Geoff Hollister, Nike Track Legend, Is Dead

Runnerspace is reporting that he died today following a long battle with cancer.

Geoff Hollister–the running community legend and original Nike men who led the shoe-maker to sponsor races and set up running clubs such as Athletics West, the current Nike-sponsored Oregon Project and the two Oregon Track Club Elite groups is dead.

At this time, the exact cause of death is not know.

He admitted several years ago that he was fighting cancer. On Saturday athletes led by Galen Rupp, Matthew Centrowitz, Mo Farah and Ciaran O’Lionaird donned a special tribute singlet at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in honor of the former Nike executive.

Hollister got into early at Nike. He was a small-town Oregon farm boy who went on to the now-legendary University of Oregon to run for coach Bill Bowerman, the man behind Nike.

The former University of Oregon track athlete became a driving influence in leading Nike as a worldwide leader in sports equipment and apparel.

Sub 10 Second Tuesday - Kellie Wells

Track and Field is a series of falls and recoveries. USA hurdler, Kellie Wells can vouch for this, having suffered a hamstring injury in 2008, during the semifinals of the Olympic trials.

After a couple of down years, Wells has returned to the top spot. She won the USA indoor 60 hurdles title in February, with the third fastest time in history. Wells heads into the USA Championships this weekend, as the world leader in the 100 hurdles, with a season’s best time of 12.58.

PreRaceJitters caught up with Kellie to discuss her preparation for the USA Championships.

PreRaceJitters: You’re off to a fast start this season, having run a personal best time of 12.58 in the 100 hurdles, in Doha. How did you feel about your performance?
Kellie Wells: I was very pleased with the time that early in the season. I know my fitness is there so now we are just focusing on staying healthy and executing races correctly.

PreRaceJitters: Going into the meet did you think you would run so well?
Kellie Wells: Yes, we had been training well and preparing for the Diamond League series and we knew what type of times and  training that would require.

PreRaceJitters: You’re obviously ahead of the game already. What’s different about this season than last season?
Kellie Wells: In 2008, I had a season ending injury and it kept me off of the track from the Olympic trials and the majority of 2009, so 2010 was my first year back and I was finding my rhythm. Now in 2011, I am finally healthy and back to my old self and training has come together  this year. My coach asked for my patience thru my healing process and I believed in him and we are in a good place now.

PreRaceJitters: The championship season is around the corner. What are some things you’re doing in training to prepare?
Kellie Wells: We are making sure I am getting plenty of treatment, rest,  and staying sharp and executing in practice. I’m keeping my mind calm and having fun with everything. I’m looking forward to the US championships!

PreRaceJitters: You’re the USA champion in the 60 hurdles. What did it mean to you to win the indoor title?
Kellie Wells: It was so wonderful to earn a US title, a lot of people don’t look at an indoor title as much to talk about, but I ran the third  fastest time in US history and went on an undefeated season. It was my first title and it came at a great time. I’ve worked hard to be where I am and to see it come to life was amazing.

PreRaceJitters: How have you carried the momentum from indoors into outdoors?
Kellie Wells: Indoors made me hungry for outdoors! It made me want to go harder to see what my body could do. The fear of the hurdle is gone finally and I have let go of my ill feelings of getting hurt again and I’m having such a wonderful time.

PreRaceJitters: You’ve set the bar high this season. What will it take for you to maintain your presence at the top?
Kellie Wells: Just trusting in the lord and in the tools he has given me to do what I love to do.I have to do all I can to ensure my body stays healthy and not put too much pressure on myself. My main focus is to have fun and to do my best!

PreRaceJitters: Track and Field is a series of falls and recoveries. What is the biggest obstacle that you’ve had to overcome in your career so far?
Kellie Wells: In 2008, I tore my hamstring in the semifinals of the Olympics Trials. I had run my personal best of 12.58 and as I was slowing down I got a third degree tear in my hamstring and could not compete for over a year. I was in pain daily and couldn’t do what I loved. I contemplated quitting a few times, but my coach and my family kept my head on straight.

PreRaceJitters: Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?
Kellie Wells: LOL of course I do, but I welcome those feelings because they help me run faster. I love the Adrenalin rush!

PreRaceJitters: Looking ahead towards the USA championships… What are you looking to accomplish?
Kellie Wells: I just really want to make the US team. It would be my first team ever, and it means so much to me to make the US team. We have so much talent in our country, so to wear my flag on my chest would be an amazing honor!

PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.

David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.

Texas A&M’s Tabarie Henry Q&A

When he started running it never crossed his mind, he would emerge a world class runner. Fast forward to today and Tabarie Henry lead an Aggies mile relay team that is capable of running a sub 3:00 race and will contend for an individual 400 meter NCAA title.

The returning All-American has already has a brilliant career at Texas A&M - leading the Aggies to team an outdoor nation championship.

PreRaceJitters chatted with the 400 meter runner about getting started in the sport and his season plans before leaving for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

PreRaceJitters: What was the first race you ever saw in person?

Tabarie: To tell you the truth I didn’t know anything about track till my 11th grade so my first race probably was Justin Gatlin running the 100 meters.

PreRaceJitters: When did you begin competing in track and field, and what was your first event?

Tabarie: I started track my late 10th grade year and I was sorry, I ran the 800m / 400m and my prs was 2:10 and 54sec.

PreRaceJitters: Did you have Olympic aspirations as a child?

Tabarie Henry: No, not at all I wanted to be a model or actor.

PreRaceJitters: Who was your first role model in life?

Tabarie: My high school coach whose name is coach Brown.

PreRaceJitters: Describe the experience of meeting President Barack Obama in the White House last fall?

Tabarie: It was nice under than all the rules and security it was something I’ll never forget, I actually shook his hand that was fun.

PreRaceJitters: You were named Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors on April 5, 2011 after running your first outdoor 400 meter of the season in a collegiate-leading 44.83, at the time.

Tabarie: Yea, it was a great honor cause last year was a long season and I had a great down fall last year so it was cool to get that award.

PreRaceJitters: With that, last year you talked about making the transition from a speed endurance training program to a more sprint-based philosophy at Texas A&M. How well you adapted and how are you feeling with your race today?

Tabarie: Well last year it was new to me that why I had a hard time running like I use to in JUCO but every day I try my hardest to learn the system and listen to my coaches. And till today I’m still learning.

PreRaceJitters: Having already won two team national titles and 4×400m relay national titles. Do you place a lot of pressure on yourself an individual NCAA Championship?

Tabarie Henry: No, not really can’t put a lot a pressure on yourself cause you wouldn’t run fast, so I just go out there and do the best I can and try to give the most points I can give for my team.

PreRaceJitters: At Texas Relays, you 4×400 meter relay team ran a ridiculously fast 3:00.45, breaking Baylor’s 1985 meet record. In your mind, is this team capable of running under 3:00.00?

Tabarie Henry: Yea we can we just have to be ready at the same time, cause every time we get a chance to run fast one of us is ill or hurting so we all have to be ready at the same time.

PreRaceJitters: How has the progression been over the last year in terms of dealing with going from a strength-based program at Barton Community College to a sprint-based training program at Texas A&M?

Tabarie: It’s still coming along I’m still learning till today so the progression will not stop, but this year me and Coach Henry talk and they adding in some of my old workouts from JUCO so it’s been fun this year.

PreRaceJitters: I read once you said that you were too young in 2008 and didn’t understand running while competing for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2008 Beijing Games. What’s your mindset looking forward to the 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games.

Tabarie: Yea I was like 19 at the time I was just out there in space, but now after 09 World Champs, I have a little more trust in myself as long as I keep making finals I’ll be a happy…

PreRaceJitters: What do you have on tap after the NCAA Outdoor Championships?

Tabarie: Well, I want to try to pick up a deal [shoe contract] and run in Diamond League meets and represent my country to the fullest.

PreRaceJitters: Do you still get prerace jitters?

Tabarie: Yea I just get jitters when the pressure on me or my time, I don’t get jitters on who I compete against just my time.

PreRaceJitters: Thank you so much for your time Tabarie and best wishes on the remainder of season.

Sub 10 Second Tuesday - UNC Charlotte’s Darius Law

The bigger you are, the faster you run? Not the case for Darius Law. Standing 5 feet, 2 inches and weighing about 95 pounds during his freshman year of high school, he was cut from the football, basketball and baseball teams at Southeast Raleigh. Scared of rejection, Law decided to start running track during his sophomore year of high school, because it was the only sport that didn’t have cuts. In his senior season, he had recorded one of the fastest 400 meter times (47.24) ever run by a North Carolina high school athlete. For his efforts, he earned a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The 26-time Atlantic 10 Conference champion, recently completed his studies in business management, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA through four years of college. Law is headed back to the NCAA’s for the second consecutive year in the 400 meters, he’ll be hoping to end his collegiate career as a Charlotte 49er on a high note.

PreRaceJitters caught up with the true student-athlete for the Pre-NCAA installment of Sub 10 Second Tuesday.

PreRaceJitters: At the East preliminary, you ran 46.33 in the 400 meters, to advance back to the NCAA championships for the third consecutive year.
How do you feel about your performance?

Darius Law: Most importantly, I’m pleased that I achieved my primary goal of advancing to the 2nd round of the NCAA Championships in the 400m. Although I was hoping to run under 46 seconds, I’m just thankful and grateful that I survived and will get another chance to run versus some of the best 400m runners in the nation in Des Moines, Iowa. However, based solely on times, the 46.33 that I ran doesn’t quite compare to the 45.29 that I ran last year in the 400m or the 45.77 that I ran my sophomore year during this same time period.

PreRaceJitters: You’re quite the accomplished track athlete, having won 26 Atlantic-10 Conference titles in a number of events, such as the 200, 400, 4×100 and 4×400.
What does it mean to you to have accomplished this much?

Darius Law: All of my accomplishments and awards are truly blessings, but I don’t really focus on winning awards and getting recognition. Instead, I just focus on trying to be the best student, athlete, and person that I can be. While I’m very fortunate that I was able to leave my mark on the Atlantic 10 Conference, I just hope that people respect my academic accomplishments and community activism just as much as my athletic achievements. I want my legacy to be much bigger than anything that I have ever accomplished on the track because I firmly believe that as an athlete I do more than just run; I motivate; I inspire; I uplift; I achieve; and I lead…by example.

PreRaceJitters: Standing 5 feet, 10 inches and weighing about 125 pounds - many would guess that you were a distance runner instead than a sprinter. Does being a undersized in comparison to the prototypical sprinter give you a source of motivation?

Darius Law: I would definitely say that my size does give me a source of motivation because I always notice spectators pointing fingers at me before my races begin. I would guess that they are saying, “That boy D-Law is little… but he can still fly”. I would sum it all up by saying that I have never had height or weight, but one thing that I have always had is heart…and you can’t measure heart in a form of inches or pounds.

PreRaceJitters: You’re the true definition of a student-athlete. You recently completed your studies in business management, earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average through four years of college. What does it mean to have that accomplishment under your belt?

Darius Law: I have always put academics before athletics, so being able to graduate with Business Honors and a perfect cumulative 4.0 GPA was like running 43 or 44 seconds in the 400m. Walking across the stage on May 14th, 2011 really felt like I had won an Olympic Gold Medal. Just like an athlete training for the Olympic Games, earning my undergraduate degree was the accumulation of four hard years of studying day in and day out. It was also validation of many sacrifices that I’ve made over the past four years. What many people don’t realize is that I have been able to emerge as a top sprinter without being fully committed to Track & Field. Track has always been secondary to my education, which has caused me to make some major sacrifices as an athlete. In four years at Charlotte, my sleeping schedule has been unhealthy and I have never really lifted any weights. There have been track meets where I’ve stayed up studying and competed off of only 4 hours of sleep. My coach would say, “D-Law you need to get your rest”, and I would tell him that I had to do what I had to do and that lack of sleep was just one of the sacrifices that I was willing to make. In terms of weight lifting, it wasn’t that I was lazy; I just didn’t have enough time in the day to devote to both track practice and weight training. Once again, my coach understood that sprinting for excellence in the classroom was more important to me than sprinting to excellence on the track.

PreRaceJitters: You were recently awarded the Nish Jamgotch Jr. Humanitarian Student Award for your outstanding achievements in the community. How does it feel to have earned this honor?

Darius Law: First off, I just want to thank Dr. Nish Jamgotch Jr. for creating such a prestigious award. It is truly a blessing and honor to be recognized for the one thing that is most important to me, which is helping others. Like I personally expressed to Dr. Jamgotch, I look forward to the day in my life when I can pay it forward by establishing the Darius Law Humanitarian Student Athlete Award to recognize future students for his/her achievements.

PreRaceJitters: What are some of the community service activities that you have been involved in over the past four years at Charlotte?

Darius Law: In addition to leading a campus wide effort to raise awareness, money, and shoes for Samaritan’s Feet and the 300 million children that wake up every morning without a pair, I have helped organize efforts to donate new unwrapped toys for children for Toys for Tots, volunteered my time to tutor middle school children, participated in a date auction to help raise money for breast cancer, and even visited a detention center to talk to juveniles about attending college and the importance of goal-setting.

PreRaceJitters: What motivates you to give back to your community?

Darius Law: I have already noted that I have always put academics before athletics, but more importantly, I have always put helping other people before all.
My mother, who raised me as a single parent, instilled in me the importance of always helping others and giving back to the community at a very early age. Growing up in Raleigh, NC, I witnessed my mom change the lives of many children by serving as a therapeutic foster parent and welcoming children suffering from severe social, emotional, and/or behavior problems into our home with open arms full of love and joy. My rare life experiences growing up listening to the stories of children who had previously been abused, mistreated, neglected, and/or absent of a relationship with his/her biological parents is what lead to my humanitarian efforts and willingness to go above and beyond in terms of helping other people.

PreRaceJitters: How were you able to balance your academic, athletic and social lives all four years?

Darius Law: I don’t think it was very difficult at all. Although I was a 4.0 student-athlete, I had lots of fun in college and really got the full experience. For me, it was all about strategizing, keeping my priorities in order, managing my time, and understanding that having fun was necessary and healthy. I didn’t want to just be a bookworm. Therefore, I planned ahead and made sure I took care of business in the classroom and on the track first and then rewarded myself by having fun and hanging out afterwards. Finally, I mastered a lot of studying techniques early on as a college student and had a great strategy which was really the key to my success. I hope that I am able to share my true secrets and philosophy with student-athletes around the world one day.

PreRaceJitters: Talk about your four years at Charlotte, as a student-athlete. What will you remember most about being a 49er?

Darius Law: I will always remember the continuous support that the entire university and the Charlotte community provided me with. I can’t even describe how amazing this journey has been, but I can say that it has been, by far, the best four years of my life. Although I’m looking forward to everything that my future has in store, I will never forget the place that I call home and the opportunities that Charlotte presented me with. I will always be a Charlotte 49er, and I will always bleed GREEN.

PreRaceJitters: You have the ability to compete for a spot on the US team in 2012, but you’re also thinking about law school. What direction will you take?

Darius Law: Growing up, I never had dreams of becoming a professional athlete; I always had dreams of becoming a lawyer. And with the last name Law, I think it was all written from the beginning. However, instead of going directly to Law School, I have decided to take some time off to be fully committed to Track & Field (for the 1st time) with hopes of earning a spot on the US team in 2012. This upcoming year, I’m going to finally hit the weight room hard and really start doing the little things, such as eat and sleep right, that I haven’t been able to do in the past because of my extreme focus on school. Reflecting on my track career thus far, I just can’t stop running now because I know in my heart that I have so many opportunities to get better and so much unfulfilled potential. If I ran 45.29 barely getting by, then I know I have the potential to run 44 seconds or even faster once I finally commit and get serious about Track & Field. It’s almost unheard of for an elite sprinter to run fast without lifting weights, and I have been ducking and dodging the weight room for several years now. But those days are finally over, it’s time for me to step up to the plate and work just as hard on the track and in the weight room as I have worked in the classroom over the past four years. I also think this decision will help me in the long-run as taking advantage of an opportunity to earn a spot on the US team in 2012 should help me standout amongst thousands of other law school applicants in the near future.

PreRaceJitters: Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?

Darius Law: YES, I do have pre-race jitters. In addition to reciting Deuteronomy 31:6 and Philippians 4:13 over and over and over again, I overcome my pre-race jitters by talking to myself. I say, “D-Law this is the time! Get focused! Let’s go D-Law!”

PreRaceJitters: Looking ahead towards NCAA’s…It’s your final meet in a Charlotte 49er uniform. How do you want to end your career?

Darius Law: I just want to end my career doing what I always do, which is step on the track and give it my all. No matter the outcome, I know I will have always have support from Charlotte and will always be a winner in their books. But being the competitor that I am, when I step on the track to race, please believe that I’m in it to WIN IT!

PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.

David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.

Sub 10 Second Tuesday - Tennessee’s Ellen Wortham

Just a junior, Tennessee’s Ellen Wortham has emerged as one of the top 400 meter hurdlers in the country this season. After missing the finals last year at the NCAA’s, Wortham is back and in great position to win the NCAA title this year.

At the East preliminary, Wortham recorded her eighth consecutive victory. She is currently  ranked eighth in the world, with a career best time of 55.70.

PreRaceJitters caught up with Ellen for the Pre-NCAA installment of Sub 10 Second Tuesday.

PreRaceJitters: At the East preliminary, you recorded your eighth consecutive victory in the 400 meter hurdles. Rainy and windy weather in Bloomington, not the best conditions for hurdling. However you still manage to post a solid time of 56.95, but more importantly you punched your ticket to the NCAA’s. What was the plan going in?

Ellen Wortham: My plan going in mainly was to qualify for NCAA’s with a smooth race, but also stay focused and not relax too much.

PreRaceJitters: You’re headed back to the NCAA’s for the second-straight year. What does it mean to you to return to nationals?

Ellen Wortham: It is a great opportunity for me to race against the fastest collegiate 400 hurdlers in the country and really get a chance to compete to the best of my ability.

PreRaceJitters: Having competed in nationals last year, you know what to expect heading in to competition. Do you feel more mature after last year’s experience?

Ellen Wortham: I definitely feel more prepared at this point from experience in racing at nationals, and I am excited to go out and run my best.

PreRaceJitters: You’ve run some fast times this season, 55.70 being the fastest, which you ran at the SEC Championships. Could you briefly recap that race?

Ellen Wortham: It was a very tough race, because I had to stay relaxed in the beginning when my main competitor, Cassandra Tate, went out really fast the first 200 meters. I had to trust myself to be able to finish strong and run my race and not get too emotional. Sticking to my race plan paid off, and I was able to catch her in the last few meters.

PreRaceJitters:As the meet favorite, do you feel any pressure, if any to perform at a high level to what fans are accustomed to seeing you perform at?

Ellen Wortham: I feel confident and relaxed at this point. Going in last year I was going to have to run my best time to make it into finals. This year I know I will be able to do that without stressing myself. I don’t feel too much pressure from fans or anyone else. I know I will be able to get done what I need to get done if I trust myself.

PreRaceJitters:Running in college your force to compete in a lot of meets. Talk about your health going into the NCAA’s. How are you feeling mentally and physically?

Ellen Wortham: At this point in my career I am accustomed to long seasons, thankfully. I am healthy physically and relaxed mentally. I am excited and ready to go.

PreRaceJitters:What have you been doing in your training to prepare for NCAA’s?

Ellen Wortham: At this point in the season we are just focusing on fine-tuning and keeping the body fresh and maintained for competition. We have been doing lots of recovery and preventative treatments getting ready for the NCAA’s.

PreRaceJitters:What’s life like outside of track?

Ellen Wortham: I have been able to spend more time with my family now that school is out, because I am from the Knoxville area. Most of my time is spent just taking it easy and relaxing from school, and I’m very happy to do so.

PreRaceJitters: Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?

Ellen Wortham: Sometimes I get a little anxious earlier in the day if I have to wait a long time to race. I like to listen to relaxing music to help me from getting hyped up too early before my race.

PreRaceJitters: What are you looking to accomplish at NCAA’s?

Ellen Wortham: I am going in hoping to win. More importantly I want to focus on bettering my own race, because I know that doing that will most help what I need to get accomplished. I am also excited to help out our 4×4 and 4×1 relays.

PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.

David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.

NCAA DI Championship Preview and Predictions: 5 Events to Watch

100 Meter Dash
Leading the field in the men’s 100 meter dash are Jeff Demps of Florida, the defending NCAA champion in this event, and Ngonidzashe Makusha of Florida State, the ACC champion. Demps comes in with a season’s best time of 9.96w, while Makusha comes in with a season’s best time of 9.97. Challenging them will be Maurice Mitchell of Florida State, who turned in a season’s best time of 10.03 at the ACC championships. Mitchell is also a co-favorite in the 200 along with Rakieem Salaam of Oklahoma.

Predictions:
1. Jeff Demps - Florida
2. Maurice Mitchell - Florida State
3. Ngonidzashe Makusha - Florida State
4. Gerald Phiri - Texas A&M
5. Rakieem Salaam - Oklahoma

Jeneba Tarmoh of Texas A&M headlines the field for the women’s 100 meter dash. Tarmoh, who has run a wind-aided 10.94 this season, is the Big 12 champion in this event. Her competition will come from Semoy Hackett of LSU. Hackett has turned in a season’s best time of 10.98w, and is the SEC champion in this event. Others to watch out for are Kimberlyn Duncan (LSU), Lakya Brookins (USC) and English Gardner (Oregon). Duncan and Brookins ran identical times of 11.02w at the SEC meet last month, while Gardner broke Gail Devers PAC-10 meet record with a legal 11.03.

Predictions:
1. Jeneba Tarmoh - Texas A&M
2. Lakya Brookins - South Carolina
3. Semoy Hacket - LSU
4. English Gardner - Oregon
5. Kimberlyn Duncan - LSU

400 Meter Dash
Alabama’s Kirani James has done some remarkable things this season. During indoors, James ran the third fastest time in history at 400 meters. You can be assured he will be looking to better his time of 44.80 from indoors this weekend. Texas A&M teammates Demetrius Pinder and Tabarie Henry will look to pull off an upset. Pinder, who has run 44.87 this season, is the defending NCAA indoor champion in this event. Henry comes in with a season’s best time of 44.83. Also keep an out for Oregon’s Mike Berry, who has run 44.91 this season.

Predictions:
1. Kirani James - Alabama
2. Demetrius Pinder - Texas A&M
3. Tabarie Henry - Texas A&M
4. Torrin Lawrence - Georgia
5. Mike Berry - Oregon

Texas A&M’s Jessica Beard comes in as a co-favorite in the women’s 400 meter dash, along with Diamond Dixon of Kansas. Both have run identical times of 51.55 this season. Dixon defeated Beard at the Big 12 meet last month. Beard comes in as the NCAA indoor champion in this event and will be looking to add a outdoor title in her final collegiate meet. Others to watch out for are Joanna Atkins of Auburn (51.83) , Shelise Williams of Arkansas (52.12) and Regina George of Arkansas (52.31).

Predictions:
1. Jessica Beard - Texas A&M
2. Shelise Williams - Arkansas
3. Diamond Dixon - Kansas
4. Joanna Atkins - Auburn
5. Regina George - Arkansas

100 Meter Hurdles
Eleven women have dipped under 13 seconds this season in the 100 meter hurdles. USC’s Nia Ali comes in as one of the favorites, having run a wind-aided 12.74 this season. Her time is identical to Tiffani McReynolds of Baylor. Christina Manning of Ohio State comes in with the third fastest time of 12.86.

Predictions:
1. Nia Ali - USC
2. Christina Manning - Ohio State
3. Tiffani McReynolds - Baylor
4. Kierre Beckles - South Carolina
5. Gabby Mayo - Texas A&M

400 Meter Hurdles
Five men dipped under 50 seconds in 400 meter hurdles at the West Prelim. Washington State’s Jeshua Anderson comes in as the clear favorite in this event. Anderson is currently ranked second in the world in this event, with a season’s best time of 48.13, which he recorded at the PAC-10 championships. If anyone is to challenge Anderson than Bryce Brown of Texas Tech may be the man. Brown has run 49.04 this season, he’s the Big 12 champion in this event.

Predictions:
1. Jeshua Anderson - Washington State
2. Byrce Brown - Texas Tech
3. Jamele Mason - Texas Tech
4. Reggie Wyatt - USC
5. Amaechi Morton - Standford

Ellen Wortham of Tennessee headlines the field for the women’s 400 meter hurdles. Wortham, who has run 55.70 this season, currently ranks number eight in the world in this event. Her competition will come from LaToya James of North Carolina and Turquoise Thompson of UCLA. James has run 55.83 this season, while Thompson has run 55.84.

Predictions:
1. Elllen Wortham - Tennessee
2. Turquoise Thompson - UCLA
3. Ti’erra Brown - Miami
4. LaToya James - North Carolina
5. Cassandra Tate - LSU

Triple Jump
The triple jump should be the most watched field event. Why? Three guys have jumped over 17 meters this season. Florida teammates Will Claye and Christian Taylor probably get enough of each other, since they practice, travel and compete together. Claye and Taylor are the top two triple jumpers in the NCAA this year. Claye has jumped 17.24 meters and Taylor 17.15 meters, respectively.

Predictions:
1. Will Claye - Florida
2. Christian Taylor - Florida
3. Julian Ried - Texas A&M
4. Zedric Thomas - LSU
5. Tyron Stewart - Texas A&M

NCAA D1 NCAA East Preliminary Round

NCAA Division I East Regional Outdoor Championships

May 26-28, 2011
East Region
Bloomington, Indiana
Host: Indiana University

Men’s Start Lists
Women’s Start Lists
Live Results

NCAA D1 NCAA West Preliminary Round

NCAA Division I West Regional Outdoor Championships

May 26-28, 2011
West Region
Eugene, OR
Host: University of Oregon

Men’s Start Lists
Women’s Start Lists
Live Results

Sub 10 Second Tuesday - Florida State’s Maurice Mitchell

Over the years, the Florida State men’s track and field program has had its fair share of great sprinters.

Today, Junior Maurice Mitchell’s rise is directly related to the Florida State men capturing their seventh consecutive ACC outdoor title on April 23.

Walter Dix was once the star of the program during the Seminole’s championship run from 2006 to 2008 but today there’s a new face to the program.

Texas A&M men are coming off winning the last two NCAA team championships. However, this season looks to be different as the Seminoles are ranked number four in the the latest USTFCCCA national team poll and poised to make a run for the title.

Fast forward to 2011.

Mitchell is now the two-time ACC champion in the 200 meters, running a career best time of 20.19 a month weeks ago. He also produced a runner up finish in the 100 meters, with another career best time of 10.03.

PreRaceJitters caught up with the FSU junior for the second installment of Sub 10 Second Tuesday.

PreRaceJitters: You’ve run some fast times this season, 10.03 in the 100 meters
and 20.19 over 200 meters. Both times are personal bests and rank third and
second, respectively, in the NCAA this season. How do you feel about your
progress this season?

Maurice Mitchell: I am very happy with how things are progressing. The main
thing that I am happy about is that I am healthy and fit to get nothing but better
everyday. I’m way further along than I was last year, so I’m looking forward to
regionals and nationals.

PreRaceJitters: The ACC conference is one of the most competitive conferences
in the NCAA. How does it feel to repeat as an ACC Champion at 200-meters?

Maurice Mitchell: It’s a true blessing to go out there and compete with the best
guys in the conference. To repeat the 200 at ACC’s was an amazing feeling, and
I thank the Lord for allowing me to represent him and glorifying his name when I
compete on the highest level.

PreRaceJitters: Florida State men captured their seventh consecutive ACC
outdoor title in April. What is it like being part of a winning tradition?

Maurice Mitchell: It’s a great feeling to be part of such a prestige school like
Florida State. They are all about winning and I’m glad I can be able to be part of
a great school with great coaches and athletes. I couldn’t ask for a better team
to be on.

PreRaceJitters: Florida State men won national titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Texas A&M have won the last two championships. What will it take to bring back
the crown  to Tallahassee?

Maurice Mitchell: It’s going to take determination and the team to come together
and step up to the plate. We have a lot of talent and if we all come to nationals
and compete to our best ability, there is possibility we can bring home a national
championship.

PreRaceJitters: You’re coach by Ken Harden, one of the most highly regarded
sprint/hurdle coaches in college track, having coached Jonathan Borlee, Ricardo
Chambers, Charles Clark and Walter Dix to national titles in their individual
events. What is he like as a coach?

Maurice Mitchell: Coach Ken not only cares about himself and winning
championships but he cares about us as individuals. All he wants is the best for
us and I couldn’t ask for any better coach. He gets us ready to compete at the
big meets and I’m happy he knows his stuff.

PreRaceJitters: Some people may think your training sessions are like track
meets, just based off who you’re training with. Your training partners are:
Charles Clark (20.0) Brandon O’Conner (45.89), Ngonidzashe Makusha (9.97),
Kemar Hyman (10.27), David Ambler (10.37) and Brandon Byram (20.4). What is
it like training with these guys everyday?

Maurice Mitchell: It’s just overall great. To have the top guys in the country on
your team is a plus. I’m glad to have great guys around me to get me to that
next level. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to train with. We do nothing
but get each other better.

PreRaceJitters: Can you describe a typical training session at FSU this time of
year?

Maurice Mitchell: During this time of year, we pick up the intensity. Because
regional and nationals are right around the corner, we are now beginning to pick
up our tempo in our practice sessions. Coach Ken is getting us ready to run fast
when it counts.

PreRaceJitters: What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

Maurice Mitchell: My goal for the rest of the season is to obviously continue to
get faster and better as we get close to the end of the season and stay healthy.
I’ve come to realize I can’t run fast if I’m not healthy. If I can stay healthy I’m
sure ill be able to beat my 10.03 and 20.19.

PreRaceJitters: When you’re away from the track, what are some of things you
enjoy doing?

Maurice Mitchell: I just enjoy relaxing and watching tv, watching moves,
spending time with my fiancé and teammates on occasions. I just do whatever to
keep my mind off of track most of the time.

PreRaceJitters: Do you get pre-race jitters? If so, how do you overcome them?

Maurice Mitchell: I definitely get jitters, but for me I just pray and ask God to
keep me calm, and it works for me. I mean I get nervous but God does help me
get through my nervousness and also listening to music before my competition.

PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.

David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com, writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.

Sub 10 Second Tuesday - NC State Assistant Coach Terry Reese

Once a professional hurdler, Terry Reese is now making a living coaching the sprinters and hurdlers at NC State.

Reese, who finished sixth at the ‘97 World Championships in Athens, Greece has built a sprint/hurdle core in the Wolfpack land by recruiting athletes overlooked by other programs and have the desire and will to develop into elite athletes.

One of his prized pupils is sprinter, TJ Graham, one of the fastest sprinters in the ACC and NCAA. Graham has turned in times of 6.62 (60m) and 20.79 (200m) this season.

PreRaceJitters, caught up with Coach Reese to discuss his star-studded athlete and the NC State program.

PreRaceJitters: Talk about the 2011 season a little bit. What’s different about this team than previous squads?

CR: One name, TJ Graham! Is what’s different about this team compared to the past 2 years of him being at NC State playing football. In the past we’ve gone through cycles of being assisted both in the sprints and jumps by football players who we’re two sports athletes out of high school.

TJ was thought to be an immediate impact upon his arrival on campus but things didn’t work as initially thought. But after 3 years on campus we’re elated to have him join the team. We love what he brings, he brings a winner’s mindset as well as the ability to unite to give an individual sport athlete a feeling of it’s a team.

2011 Season we as a sprint core on the men side were and still expect some big things as a group with eyes set on being a contender for a top 8 finish in the 4 x 100m relay at NCAA Championships.

TJ Graham with the help of another football player Tobais Palmer a former NC HS 100m State Champion, Atolani Akinkuotu, school record holder at 60 meters, returns after graduating to use his last year of outdoor eligibility, Ben Major, a 400 intermediate hurlder who is evolving into more of a 200 meters specialist.

At this point of the season we simply want to stay healthy and continue to focus on those things that will allow each of these individuals to maximize their abilities in an effort to come together as a unit and in their individual races.

PreRaceJitters: Which of your athletes was the biggest surprise in terms of performance this season?

CR: Daniel Fretz (sophomore), a 400m runner who was not recruited who didn’t break 50 seconds out of High School. In his second year, he made the finals of both the indoor and outdoor 400m dashes at ACC Championships. He’ll finish his sophomore season early after an off the track injury. Personal best of 48.17 the week before ACC Outdoor Championships.

PreRaceJitters: TJ Graham ran 6.62 and 20.7 indoors in the 60 and 200 meters respectively after coming out from football and then scored points in the 100 meters at ACC Outdoor Championships in the 100 meters, running 10.37 seconds. How much of a boost does Graham give to your sprint squad?

CR: Unity, losing is not an option mindset, aggression, leadership and a focus. Outdoor season his presence was missed greatly. The week after NCAA Indoor championships he had to return to football for spring practice and it showed in his performance at Outdoor ACC Championships.

Only 3 days on the track before putting on his spikes against a few of the nation’s best aka FSU sprint squad. He jumped right into the fire and did what he could.

So I look forward to the weeks leading up to NCAA East Regional to regaining that momentum we had going during the indoor season. It’s been amazing to see how well he’s performed after 3 years away from the track. It can only get better as he return to the form of a track runner.

PreRaceJitters: Ben Majors ran 22 seconds in high school and during the indoor season earned all conference honors with a 21.0 second 200 meters. How were you able to build the sprint/hurdle core at State? What challenges, if any did you face in the process?

CR: Fall training is where I usually find out what each athlete is capable of and in the case of Ben Major. I simply saw some things he did that had me saying to myself. He’s in the wrong event. Although we’ve pretty much put hurdling on the back burner it’s not totally ruled out.

There are those things he does that are natural yet there’s those flaws that are there we’re still working on correcting that will make a big difference on him being a 21 flat sprinter a sub 20.5 sprinter.

As far as building a sprint/hurdle core, getting my hands on an athlete who’s developing whether it’s a recruited athlete or a walk on. A high percentage of the time I won’t get a TJ Graham unless it’s through football, something that’s been historically the case here at NC State.

PreRaceJitters: What has been the focus of your recruiting for next year?

CR: As a sprint/ hurdles coach the focus yearly is simply getting your hands on talent, no matter where it will come from. Be it a short/long sprinter or a short/ long hurdler.

Being a former hurdler, I’ve gone far too long without an opportunity to coach the event I spent a lot of quality time in as a athlete on the elite level, so I would love to find a hurdler I can share what I know with.

PreRaceJitters: How would you define your coaching philosophy.

CR: Not sure how I’d define my coaching philosophy… but it centers around hard work done the right way will produce results. And I’ve defined ‘Hard Work’ to my athletes with my own acronym for the word SPEED (sacrifice, perseverance, energy, effort, and determination)

When you set goals for yourself you have to make sacrifices. When you feel like you’ve met your challenge, you need to persevere and find the energy from within and give it your all.

When you put the effort into the task at hand, you’ll find that it wasn’t as hard as it looked in the beginning. Not all work is easy, but through your determination to be the best you can be, Good things will happen for you.

PreRaceJitters: Can you take readers behind the scenes a bit and explain what happens during a typical week in season this time of year with North Carolina State?

CR: we’re about 3 weeks away from the NCAA qualifier round East Regional and we’ve already had our conference championship. So there’s been some down time workout wise to allow for recovery.

After observing how my athletes competed at our conference championship, it has given me a chance to see their strengths and weaknesses and a plan of attack so to speak to prepare them for national completion.

For example, I have a short sprinter who is still trying to find his rhythm, as well as being patient through the phases of the 100 meters. So we will take a day in which he’ll do some race modeling both in flats and in spikes.

Follow it up on another day with doing some over speed training, followed by race modeling on the clock through 100 meters at high intensity. Block work on the 1 or 2 days out from competition.

PreRaceJitters: Talk about one of your favorite drills to run as coach over the years.

CR: Any of a number of hurdle drills to help increase strength and mobility. As a hurdler who jumped in high school and college. I love how being both a hurdler and jumper help me develop strength and coordination.

So as a coach I took it upon myself to apply a lot of those principles in my coaching of all my athletes whether they ran short or long sprints.

PreRaceJitters: You competed professionally after college. What is the best advice you’ve given based on your experiences as a former professional runner?

CR: Simply putting in work. Making it a habit those things that will benefit you as a runner.Success didn’t come easy and it was my work habits that had given me an opportunity to live the dream I had for myself as an athlete.

PreRaceJitters: How would you describe yourself?

CR: Quiet and reserved, love keeping my distance while observing everything off and on the track. I have one of the biggest hearts and I probably don’t put as much value on what I have to offer as I should because I enjoy sharing what it is I know to help others.

PreRaceJitters: What are the best and worst aspects of coaching?

CR: Being in a position to help others achieve and even surpass goals they have for themselves. Coaching puts you in a position of teaching on so many levels that will have an impact on another’s life long after they left you.

Downside, feeling like you didn’t do enough to help all that crossed your path. But I wouldn’t change a thing because I have intentions to do right by anyone who will put trust in what I’m asking them to do.

PreRaceJitters: Thank you for your time and best wishes on the season.

David Pickett is a Contributing Editor at PreRaceJitters.com writing about the exploits of collegiate and elite track and field.

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