Coach Patrylak's Notes

2009 Boys Cross-Country Summer Info.

2009-06-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

2009 EHS Boys Cross-Country

Introduction
Last year we entered the summer training months with the theme “Return to Greatness.” We accomplished just that, with a strong 7th place showing at the IHSA State Cross-Country Championships. We lost some valuable seniors this past year, but we return a great group of last year and another strong incoming freshman class. This season we are entering summer training with the theme “Top Ten Again.” How high can we finish as a team? Only you hold the answer to that question.

Goals for 2009
--Increase Mileage Club Memberships (over 50% of the team)
--Madison County Champions
--SWIC (Conference) Champions
--Regional Champions
--Top three at Sectional
--Top 10 at the IHSA State Cross-Country Championships.
Can we once again emerge as one of the top teams in Southern Illinois? If the answer is yes, then you must start preparing today! O’Fallon will be great this season, can we be better?

Information
Personal Goals: Cross-country is great, in that it gives an individual a chance to shine, but it also holds 5-7 guys accountable as well. You never know when we are going to need someone to step up and run a big race. You must get yourself in a position to run to the best of your ability. If you cheat yourself, you also cheat the team! Who is going to step it up this year?

Mileage Club: In 2005, the EHS Mileage Club was born. This is a tradition I will keep for the remainder of my coaching! The ingredients to become a Mileage Club member are easy: hard work, determination, dedication, desire, and commitment. Here are the requirements: during the summer, returning athletes are expected to run a minimum of 500 miles. Freshman and first year runners are asked to run a minimum of 350 miles. Athletes are to keep individual logs and diaries and keep track of their mileage. This is a prestigious club and athletes are asked to be honest about their mileage. Your reward for accomplishing the mileage goals will be a specially designed Mileage Club T-shirt, only available to EHS distance runners. The gentleman who earned T-shirts last year showed the most improvement last season! Of our top seven runners who competed at the IHSA State XC Championship, 5 of them earned Mileage Club shirts.

Road Racing: I am not a huge fan of road racing over the summer, but I will allow you to run three road races. The only race I will encourage you to run is Mud Mountain on July 25, 2009. You may choose up to two additional area races if interested.

Camps: Several coaches approached me about summer camps. The coaches are committed to putting Southern Illinois on the cross-country radar. You may attend up to two camps this summer. I would suggest Coach Miller at Granite City and Coach Burnett at O’Fallon.

Summer Schedule:
5-31 through 6-13: Rest and Recovery. NO RUNNING!!!!

6-14 through 6-20: Cross training and some running. You can count this in your summer mileage, but your total for the week should max out at 20 miles!!!

6-21 through the start of school: Run your miles and log them in! Keep good journals!!!

Conditioning Schedule:
Our first organized conditioning session will be on Monday, June 22 at 6:30 at the EHS Track. During the summer, we will plan on lifting 2-3 times a week. We will plan all summer sessions to start at 6:30 p.m. If we need to set up a morning schedule, too, please let me know early on during the summer. Try to get your work schedules to work with the conditioning schedules.

We will try to meet at different locations throughout the week. Here is a tentative breakdown:
--Monday: EHS Track.
--Tuesday: Cross-Country Course (plan on sand volleyball afterwards on occasion).
--Wednesday: EHS Track.
--Thursday: Host Run (see below).
--Friday: Township Park.
@ We will plan on running with O’Fallon once a week. On some weeks O’Fallon will come to Edwardsville, on others we will car pool to O’Fallon or somewhere in between.
@ We will train with Lockport for part of the week during the summer.

Thursday Night Host Runs: Another great tradition is our Thursday Night Host Runs. Each athlete can have the opportunity to host one run over the summer. Each Thursday we go to a different house and run from that location. This gives the athletes a chance for a change in scenery. If you plan to host a run, please include a small meal for the kids after the run. Most parents make hot dogs or pasta. Remember, they are growing teenagers and eat almost anything. Usually parents have games, movies, swimming or events planned for the athletes after dinner. These tend to be a lot of fun and help to build team unity.

Cross-Country Picnic: The Edwardsville Cross-Country Booster Club and Edwardsville Cross-Country Coaches will again hold the Edwardsville Cross-Country Picnic at Glik Park in Edwardsville. The event is expected to be held on Saturday, July 11, 2008 from 11:00 until 2:00 (or later). Athletes and their families are encouraged to attend! More information will be handed out during the summer.

Soda Mile: We will once again have the team soda mile. More info to follow!

Ice Cream or French Fry Run: We will have a running challenge that involves food again this year! More info to come!

Mud Mountain: The 13th Annual Mud Mountain 5k Classic will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2008. Please note, this event is scheduled much earlier than years past! All athletes are encouraged to run. We are also looking for volunteers to help us with the event. Please contact us if interested.

http://www.mudmountain.org: I will try to update summer information on our website during the summer. Please check the site every few days. Thank you to Tom Atwood and Keith Dudding for their hard work on maintaining the site!

Contact Information: Please feel free to contact Coach Patrylak at anytime. My cell is 567-5792, home phone is 344-7040, and email is gpatrylak@ecusd7.org or goosepatry@aol.com. If it helps you keep up your logs, keep them on the computer and email them to me weekly.

Rules: All athletes will be required to attend a Code of Conduct meeting at the start of the school year. This meeting will cover most rules. In addition, I would like to add some of the following:

--Respect your teammates: Cross-country develops more than teams, it develops families. Each person is an important part of our family. Treat everyone respectfully.

--Profanity will not be accepted. Team exercises will be used to curve this habit. Excessive remarks can lead to the removal from the team.

--Check your shoes. The only equipment you are required to buy for cross-country is a good pair of shoes. As a rule of thumb, start the summer with a new pair of shoes and start a new pair at the start of the school year. Broken down or improper shoes lead to most injuries.

--If you feel a pain or have an injury, tell the coaching staff immediately. Trying to be Superman early can lead to missing a chunk of the season later! Your health and safety is a priority.

--Conditioning is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged. Please try to attend!

--Due to IHSA rules, coaches can not be present for all conditioning. Juniors and Seniors should lead the way on these days. If you are a concerned parent (especially if your child is a freshman or sophomore), you are welcome to stay at the conditioning or tag along on foot or bike! Parents, siblings and former athletes are always welcome and are encouraged to go for a run.

Coach P’s Philosophy: “I do not make athletes! I will never take the credit for exceptional performances or the blame for pathetic ones. Everyone is responsible for himself! I can not make you a great runner. I will put the proper workouts and requirements in front of you, but it is up to you to follow standards, goals, and workouts I lay out. If you follow the plan, put in the miles, do the work, and try your hardest, you will be successful. Osmosis is not part of cross-country! YOU have to put the work in! YOU determine what quality of runner you will be!”

Conclusion
Last year we put Edwardsville and Southern Illinois back on the map for IHSA class AAA. Our goal this year is nothing different. I anticipate another successful cross-country season at EHS, but it is up to you do decide just how successful we can be. Make sure you do the things to get ready for the season. Be smart, be safe, and do the right things this summer. I hope everyone has an enjoyable summer and I hope I see you frequently!

Help Request

2008-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Parents, we are asking for assistance throughout the season. We are looking for parents willing to organize and/or to bring refreshments (food, water and gatorade) to all away meets this season. Some of the meets further away (Peoria/East Peoria) usually have food delivered to the courses (subs or pizza). If you think you can help, please contact Coach Patrylak or Lisa Thompson.

We are also looking for parent volunteers to assist at all home meets this year. This includes Wednesday, September 10 and Saturday, September 20 this year. Please check the schedule for other home meets for EHS, Liberty and Lincoln. Thank you for your help and dedication.

Coach P.

Granite City Invitational

2008-09-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008

Location: Wilson Park (behind the high school).

Departure from EHS: 7:00 a.m.

Schedule:
--JV Girls: 8:30 a.m.
--Fresh/Soph Boys: 9:00 a.m.
--Varsity Girls: 9:30 a.m.
--Varsity Boys: 10:00 a.m.
--Open: 10:30 (parents can run, too).

Lunch: A picnic for the athletes will be immediately after awards (approximately 11:15).

Return Time: 12:45 p.m.

Weights: Boys will lift for about 30 minutes upon arrival to EHS.

T-Shirts: Bring money for meet t-shirts if interested.

Good luck and we will see you on Saturday.

Coach P.

Picture and first week of school information and a new meet.

2008-08-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

I hope your family had a fun and exciting summer. School is here and we are looking forward to an exciting school year and season. Here is some important information to share with you:

Practice Schedule:

Monday, August 18: 6:30 p.m. EHS Track. Please be here as we will be passing out picture packets. I will try to post package options tomorrow for those not in attendance.

Tuesday, August 19: Code of Conduct meeting immediately following school. Team pictures are scheduled for boys and girls starting at 11:30. Team T-shirts are in. Boys should wear Khaki shorts. Practice immediately follows pictures. Athletes will be dismissed after practice and should be done no later than 2:00 p.m. Activity Busses will not be running.

Wednesday on: Practice will last from 2:30 to 5:15 for the remainder of the school year except for weekends and holidays.

New Meet: Monday, Septemeber 1, 2008: We will leave school at 7:00 a.m. and the race begins at 9:00 a.m. (boys followed by girls). We will be at Belleville West and will race West, Belleville East, O'Fallon, and Mascoutah.

Be sure to have your paper work turned in!Enjoy the final days of break!

Coach P.

Official Practice Begins Monday August 11th

2008-08-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

The following information is for members of the Boys Team only.

Here is a break down of practice times and location for the weekdays of 8/11 thru 8/15:

Monday: 6:30 p.m. at EHS Track. Workout.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. Cross-Country Course

Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. Host run: Derek and Tanner Burge-Beckley: 7701 Goshen Road, Edwardsville, 659-2299.. Workout

Thursday: 6:30 p.m. Ryan and Michael Cullen: 119 Prarie Manor, Edwardsville, 692-1624.. Over-distance.

Friday: 6:30 p.m. at the EHS track. SODA MILE!!!

Bring all of your paper work.

This is the last week to count towards Mileage Club shirts.

See you Monday.

Coach P.

Host Run and Black Out Information

2008-07-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the period between July 27 and August 9 is the "Black Out" period for this season. Parents asked me to please post host run information for the remainder of the summer. I will not be in attendance for any of these events and parents asked athletes to RSVP the day before each run so they can buy/prepare the right amount of food. Here is the information for Host Runs the remainder of the summer:

Tuesday, July 29: Michael Stubban: 2232 Wildwood Drive, Glen Carbon, 288-2834.

Thursday, July 31: Chris Taglieri: 310 Redwood Drive, Edwardsville. 656-5244.

Tuesday, August 5: David Parks: 7 Knights Bridge, Edwardsville, 656-8253.

Thursday, August 7: Tony Thompson: 315 Redwood Drive, Edwardsville 307-5304.

Tuesday, August 12: Derek and Tanner Burge-Beckley: 7701 Goshen Road, Edwardsville, 659-2299.

Thursday, August 14: Ryan and Michael Cullen: 119 Prarie Manor, Edwardsville, 692-1624.

Just a reminder, the official day of Practice is Monday, August 11 at EHS at 6:30 p.m.

Make sure you have all of forms to turn in by Monday the 11th of August.

If you have any questions during this period, please talk to Eli Sweatt at 288-5365.

Thank you and have an enjoyable and safe end to your summer.

Coach P.

Host Run Tonight at Warnecke's House

2008-07-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

Kyle Warnecke's parents will hold tonight's host run - starting at 6:30 pm. Their address is:

2 South Equestrian Court

Glen Carbon

Phone 288-7457

State Meet Comments from Coach P. Congratulations All-State Four by Eight!

2008-05-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well we had to survive a three and 1/2 hour rain delay, move field events indoors, and experience another round of this insane weather, but we did it with flare! Here are my notes for our state qualifiers:

Josh Lawson: Pole Vault: Result: No Height.
--Josh, of all the people affected by the weather, you were affected the most. With a 12:00 p.m. weigh in, you were not able to jump until 6:30. The third flight got hit hard. I was impressed with you ability to stay focused. I'm proud of you effort throughout the season and very happy with the way you vaulted. You benefited from being here this weekend. This summer you will get to work with a pole vault coach (and hopefully a distance coach) and finally get the help and coaching I wish I could have provided. I know that my limitations limited your vaulting. With your attitude and dedication, I think you will experience a lot of success with the proper coaching. Keep your head up, unless you are practicing getting inverted! You'll be back with a purpose next year.

3200 Relay: Prelims: 8:00.09. Finals: 7:55.36: Result: 7th Place
--It is amazing how things seemed to work. In some ways we lucked out qualifying this season, but even getting here was a question until the final weeks of the season. Honestly, this was the event that I was most excited about. I thought it would start off with a trophy at the prep top times meet and go from there, but we were slow to develop. I felt like a revolving door. It took a while to get things in place, but the puzzle finally worked (I'll give thanks for that in a minute).

--Tyler Cann: Alternate. I know you felt like I was being nice bringing you, but you have shown me a lot this year. I wish they gave more than four medals, because you deserve one. Why? Let's put it this way: Think about kids and their parents. For some situations or conversations, you would always want you mom. Mothers can provide certain levels of comfort we all need. For some things you would prefer to have you father present (it would be gross to talk to mom about that ). See, as a coach there is only so much that I can do or say. Sometimes an athlete does not need a coach to try to motivate, encourage, or build back up. Sometimes people need a good friend. You, Tyler, were a great friend this weekend to your teammates. You were able to provide the extra support and help that they needed. You were a major part of this team. Also, Tyler deserves all of the credit for our relay order. By accident, Tyler led me to an All-State order. See Tyler, coaches can learn things, too.

--Daniel Mazar: Prelims: 2:03.2. Finals: 2:02.2. Daniel, I know that you are not happy with your times, but you have no idea how much you impressed you teammates and coaches. First off, you were the only AA Freshman Distance Runner to bring home an All-State Medal this season. That, in itself, should say enough. The fact that you finished both races even says more. A trip/stumble in prelims so early in a race can lead even the most gifted seniors to fall off the face of the earth. You kept us in contention with your guts. Double back to finals where you again get spiked/tripped and you kept us in the race again. That poise will help lead you to more great things. Also, running 16 seconds faster in the 800 between your 8th and 9th grade years is amazing. Great Job.

--Aaron Cole: Prelims: 1:59.3. Finals: 1:57.9. "Operation Cole was a success." That is the comment you left me on my State T-shirt. Yes it was, and not because of the times. See, you asked me what you could do to run faster (you wanted to be a 50.? in the 400). I knew I needed an 800 runner. You asked me what you needed to do. All I said was, "Join cross-country". The success was seeing the friendships and bonds you made, your maturity as an athete, the passion and intensity you brought to the distance program, a passion and intensity it was lacking. That is what made Operation Cole a success. Your 1:57.9 and 50.8 and All-State standing were just icing on the cake and the results of trust in the program, your stubborness and your willingness to reach your goals. This was one heck of a season for your first year of middle distance/distance running. Two things: 1) You are welcome. 2) (and more importantly) Thank you!

--Devon Dudding: Prelims: 2:00.7. Finals: 1:58.4. Devon, we have had great high points and some super low points in our three years. I know that things can get rough and with injuries comes a fear of more injuries and a loss of passion for running. I think you have been to that point too many times in your short career. I can honestly say that I may be most happy for you with this medal. You were so close so many times in middle school and I always felt like I could help you get over the hump. We have been close, but always seem to fall short. I was proud to see you gain some of that fire and passion back as the season progressed. I loved seeing you put it on the line and try to fight! I hope that this State Meet has rekindled the fire and helped destroy the demons! Congraulations.

--Eli Sweatt: Prelims: 1:56.7. Finals: 1:56.6. Two things stick out in my mind: Valerie Eli needs chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast before every meet the rest of his life and 1:58.04. Why 1:58.04? Because that makes your 1:56.7 in prelims so impressive. See, Eli came up so big for us in prelims, that only three runners in the open 800 run prelims actually ran faster than you! That's right, your time would have put you fourth going into finals, where 1:58.04 was the last qualifying time. Then, the next day, you were caught with 300 to go. I did not know which Eli we had, the unsure one or the fast one. You should incredible poise when you felt the pressure and started to move. When 10th place caught you with 300 to go, not only did you hold them off, but your kicked picked up two more places in the final 200 meters and a 7th place finish as a team. You looked great and battled. You competed. Guess what, the only Sweatt that shows up as All-State in the IHSA is someone by the name of ELI Sweatt. Congratulations on a great year. You showed a lot of growth and maturity throughout the season and have established yourself as one of the better 800 runners in the State. Congratulations.

I'm very proud of everyone. The medals are nice, but always remember your teammates and feelings. Remember the look of the track, the noise of the crowd, and the faces and embraces of track family and teammates! You all deserve it! Thank you for another memorable track season and state meet. Who would have thought three months ago that the combination of Daniel Mazar, Aaron Cole, Devon Dudding, and Eli Sweatt would equal All-State. Thank you and congratulations!

Coach P.

State Meet Itinerary

2008-05-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Itinerary for 2008 IHSA State Track Meet

Thursday, May22, 2008:

--Eat “A” Lunch.
--Arrive at locker room at 11:10.
--Vans depart EHS at 11:30.
--Arrive at Charleston at 2:30. Check in and get changed.
--Practice at the EIU track at 3:30.
--Shower and return to dorms by 5:00.
--Depart for dinner by 5:30.
--In the dorms, lights out by 10:30 (no cell phones after this time).

Friday, May 23, 2008:

--Wake up, shower and get dressed 7:30 a.m.
--Breakfast out at 8:00 a.m. (no later).
--Lawson weigh in at Southwest corner of the stadium at 12:00 p.m. Start time based on flight (we will find this out on Thursday).
--4 x 800 scheduled to start around 1:00 p.m.
--Leave for dinner around 5:00 p.m.
--Movie at 7:00 p.m.
--Return to EIU and lights out at 10:30.

Saturday, May 24, 2008.

--Wake up, shower and get dressed 7:30 a.m.
--Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.
--Pole vault weigh in at 10:00 a.m. (for finals).
--4 x 800 at 12:15 for A and 12:25 for AA (finals).
--Lunch/Dinner at 4:00.
--Return home approximately 8:00 p.m.

What to bring: You will get some bedding, but I would recommend bringing a pillow and a blanket. Make sure to pack practice clothes, a few changes of every day clothes, your spikes, running shoes, and uniform. Make sure to bring your hygiene products and you may want to bring a towel. Sometimes athletes will bring small (portable) televisions and videogame systems. Some of the meals and the movie will be paid for. You may want to bring some extra money for a t-shirt and snacks. If you need to call the coaching staff, Coach Patrylak can be reached at 618-567-5792 and Coach Wilson is at 618-401-2990. Good luck!

Sectional Results: Boys finish 6th at Springfield, Qualify in two events!

2008-05-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Edwardsville Boys Track and Field Team for their 6th place finish at Friday's Springfield Lanphier Sectional. Many of the athletes had personal best performances and ended their seasons on a positive note. Placing for the Tigers were:

800 Meter Run :
5th Place: Devon Dudding: 2:01.4
6th Place: Eli Sweatt: 2:02.5

3200 Run:
4th Place: Chris Taglieri: 10:17

110 Hurdles:
4th Place: Malcolm Foster: 15.2

300 Hurdles:
6th Place: Malcolm Foster: 41.7

4 x 400 Relay:
4th Place: Dameon Morgan, Devon Dudding, Aaron Cole, Eli Sweatt: 3:28.8

OUR MEET CHAMPIONS AND STATE QUALIFIERS:

Pole Vault:
1st Place: Josh Lawson: 12'6"

4 x 800 Relay:
1st Place: Daniel Mazar, Aaron Cole, Devon Dudding, Eli Sweatt: 7:57.3

Congratulations to all team members and good luck at State for our state qualifiers.

Itinerary for IHSA Sectional Meet Friday

2008-05-13T07:08:00.001-07:00

ITINERARY FOR IHSA SECTIONAL MEET ON 5/16/08
Springfield Lanphier High School
Springfield, IL
Meet starts @ 4:30 pm
BUS LEAVES AT 1:30 PM!! YOU WILL BE EXCUSED AFTER 5th HOUR! DO NOT BE LATE OR YOU WILL GET LEFT BEHIND!!

ORDER OF EVENTS
Field Events Start @ 4:30pm
PRELIMS- 100m, 110m, 200m start @ 5:30 pm
4x800 relay
4x100 relay
3200m
110 HH
100m
800m
4x200 relay
400m
300 IH
1600m
200m
4x400 relay
WHAT TO BRING TO THE MEET:
UNIFORM
SPIKES-SHOES- ¼”
WARM-UPS (WARM CLOTHES)-CHANGE OF CLOTHES
WATER-GATORADE-SNACKS (NO SODA OR SWEETS)

DIRECTIONS TO SPRINGFIELD LANPHIER HIGH SCHOOL
1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on CENTER GROVE RD toward SUGAR CREEK LN. 1.4 mi
2: Turn RIGHT onto TROY RD/IL-159. Continue to follow IL-159 S.2.0 mi
3: Turn LEFT to take the I-270 E ramp toward EFFINGHAM.0.0 mi
4: Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto ramp.0.2 mi
5: Merge onto I-270 E.2.5 mi
6: Merge onto I-55 N via EXIT 15B toward CHICAGO.78.6 mi
7: Take the CLEAR LAKE AVE/IL-97 W exit, EXIT 98B.0.2 mi
8: Merge onto I-72 W/US-36 W.0.1 mi
9: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto IL-97 W/E CLEAR LAKE AVE. Continue to follow IL-97 W.2.6 mi
10: Turn RIGHT onto I-55 BL/N 9TH ST.0.9 mi
11: Turn RIGHT onto N GRAND AVE E.0.1 mi
12: Turn LEFT onto N 11TH ST.0.0 mi
13: End at 1300 N 11th St Springfield, IL 62702
Estimated Time: 1 hour 34 minutes Estimated Distance: 88.66 miles

TEAM DINNER ON 5/15/08

2008-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

**THE TEAM DINNER WILL NOT BE IN THE COMMONS, BUT IN ROOM D130**

The boys track team would like to have their last team dinner on Thursday May 15 at 5 pm in room D130. If you would like to help with the team dinner in any way please contact Coach Wilson by email at mwilson@ecusd7.org, or by phone at 401-2990. Thank you for everyone's help throughout the season. The coaches and the athletes greatly appreciate everyone's contributions they have made to the team.

Thanks again,

Coach Wilson

Madison County Results

2008-04-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Boys Team for their 2nd place finish at the Madison County Invitational held on Tuesday, April 22 at Granite City. Placing for the Tigers:

Shot Put:

1st Place: Garrett Shafer: 45-5
5th Place: Nick Bramhall: 42-2

Discus:

2nd Place: John Miller: 128-2

4 x 800 Relay:

1st Place: 8:07: New County Record
Daniel Mazar, Aaron Cole, Devon Dudding, Eli Sweatt

3200 Meter Run:

3rd Place: Chris Taglieri: 10:12.2
8th Place: Jake Nelson: 11:04.5

110 High Hurdles:

2nd Place: Malcolm Foster: 15.0

100 Meters:

7th Place: Ryan Koons: 11.53

800 Meter Run:

2nd Place: Devon Dudding: 2:01.75
4th Place: Daniel Mazar: 2:02.7

4 x 200 Meter Relay:

7th Place: 1:37.7
Cory Zach, Dominque Sanders, Peter Renken, David Parks

400 Meter Run:

6th Place: Aaron Cole: 52.21
8th Place: Dameon Morgan: 53.2

300 Low Hurdles:

6th Place: Christian Kellerman: 45.62

1600 Meter Run:

3rd Place: Eli Sweattt: 4:36.1

4 x 400 Relay:

200 Meter Run:

1st Place: Malcolm Foster: 22.86

4 x 400 Relay:

4th Place: 3:34.41
Peter Renken, Dameon Morgan, Eli Sweatt, Aaron Cole

Congratulations on some outstanding performances and on one new County Meet Record!

Orphan Relays

2008-04-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the Centralia Orphan Relays will be held today, starting at 3:30 p.m. at Centralia High School. Athletes competing will be dismissed at 12:05 and depart at 12:30. We will plan on stopping to eat after the meet.

Practice for Monday will be cancelled for those athletes not competing in the relays. Please try to get in a run on your own.......I would prefer a fartlek! Thank you.

Southwestern Illinois Relays: Special Thanks!

2008-03-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sue Mueller and Larry Thompson spent a chilly day in Belleville volunteering as timers at the SW Illinois Relays. Photos/TomAtwood

The 2008 Southwestern Illinois Relays were a success thanks to all of the help given to the EHS Coaching Staff. We would like to take a moment and give some special thank yous:

Coach Austrakus and the SIUE Track and Field Staff. Thank you for taking care of entries and seeding the event. We appreciate all of the help you gave us and look forward to hosting the event at the updated SIUE facility next year.

Coach Seagraves and Belleville West. Belleville West has one of the best facilities in the conference. We greatly appreciate Coach Seagraves and the Administration at Belleville West for allowing us to host the event at their facility. Thank you for your help and your dedication to track and field.

Mr. and Mrs. Bevis and Katie. It is always great to get help for such a supportive family. Mr. Bevis assisted throughout the event, starting with some Athletic Director type duties and turning into meet managment and scoring duties. Special thanks to Lynn for not only giving her husband up for the day but also for assisting him with scoring. Katie, thanks for your help as well. We owe you! Just remind us and we will try to help out with a future Liberty event!

EHS Athletes. We appreciate all of the help from members of the EHS Track and Field Teams during the day. Field Events went off well and quickly thanks to all of the extra help. Especially on such a cold day, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you.

Travis Dudley, Willie Sweatt, Charlie Vance, Dustin Davis, and Garrett Sweatt. We are fortunate to have such great alumni (and one pumped up 8th grader) that, not only come out in 40 degree temperatures to cheer on their former school, but also volunteer to assist with the pole vault, timing, taking splits, and running results to the press box. Thank you for your continued support to the program. It is always a pleasure to see you guys!

Mrs. Coley. We just finished our fourth meet, and you have helped out with almost all of them. Besides having the third place finisher in the pole vault as a daughter, she also has a love for our sport. Mrs. Coley worked through the cold temperatures to make sure the coaches had a knowledgable worker assisting them. Thank you for your time and help.

Tom Atwood: For taking countless picutres of the event. We look forward to seeing them posted throughout the season. Just make sure you take more caution when taking pictures of the coaching staff. Either that, or photoshop/edit our pictures before posting them.

Ms. Mueller and Mr. Thompson. Thank you so much for all of your help. Ms. Mueller and Mr. Thompson were outside from 10:45 until after 3:30 working the finish line, timing third and fourth places and keeping things running smoothly at the line. Being with them all day, I know how cold it was and how hard they worked. Thank you very much for all of your help. It's good to see other people crazy enough to spend an entire day outside at a track meet that are not coaches. We appreciate your help.

All Officials, Coaches and teams: Thank you for making this a successful event. We appreciate all of the help throughout the day. Thank you to Mr. Huwer, Mr. Skirball and Mr. Stallhut for their wonderful work today in keeping the meet flowing. You gentlemen did a great job! Coaches, thank you for your patience and help with the field events and timing. The meet was a success because of your help. Also, thank you to all teams for your sportsmanship, performances, and camp clean up. We hope you enjoyed the meet as much as we enjoyed putting it on.

Congratulations to all teams and coaches and good luck during the remainder of the 2008 Track and Field Season.