2009 Big East Blog
February 18, 2009 02:37 PM | General
Posted by Alexandra Acker on Saturday, February 21, 2009
9:30 PM
The first day of competition was actually pretty nerve racking. I personally was more nervous than I have ever been before a competition, but I tried not to show it. I think it was because I was a little worried since I hadn’t practiced for about two of the three weeks before the BIG EAST Championships due to some bad luck I was having. I sprained my neck, I hurt my foot, and was pretty sick along with all of that. I could barely stop shaking when I was warming up today.
The area where the pole-vaulters have to vault is pretty distracting. It was really hard for me to keep my focus because we were in the center of everything. All the races going on around us and the other field events made it really hard to concentrate. My eyes seem to wander when I’m at a big meet because I’m just overtaken by all the amazing athletes that are there, and it can be pretty intimidating.
This was one of the more intimidating meets for me because I knew I was going to be competing against a national champion that I had competed against many times before (Notre Dame’s Mary Saxer). I usually end up losing my focus and just freaking out at meets like this, but lately with the help of my Coach – Tim Sullivan and my teammates, I’ve been able to finally relax and have some confidence in myself. In reality, that’s all that anyone needs to reach their goals. If you believe in yourself, you can really do it, and I was so determined today to show everyone that I could.
I ended up getting second today with the vault of 12’7”. It seems like things have finally been coming together. I can’t even believe that I’ve set a personal record at almost every meet since my first personal record this season. It seems unrealistic because I had been stuck at 12’ for so long.
Tim has been so encouraging through the good and bad times, and my teammates also have helped me to keep “reaching for the stars,” and to not give up. I can’t even explain how frustrating it was watching everyone pass me when I felt I was working so hard.
Finally things fell into place, and now I believe that for anyone who doesn’t give up … the same thing will happen for them. BUT I know that this isn’t the end either. I have a ton of work to do. Like Sean always says, “You’re not done yet!” Nobody’s done yet.
Our team is absolutely amazing, and every single person gives 100 percent every time they compete. I’d say each and every person has a lot of heart. So it’s nice to see those who have worked really hard getting what they deserve.
Coach Sean gave us a pep talk last night, and what he said really took off some of the unwanted pressure I was feeling. I think it helped a lot of the other girls as well. It’s encouraging when coaches and a team can work together like ours. It really helps everything fall into place. Whether you have a good day or a bad day, you know that this family is still going to have your back, and that’s what makes true champions. As long as you have confidence in yourself and in each other, and really love what you’re doing … anything can happen.
Posted by Alison Spiker on Friday, February 20, 2009
8:30 PM
My roommate, Kaylyn Christopher, and I awoke around 9 a.m. Having enjoyed a luxurious night’s rest on the fluffy beds at the Hilton, we were ready to begin our day. First stop: the International House Of Pancakes aka IHOP. Definitely one of the team’s favorite restaurants, especially for mid-morning coffee and pancakes, IHOP was an excellent start to our 2009 BIG EAST Indoor Track Championship experience.
After energizing our bodies with protein and carbs, we returned to the hotel to rest before our afternoon workout. Many completed homework assignments, while others took a mid-day nap. Some even decided a photo shoot in the hallway would be an appropriate use of their time. (See photo with Natasha Redman, Kristen Loughry, and Alex Acker)
At 2:35 p.m. our charter bus departed for the Armory track in downtown N.Y.C. The distance girls, including myself, headed out for a 30 minute shake out run on the streets of New York. We quickly realized the difficulty of running in the city after abruptly stopping at endless stop lights and dodging cars at every other corner. Not to mention the hoards of people we zip-zagged between!
While we were out running, our other teammates were preparing inside the four-storied track complex. Coach Sean Cleary, along with assistant coaches Illora Chipolet and Shelley Gallimore, stayed at the track for the BIG EAST coaches meeting, while everyone else met Bill, our bus driver, to get dinner at the Garden State Plaza. (See photo of team outside the Armory)
Numerous options at the mall made dinner decision-making a struggle. Assistant coach Jennifer Davis and several of her athletes settled on Ruby Tuesday’s; several others roamed through the mall before deciding on Italian sensations California Pizza Kitchen and Paparazzi. Judging by the smiles and laughter, it seemed everyone was pleased with their choices when we met Bill at 6:30 p.m. Before going “home” to the Hilton, we stopped at Shop Rite to buy groceries for the next two days of competition.
Coach Cleary concluded our day with a team meeting where he discussed Saturday’s competition starting with Chelsea Carrier’s pentathlon at 8 a.m. and finishing with the distance medley relay at 5:15 p.m. Coach has a way with words, and once again, he inspired us to reach for our goals, give our best, and remember that tomorrow is not the end of the road and other opportunities are certain to follow.
With an exceptional night’s rest, ample time to relax and focus, our scrumptious meals, and Coach Cleary’s inspirational pre-race talk, everything went well for us, the WVU Women’s Track Team, before the onset of tomorrow’s BIG EAST Championships. Let’s Go Mountaineers!!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
5:30 PM
We have arrived. Here the girls got out their camera phones to snap pictures of the New York City skyline as we cross the George Washington Bridge. The team got an opportunity to stretch out and get a feel for the track before competition begins early Saturday morning. We will provide updates from the site throughout the day.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Editor's Note: A videocast of the 2009 Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships will be available online at BigEast.tv for $9.95. Coverage begins at 8 am on both days.
Here is the link for this weekend's webcast
