2013 Houston Track Classic Meet Review Ted Paduck Apr 14, 2013

Anytime you can get over 900 Track & Field athletes together at one time, you can probably expect some performances to stand out.  The Houston Track classic again put its stamp as the largest meet in the area.  And right there with the Optimist meet on the other side of the state, it not only is the largest but it’s also a well know and long running meet.  A great meet for any athlete, and a must have for a local athlete.  Each team is allowed three athletes per event and this year, the prelims were designed so there were two final heats in all qualifying running events.  That’s fourteen athletes that had the chance to qualify out of the Friday prelims.

West Tennessee Area 2013 Track & Field Preview - Division 1 Field Events Ted Paduck Feb 13, 2013

Track & Field is getting ready to start the 2013 season.  This is a preview of the Division 1 Field Events based on last season’s performances and other sources (coaches, athletes).  It’s unfortunate, but the field events are sometimes overlooked when people think about Track & Field.  Sometimes it’s the highly technical aspects of field events that make the events difficult to coach properly. 

West Tennessee Area 2013 T&F Preview - Division 1 Running Events Ted Paduck Feb 11, 2013

Track & Field is getting ready to start the 2013 season.  For some coaches, you are still evaluating the athletes you have this season, waiting for the winter sports to end to see who will come out from there, and maybe trying to fill spots vacated by graduation.  For athletes, you may already know where your niche is or maybe you’re in the middle of evaluations to determine that. 

West TN Track & Field Preview – Div 2 Girls & Boys Running Events Ted Paduck Feb 09, 2013

Athletes are working on their fitness, coaches are getting their rosters finalized, meets are scheduled and overall the track season is on us again.  The following is a preview of the West TN area D2 Track & Field athletes based on performances throughout last years’ season.  Some of the information comes from the TN Runner/Mile Split rankings, some from coaches and athletes input, some from observations, and then some from just flat out what I think.  Not all is perfect, but I would venture to say that unless you happen to have a Usain Bolt at the starting line, predicting the finish of a track event is everything unpredictable.  As a coach you’ve seen it, as an athlete you’ve experienced it. 

West TN Track & Field Preview - Div 2 Girls & Boys Field Events Ted Paduck Feb 07, 2013

When it comes to Track & Field, some coaches would rather call it Field and Track.  I’ve seen some interesting T-shirts pushing for the Field events, like “It’s a Discus, not a Frisbee”; “It’s FIELD & Track”; “Pole Vault” (with the letters upside down); “Eat, Sleep, Hammer”; “You’re going to need a longer measuring tape!” – and a lot more that show a preference for these events.  The field events give coaches a chance to rack up points early in a meet since they typically are the events starting out the meet. 

2012 TN State Cross Country Championships Ted Paduck Nov 10, 2012

The Percy Warner course is a very spectator friendly course.  If you’re willing, you can run from one side to another and up and down hills to get a glimpse of your favorite athlete.  If you’re an athlete, well, this course has its moments.  Although from a spectator’s point of view, the course doesn’t seem that hilly, but it is.  And with the course being wide open, the wind will sometimes play games with you too.   With that said, the times at these championships don’t always give you a good feeling that you are watching some extremely talented athletes tearing up a tough course. 

Region 8 AAA Cross-Country Meet Review Ted Paduck Oct 27, 2012

About a hundred or so athletes sprinting down a gradual hill towards the only small opening that leads to a path into a thick patch of trees, prickly bushes, and who knew what else.  First one there gets the lead.  You needed the lead, or at least wanted to be in front of your competitors since it was a path so narrow that you couldn’t help but worry about bumping your shoulders against the trunks of some of those trees.

Region 7 AAA Cross Country Meet Review Ted Paduck Oct 26, 2012

As I exited the highway on my way to the park in Atoka to watch the Region 7 cross country championships, I started driving over several footprints painted on the road.  Driving further, I passed Bolton high school and realized the community in that area really gets into their high school.  Maybe I’m exaggerating, because I didn’t track it, but it had to be almost a mile of footprints on that road, they were all over the place!  And then, later on as I was watching the finish of the girls Region 7 AAA meet, there they were again….

TSSAA AAA Section 4 Track & Field Sectional – Meet Review Ted Paduck May 19, 2012

The photo finish camera was set up, athletes all over the track warming up for their events, the sun shining and hardly a breeze in the air.  A Friday afternoon and a perfect day for a track meet.  However, by the time Friday’s events started, the Memphis area Section 4 track & field meet had their field events and prelims.  And – not surprising on this super fast University of Memphis track - we witnessed 25 national elite marks posted during those early first couple days of the Section 4 championships.  Three days of Track & Field showcasing the best in High School athletics in the greater Memphis area.  

University of Memphis Invitational Meet Review Ted Paduck May 01, 2012

It’s always nice to walk into a Track & Field venue as a meet just before everything is getting started.  Athletes milling about, getting their marks, some doing hurdle drills, some doing A-skips, and mostly just going through their routine as they warm up for their event. 

Collierville Dragon Relays Meet Summary Ted Paduck Apr 22, 2012

Thunderstorms close enough to make you peak into the sky occasionally, bouts of rain going from light spits to where having an umbrella wasn’t any help at all, and then some breeze picking up to make the temperatures drop a few more degrees than what’s comfortable this time of year. 

Houston Track Classic Meet Review Ted Paduck Apr 16, 2012

When you walk past the gate at the Houston Classic this year, the first thing that comes to mind is the size of the meet… but then you look around and you can really feel why you’re at this meet – the talent.  Champions, Record Holders, Elite… you name it, the adjectives can’t begin to tell the story.

Bonner Relays at Harding Academy Memphis Ted Paduck Mar 24, 2012

What do you think about when someone says something is 40 years old?  Over the hill?  Past their prime?  Old?  Ok, I’m probably going over a bit on that (40 is young to me!).  The Bonner Relays at Harding Academy in Memphis kind of turned 40 this year.  In 1973, Harding Academy started these relays.  Well, actually, they weren’t all relays and it wasn’t called Bonner Relays. 

University of Memphis High School Invitational Review Ted Paduck Mar 18, 2012

Photo by CoachTJP (User Uploaded)

Those of you that were able to attend the U of M HS invitational Saturday (3/17) were given the opportunity to see several high-level performances.  Let’s start with the Track Meet itself.  Coach Robinson (Head Coach) can honestly say he has a super team of NCAA Student-Athletes.  These student-athletes were all over the track, moving hurdles, helping with field events, encouraging the competitors, and helping at the finish line (I especially liked the bell lap ringers).   

Shelby County Jamboree Ted Paduck Mar 13, 2012

Those of us who love the sport of Track & Field are all anxious for this time of year to start.  This past Saturday at Southwind high school, several West TN high schools enjoyed a nice sunny day for the first big meet of the season.  Since this was a pre-season scrimmage style meet, nobody was too concerned about seeing great performances or going up against a full slate of athletes.  But if this is any indication how the season will start, a large meet, sunny day, and great performances, then the 2012 Track & Field season is going to be a good one for sure! 

What do you like about Track & Field? Ted Paduck Feb 29, 2012

Do you have a favorite event in Track & Field?  Some like the split second excitement, and if you’ve seen our USA national teams lately, the potential for disaster in the 400M relay.  Others prefer watching the high jump or pole vault because of the heads up one-on-one match play competitiveness.  Or maybe the thrill of an eight lane photo finish in the 100M Dash. And how many times have you watched a team pull off a meet victory at the last second as their 1600M Relay anchor slips by a competitor with just enough energy to out-lean at the finish line – and then drop to the ground in complete exhaustion.

Allison and Sarah talk about What its like to be a T&F Athlete in College Ted Paduck Jan 12, 2012

You’ve probably seen the commercials on TV about the fact that thousands of NCAA athletes will turn professional in something other than the sport they play in college.  That is very true and does emphasize how difficult it is to get to a professional level in any sport.  Track & Field is no different and there are a lot of athletes competing at all levels in college and their end result is a usually a great experience and most importantly, a college degree in a field that interests them.  College athletics is different than high school for sure, and sometimes takes much more focus than you may think.  

Coaching High School Throws Ted Paduck Jan 09, 2012

The other day, I had a chance to talk with Don Williams about what it’s like to be a High School throws coach.  Don is the throwing coach at St. Benedict in Cordova TN (Div. II West) for the past seven years.   Don is a fifty-five year old financial advisor with UBS, and has been married for twenty years and has two daughters.  One daughter is in college and the other is a High School Junior and, surprisingly, neither had an interest in throwing events.  A lot of people know Don because he’s currently assigning officer for the MSFOA/TSSAA.  He has also been an official in the TSSAA and NCAA for 32 years (football and basketball).  Don also started coaching girl’s basketball 10 years ago, currently coaching in AAU and High School level.  He has refereed football in the NCAA for 15 years including 10 in Conference USA.  In basketball, he refereed in C-USA, Sunbelt, Southland, OVC, Gulf South, Trans South and several smaller JUCO, DIII and NAIA conferences.  Don also threw in college at University of Memphis (then called Memphis State).

It’s not easy being a High School Track coach, but it can be. Ted Paduck Oct 14, 2011

Photo by RunDC (User Uploaded)

Have you ever watched a child play?  They’ll run as fast as they can for as long as they can, usually for just a few seconds, but then they’ll do it over and over and over and over again.  They’ll throw things, sometimes at you, but still, they throw things – anything.  They’ll jump around or over anything in their way and if there’s nothing exciting to jump over, they’ll make something up and then jump over that.  Excuse the pun, but that’s Track & Field in its infancy.  But as those interests focus on other sports, those fundamental movements tend to migrate towards the mechanics needed to excel at those other sports.  The execution of the simple “run” is eclipsed by the various agility and other movements needed to perfect other activities.  The training – the coaching – of how to simply run becomes secondary to teaching the skills of a specific sport.  So in track & field events, and not counting the throwing events specifically, the basic competency needed to excel is the simple skill to run with swift efficiency. 

 

Two St. Benedict track and field stars signed National Letters of Intent Ted Paduck Apr 26, 2010

 Two St. Benedict track and field stars signed National Letters of Intent in Track & Field with the University of Memphis Tigers (Div. 1.-Conference USA). Meagan Nichols and Allison Hotz will join the Tigers track team next season – Nichols as a distance/runner and Hotz for field events. Nichols will also run cross country for Memphis.

Mat Kenwright recently signed a National Letter of Intent to UTC Ted Paduck Apr 11, 2009


 


 seated (from left) Dell Kenwright (father, Mat Kenwright, Kathy Kenwright (mother)

 Standing (from left) Athletic Director Greg Stiel, SBA Head Track Coach Dianna Cervetti, SBA Cross Country Coaches Stuart McCommon and Jeremy Leary and SBA Principal George Valadie

 

 

 St. Benedict at Auburndale distance runner Mat Kenwright recently signed a National Letter of Intent to run track/cross country at theUniversity of TN at Chattanooga. Mat was the 3200 meter Regional Champion in 2008, finishing 5th in the state with a time of 9:55. He was also third in the region in the 1600M, 7th in the state with a time of 4:34. He was the team captain of the 2008 DII West Region Cross Country Championship team (first time for boys’ team). Mat, the 2008 SBA Track MVP, was selected to the Track and Field All−Metro Team his junior year.

The inaugural CBHS Invitational Ted Paduck May 01, 2007

\"\"The inaugural CBHS Invitational was held April 27th and 28th starting with a long Friday night of field events and finishing with a beautiful sunny day and many outstanding performances. The field events were held on Friday afternoon and stretch a bit long into the evening, but overall the meet was well run, good job at the finish line, and the caliber of athletes attending was superb.