Answer: Nothing.
AB had a tough day. She lost to TB in the 100 and JH in the 400 -- two state champions -- and could not finish the meet. A look at her times, however, reveals that the Lovington junior was not far off of last year's golden performance.
In '84 AB ran 12.5 in the prelims and 12.68 in the finals of the 100. This year AB ran identical 12.84s into the wind. In the 200, AB clocked a 25,72 in the prelims and 26.06 in the finals a year ago. AB and TB dead-heated in the 200 prelims in 25.9.
A year ago, after AB swept TB in the sprints the question was: "What's wrong with TB?"
With TB having a hand -- actually two legs -- in five victories Tatum defeated the Lady Wildcats. Everyone knows that there is not any Class A teams standing in the way of Tatum winning state title No. 3 in May.
And there may not be any District 4AAA teams in the way of Lovington, which defeated Goddard, Portales and Artesia, all 4AAA competition, on Friday. The only 4AAA team not present was Tucumcari and Lovington will get a chance to run against the Rattlerettes on Saturday in Tucumcari.
"That's what we look at," said Anstey, referring to the district competition. 'Sure we're disappointed we lost, but we lost to a very good team'"
Indeed Tatum appears to have a lock on the state track championship for the next four years, barring an unforeseen disaster.
Outside of TB, a senior, the majority of Tatum's talent will be back next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.
Up next we had two more meets before we entered the state qualifying part of the season!
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