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Virginia Indoor Track and Field Preview - Part One
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Jan. 15, 2013
What are the expectations for the team as a whole for the indoor season?
“Our goal is to improve on what we did last year. Last year, we were fourth on the men’s side and the women’s side at ACCs. We want to come into the year and do better than we did last year. We want more people to go to NCAAs and increase what we did on the track. The fall semester, from a training point, was good. What our men did in cross country, I couldn’t be happier. It was a great starting point. What all the groups did in the fall was built a good foundation for the spring. We had our best semester academically in school history in the fall. That is all part of it. That ties into doing the little things right. We have the focus and to me, that is the beginning.” – head coach Bryan Fetzer
What message have you tried to instill at the start of practice?
“One of the things we need from our whole team as we go into the indoor season is everyone realizing they each have a role. Everybody’s goal is to score some points. Whether it’s the person who scores 10 points or one point, everyone needs to contribute. That rolls into getting better everyday in everything they do. We need to build on the women’s second place outdoor finish from last year at ACCs and continue to progress throughout the year.” – Fetzer
How did the cross country season prepare the men’s distance squad for the start of the indoor track season?
“It went very well and we are coming off a successful cross country season. The guys are healthy and are excited to run fast now. We did a lot of mileage over the summer, and the fall is an extension of that. Now it is time to go out and run a little bit quicker at some shorter intervals.” – assistant coach Pete Watson
Who do you expect to be the top men’s distance performers this season?
“The expectations that this group will line up at the ACC’s and score some points and then have some qualify for the NCAA meet. The most important thing right now is to be ready for the ACC meet. Mark Amirault is now healthy. He was a little banged up during cross country, but he is now training great. We have Chris Foley back, who had a good season last year, and so is Kyle King. Zach Gates will probably help us more outdoors than indoors. For this group, indoor track is just like cross country. It is all about lining up at the meet and scoring points.” – Watson
What men’s distance events do you think this group will have success in, especially in terms of scoring points at the ACC Championships?
“We are going to have a really good distance medley relay. We have all the components of that. I think we are going to be strong all the way through. In the mile, this could be the first time in about 25 years that we have a guy run under four minutes. Anthony Kostelac and Mark Amirault will both give that a good scare. In the 3K and the 5K we will be strong. Last year at the ACC Indoor meet we went 1-2-3 in the 5K. I don’t know if we can do that again, but we certainly have the pieces to do that. The mile, the 3K, the 5K and the DMR, those are four strong events for us that will be important to this team.” – Watson
What did you learn from the cross country season that shows where the women’s distance runners are at to start the indoor season?
“For indoors, we are bringing back a couple of people who didn’t run in the fall, like Chelsea Ley and Dena O’Brien. They are two big parts of our group who didn’t run in the fall because they were hurt. Someone like Vicky Fouhy will help us as we knew when we added her that she would help us more on the track than in cross country. She filled in, in a pinch, during cross country, but she is excited to get back to the track during indoors.” – assistant coach Todd Morgan
What will be the strongest events for the women’s distance group?
“I look for Vicky Fouhy to do big things in the mile. In the 3K, the 5K, and the 10K when we get outdoors, is where Chelsea Ley, Dena O’Brien, Katherine Walker and Catherine White when she comes back outdoors, will have the chance to really shine.” – Morgan
Is the focus of the indoor season for the women’s distance runners to find ways to score points at the ACC Championships?
“We want to try to maximize the number of points our group can put up. That is the thought process of the whole season. We are looking to figure out where to best utilize everyone to contribute as much towards that point total as we can.” – Morgan
What women’s distance performers will you count on the most during indoors?
“Vicky Fouhy and Kathleen Stevens are two people who have come back ready to go and run well. Barbara Strehler hasn’t run much indoors here, but is somebody who has come back fit and ready to go.” – Morgan
Part Two: Sprints/Hurdles (Wednesday)
Part Three: Jumps/Throws/Multis (Thursday)