SycamoreStateofMind
11-22-2009, 07:51 PM
This thread will also serve as the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Meet Summary - but I wanted to focus on Eric, as he will be running in the National meet here in Terre Haute tomorrow! Be sure to come out and support Eric!
My View:
Indiana State set the tempo from the get go of the Regional meet, you could really tell that they meant business. At the same time part of me was wondering if maybe they got out to quick, but the pace was not overly quick for the first 5K which actually did us some favors. Between Eric, Disher and Vaughn we had 3 guys in the top 20 or so at the 5k - this set the team up very well. Vaughn faded a little bit in the second half of the race, but he was able to hang tough. That's ok though, because he just set the world record in the milk mile tonight! Disher and Eric kept them self in a position not only to move on but put the team in a GREAT spot. 2 guys that really need a kudos, Craig Padget and freshman Al Esclara had huge days, both of them had big second half's at the Regional meet. We will be expecting big things from these 2 guys next season!
I can't stress this enough, to loose 4 time All MVC performer, former national qualifier and be able to respond like this as a team was unbelievable and really one of the most impressive performances you will ever see! You hear Tony Dungy and other great coaches talk about how teams respond to a key player getting hurt. You can either use that as an excuse to not perform or you can view it as an opportunity. I don't know what these guys said to one another or what coach said to them but it worked! These guys came into this meet seeded 8th in the Great Lakes Region, were never any higher than 6th in the region all year. To finish 3rd and beat some of the teams that the Sycamores beat was epic! A great day for Sycamore Cross Country, surely something to build on for year!
The Sycamores finish the season ranked 33rd in the country and missed qualifying for the national meet by 2 spots. Some might argue that they got slighted just a bit by the NCAA selection committee, however it was a pretty fair ruling - disappointing but pretty fair! For the Sycamores to even be in the discussion was amazing, but I don't know why anything that this program does should amaze anyone!
Congrats on a great season guys! Thanks for all the interviews and letting me be a part of your success! Good luck this indoor and outdoor track seasons! Go get another MVC title!
Post Race Interview: with top Sycamore finisher (5th) and national qualifier, SR Eric Schulz
sycamorerunner.com: Eric this had to be one of the best individual efforts I have ever seen by a Sycamore runner, what were your thoughts and feelings after the race of your life?
Eric: I felt really good about it. The last 2 k was very painful but I knew if I wanted to “punch my ticket to the big dance” I had to stick it out and hold onto the pack of guys around me. I went into the race knowing I didn’t want it to be my last college cross country race. To be the first sycamore to break into the top 10 at a regional race is very over whelming. I am very humbled to be in such a group of elite runners to make it to the national meet from ISU.
sycamorerunner.com: One more big race ahead of you, this is why we all participate in sports, to advance and run in national championship meets is what it is all about and you get to do that on (Monday). What was your race strategy and how were you able to execute it so perfectly?
Eric: I will give you the same recap I gave my fan club members
Saturday was the race that made it all come true. The race was in Bloomington, IN. Going in I knew that I had one last chance to make it to the big dance and I had a good chance of doing it. Our team also had a great chance to make it to the national meet. I got out very good and got into the top 40 right off the bat. My teammates were right there with me and we were in great position with 5 ISU runners up there. We had 4 guys up front at the 5k and I felt great. At the 5k I was in 12th place. I knew I had to hang on to the front pack to have a shot to get out individually and if I did that that will give ISU a good shot of placing very well as a team. I was in 10th at the 8k and this is when it really started to hurt. Going back to the team by this point we had split up. We had 3 in the top 30 at the 8k and 5 in the top 60. I had two Butler runners next to me and I worked with them until the straight away. Working with the Butler guys we passed 2 runners. On the straight away I passed the Butler guys and a Michigan State runner. I was sitting in 5th place when I was passed with 20 meters by the Michigan State runner putting me into 6th place. Going down the straight away was thinking keep it together and DO NOT FALL. I finished and my trainer was there to embrace me, I asked him how the team looked and he said turn around. There was two more ISU runner. So we had 6, 22,23. We also had runners in 46 and 54 places. As a team we placed 4th. Which is the best finish we had ever had at the regional meet. Bad news is the National committee only took 3 teams from our regional this year. I placed 6th but was the 2nd individual to go not on a team going to national’s
sycamorerunner.com: I was not aware of the fact that you had a fan club, can I join? Did you think you had this kind of performance in you?
Eric: I did from all the work I put in the summer. I was doing 90 – 95 miles a week for most of the cc season. Doing core 2 days a week and all the workouts set me up to do big things at the regional race. I felt really strong at the conference race giving me confidence for the regional meet. I have been tapering my miles just right and knew a big race was in my future.
sycamorerunner.com: We here at sycamorerunner.com would like to take some of the credit for helping keep you honest by allowing you to blog your miles this summer on the site! What was the teams goal coming into the meet knowing that Scott would not be running?
Eric: At team camp this summer we set a goal as a team to win conference and make it to nationals as a team. We have said this last year and it didn’t come true but having strong leaders up front and a great group of under classmen we knew we could get these goals done. So having Scott not running kind of hurt the team for a couple of days but Friday before the race we all said we are deep and talented and can still get the job done and make it to nationals. So the team goal was to make it to national for the school for the team for coach and for Scott.
sycamorerunner.com: Yeah and you have to think if Scott runs then the team more than likely makes the national meet, but that's the way it goes sometimes! The way the team responded was fantastic! By now everyone knows that the team just missed making nationals. What are your feelings on not receiving an at large bid? Did you think you deserved a bid?
Eric: We came so close. I am so proud of the team for running so hard and smart at the regional meet. They worked so hard to get to this point. This team has had a great season and got a lot done. After the race I knew it was going to be close. I knew they would take 3 teams out of our region, and we would be on the bubble. We had some points going into the regional race but not a lot and that is what really hurt us in the end. This should help our team in a lot of ways. With recruits, it will show them that ISU can bring it to the table at the end of the season and beat some of the country’s best. It should show them that we are a young team and we have a lot of stars coming up that will keep this team strong for years to come. It will also tell recruits that coaches training method is taking walk-ons like myself and making them able to run with the big dogs. This should give the ISU CC team some national respect. To be talked about by the NCAA CC committee is huge for our program.
sycamorerunner.com: Yeah well this alum was proud of what you all accomplished, I know some other alums that were very happy with the way you all went about your business at Regionals. Now looking forward to this coming Monday, what are your expectations heading into you first national championship?
Eric: My goal is become an all-American, which is placing in the top 40 in the race Monday. I want to leave it all on the course on Monday. This will be my last college CC race ever so I am going to go have fun wear the blue and white with pride and keep pushing until the finish.
sycamorerunner.com: Well it's the biggest meet of your life my friend, have a great time and make sure to soak this one up! All that hard work paid off, what does it mean to you to be able to run on your home course in front of so many friends and family?
Eric: It means a lot. It is awesome to be running on my home course. I have a lot of people coming up for this race to cheer me on from New Albany which will help get me through the race. Having everyone from ISU yelling for me is a great feeling and a great honor as well. I want to give a shout-out to my parents for always being there for me and pushing me when I didn’t want to be pushed. You guys taught me at a young age to work hard for what I wanted and if I worked hard I will get it. On Monday I am going to get what I worked hard for a chance to run with the best in the country. Go Trees!
Another thing I want to thank you (Morgan) for helping get this Track and Field and CC part of Sycamorehoops up and running. I have had a lot of fun telling sycamore fans my thoughts on things this season. You do a lot for this site and for ISU athletics and we appreciate it
sycamorerunner.com: No Eric thank you and the rest of your teammates for giving us some insight this season! I would also like to again congratulate Indiana State Coach John McNichols on his first Great Lakes Regional Coach of the year honor - what a great honor for a deserving individual!
Results:
Outside of Eric's 5th place finish the other Sycamores had some impressive performances! Indiana State junior Michael Disher finished 22nd overall with a time of 31:37.93 with sophomore teammate Craig Padgett 23rd in 31:39.85. Schulz, Disher and Padgett were each named to the All-Region team. Congrats to these guys - very gutty boys!
Sophomore Jeremiah Vaughan finished 46th overall in 32:22.88 and freshman Albaro Escalera was 54th (32.23.11) in the final two scoring spots. Also for Indiana State, junior Andrew Lepkowski was 75th in 32:59.07 and sophomore Dustin Betz was 85th in 33:09.48.
My View:
Indiana State set the tempo from the get go of the Regional meet, you could really tell that they meant business. At the same time part of me was wondering if maybe they got out to quick, but the pace was not overly quick for the first 5K which actually did us some favors. Between Eric, Disher and Vaughn we had 3 guys in the top 20 or so at the 5k - this set the team up very well. Vaughn faded a little bit in the second half of the race, but he was able to hang tough. That's ok though, because he just set the world record in the milk mile tonight! Disher and Eric kept them self in a position not only to move on but put the team in a GREAT spot. 2 guys that really need a kudos, Craig Padget and freshman Al Esclara had huge days, both of them had big second half's at the Regional meet. We will be expecting big things from these 2 guys next season!
I can't stress this enough, to loose 4 time All MVC performer, former national qualifier and be able to respond like this as a team was unbelievable and really one of the most impressive performances you will ever see! You hear Tony Dungy and other great coaches talk about how teams respond to a key player getting hurt. You can either use that as an excuse to not perform or you can view it as an opportunity. I don't know what these guys said to one another or what coach said to them but it worked! These guys came into this meet seeded 8th in the Great Lakes Region, were never any higher than 6th in the region all year. To finish 3rd and beat some of the teams that the Sycamores beat was epic! A great day for Sycamore Cross Country, surely something to build on for year!
The Sycamores finish the season ranked 33rd in the country and missed qualifying for the national meet by 2 spots. Some might argue that they got slighted just a bit by the NCAA selection committee, however it was a pretty fair ruling - disappointing but pretty fair! For the Sycamores to even be in the discussion was amazing, but I don't know why anything that this program does should amaze anyone!
Congrats on a great season guys! Thanks for all the interviews and letting me be a part of your success! Good luck this indoor and outdoor track seasons! Go get another MVC title!
Post Race Interview: with top Sycamore finisher (5th) and national qualifier, SR Eric Schulz
sycamorerunner.com: Eric this had to be one of the best individual efforts I have ever seen by a Sycamore runner, what were your thoughts and feelings after the race of your life?
Eric: I felt really good about it. The last 2 k was very painful but I knew if I wanted to “punch my ticket to the big dance” I had to stick it out and hold onto the pack of guys around me. I went into the race knowing I didn’t want it to be my last college cross country race. To be the first sycamore to break into the top 10 at a regional race is very over whelming. I am very humbled to be in such a group of elite runners to make it to the national meet from ISU.
sycamorerunner.com: One more big race ahead of you, this is why we all participate in sports, to advance and run in national championship meets is what it is all about and you get to do that on (Monday). What was your race strategy and how were you able to execute it so perfectly?
Eric: I will give you the same recap I gave my fan club members
Saturday was the race that made it all come true. The race was in Bloomington, IN. Going in I knew that I had one last chance to make it to the big dance and I had a good chance of doing it. Our team also had a great chance to make it to the national meet. I got out very good and got into the top 40 right off the bat. My teammates were right there with me and we were in great position with 5 ISU runners up there. We had 4 guys up front at the 5k and I felt great. At the 5k I was in 12th place. I knew I had to hang on to the front pack to have a shot to get out individually and if I did that that will give ISU a good shot of placing very well as a team. I was in 10th at the 8k and this is when it really started to hurt. Going back to the team by this point we had split up. We had 3 in the top 30 at the 8k and 5 in the top 60. I had two Butler runners next to me and I worked with them until the straight away. Working with the Butler guys we passed 2 runners. On the straight away I passed the Butler guys and a Michigan State runner. I was sitting in 5th place when I was passed with 20 meters by the Michigan State runner putting me into 6th place. Going down the straight away was thinking keep it together and DO NOT FALL. I finished and my trainer was there to embrace me, I asked him how the team looked and he said turn around. There was two more ISU runner. So we had 6, 22,23. We also had runners in 46 and 54 places. As a team we placed 4th. Which is the best finish we had ever had at the regional meet. Bad news is the National committee only took 3 teams from our regional this year. I placed 6th but was the 2nd individual to go not on a team going to national’s
sycamorerunner.com: I was not aware of the fact that you had a fan club, can I join? Did you think you had this kind of performance in you?
Eric: I did from all the work I put in the summer. I was doing 90 – 95 miles a week for most of the cc season. Doing core 2 days a week and all the workouts set me up to do big things at the regional race. I felt really strong at the conference race giving me confidence for the regional meet. I have been tapering my miles just right and knew a big race was in my future.
sycamorerunner.com: We here at sycamorerunner.com would like to take some of the credit for helping keep you honest by allowing you to blog your miles this summer on the site! What was the teams goal coming into the meet knowing that Scott would not be running?
Eric: At team camp this summer we set a goal as a team to win conference and make it to nationals as a team. We have said this last year and it didn’t come true but having strong leaders up front and a great group of under classmen we knew we could get these goals done. So having Scott not running kind of hurt the team for a couple of days but Friday before the race we all said we are deep and talented and can still get the job done and make it to nationals. So the team goal was to make it to national for the school for the team for coach and for Scott.
sycamorerunner.com: Yeah and you have to think if Scott runs then the team more than likely makes the national meet, but that's the way it goes sometimes! The way the team responded was fantastic! By now everyone knows that the team just missed making nationals. What are your feelings on not receiving an at large bid? Did you think you deserved a bid?
Eric: We came so close. I am so proud of the team for running so hard and smart at the regional meet. They worked so hard to get to this point. This team has had a great season and got a lot done. After the race I knew it was going to be close. I knew they would take 3 teams out of our region, and we would be on the bubble. We had some points going into the regional race but not a lot and that is what really hurt us in the end. This should help our team in a lot of ways. With recruits, it will show them that ISU can bring it to the table at the end of the season and beat some of the country’s best. It should show them that we are a young team and we have a lot of stars coming up that will keep this team strong for years to come. It will also tell recruits that coaches training method is taking walk-ons like myself and making them able to run with the big dogs. This should give the ISU CC team some national respect. To be talked about by the NCAA CC committee is huge for our program.
sycamorerunner.com: Yeah well this alum was proud of what you all accomplished, I know some other alums that were very happy with the way you all went about your business at Regionals. Now looking forward to this coming Monday, what are your expectations heading into you first national championship?
Eric: My goal is become an all-American, which is placing in the top 40 in the race Monday. I want to leave it all on the course on Monday. This will be my last college CC race ever so I am going to go have fun wear the blue and white with pride and keep pushing until the finish.
sycamorerunner.com: Well it's the biggest meet of your life my friend, have a great time and make sure to soak this one up! All that hard work paid off, what does it mean to you to be able to run on your home course in front of so many friends and family?
Eric: It means a lot. It is awesome to be running on my home course. I have a lot of people coming up for this race to cheer me on from New Albany which will help get me through the race. Having everyone from ISU yelling for me is a great feeling and a great honor as well. I want to give a shout-out to my parents for always being there for me and pushing me when I didn’t want to be pushed. You guys taught me at a young age to work hard for what I wanted and if I worked hard I will get it. On Monday I am going to get what I worked hard for a chance to run with the best in the country. Go Trees!
Another thing I want to thank you (Morgan) for helping get this Track and Field and CC part of Sycamorehoops up and running. I have had a lot of fun telling sycamore fans my thoughts on things this season. You do a lot for this site and for ISU athletics and we appreciate it
sycamorerunner.com: No Eric thank you and the rest of your teammates for giving us some insight this season! I would also like to again congratulate Indiana State Coach John McNichols on his first Great Lakes Regional Coach of the year honor - what a great honor for a deserving individual!
Results:
Outside of Eric's 5th place finish the other Sycamores had some impressive performances! Indiana State junior Michael Disher finished 22nd overall with a time of 31:37.93 with sophomore teammate Craig Padgett 23rd in 31:39.85. Schulz, Disher and Padgett were each named to the All-Region team. Congrats to these guys - very gutty boys!
Sophomore Jeremiah Vaughan finished 46th overall in 32:22.88 and freshman Albaro Escalera was 54th (32.23.11) in the final two scoring spots. Also for Indiana State, junior Andrew Lepkowski was 75th in 32:59.07 and sophomore Dustin Betz was 85th in 33:09.48.