Is there any progress towards a track around Brown Field?
One of my high school teammates was just announced as a new assistant track and field coach and it reminded me of this. The Master Plan itself (http://www.valpo.edu/masterplan/assets/docs/VU%20MP%20Exec%20Summary_final.pdf (http://www.valpo.edu/masterplan/assets/docs/VU%20MP%20Exec%20Summary_final.pdf)) only has a mention in a "Football with Track" label on one of its images while the Future Campus Map (http://www.valpo.edu/masterplan/assets/docs/Masterplan_Map_poster.pdf (http://www.valpo.edu/masterplan/assets/docs/Masterplan_Map_poster.pdf)) suggests we should have a track by 2032. Might we see it any sooner than that?
http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1593.0 (http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1593.0)
Quote from: a3uge on October 14, 2013, 04:57:12 PM
Via Valpo WikiLeaks - We're finally getting a track around the football field.
Thanks for catching me up!
It is officially official although the University hasn't announced it yet!
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=63470 (http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=63470)
WHOO HOO! :clap: :clap: :clap:
Starts this March and will be completed by July.
Hope they put a nice fence and landscaping around it.
Brown Field will now look almost finished. Still need to redo the home grandstands and press box, but ML says that comes after the ARC and field house.
BTW Mark Hagerman, the company CEO, was an OG on the 1962-1966 Crusader FB team.
During Spring FB they will have to navigate through the construction site to get to the field.
Quote from: VULB#62 on January 31, 2014, 12:38:49 PMBTW Mark Hagerman, the company CEO, was an OG on the 1962-1966 Crusader FB team.
Wow. For some reason, that makes me really much more excited about the project. In good hands!
(...well, not 'good hands' literally, because you don't find guards on that special team, i don't think : )
Here's an image of what the proposed track around Brown Field was going to look like when it was planned during FITT. It's safe to say it will probably resemble this in some way:
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/andrewzimmer06/FITT-planstrack_zps13c9222b.jpg) (http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/andrewzimmer06/media/FITT-planstrack_zps13c9222b.jpg.html)
How accurate will it be, when the scoreboard is on the other side now :o lol
From the PT:
Also at the Site Review meeting, Valparaiso University presented plans to install an eight-lane track around its football field, remove the old tennis courts west of the field now used for parking and install an equipment shed.
They hope to start March 15 by removing the tennis courts and plan to use the former Porter Hospital parking garage and parking lots to replace the parking on the courts.
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/25678478-418/officials-learn-pratt-details-vu-plans-to-add-track-remove-tennis-courts.html (http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/25678478-418/officials-learn-pratt-details-vu-plans-to-add-track-remove-tennis-courts.html)
Vu72 asked about the track during the Q&A portion of the DFW meeting with President Heckler tonight. He confirmed the information above, as well as the name that the track will be given. He mentioned that the name hasn't been released publically, so I will leave it to vu72 to see if he wants to mention it :).
I also thought that it was cool to hear that there will be another new dorm after the current one finishes this Fall, which should be available the following year as well. This would be built to match increased student attendance. He said that we are currently at 97% occupancy, with 54 male students having to live in study lounges for the first bit of the school year, and it will be 95% occupancy next year with the new dorm. That is why they would be building another new dorm after this one. The intent is to have the older dorms house FR (revamped dorms), the new dorm for SOs with Memorial/Guild, and any apartments for JR/SR students. Heckler seemed pretty confident that we will reach the 6,000 student attendance that is desired, and that our average test scores/GPAs for incoming students has actually been increased, so the quality of students aren't going down with the increase in attendance. A very informative meeting, and my first time meeting vu72 in person.
Quote from: valpotx on February 20, 2014, 12:28:48 AM
Vu72 asked about the track during the Q&A portion of the DFW meeting with President Heckler tonight. He confirmed the information above, as well as the name that the track will be given. He mentioned that the name hasn't been released publically, so I will leave it to vu72 to see if he wants to mention it :).
I also thought that it was cool to hear that there will be another new dorm after the current one finishes this Fall, which should be available the following year as well. This would be built to match increased student attendance. He said that we are currently at 97% occupancy, with 54 male students having to live in study lounges for the first bit of the school year, and it will be 95% occupancy next year with the new dorm. That is why they would be building another new dorm after this one. The intent is to have the older dorms house FR (revamped dorms), the new dorm for SOs with Memorial/Guild, and any apartments for JR/SR students. Heckler seemed pretty confident that we will reach the 6,000 student attendance that is desired, and that our average test scores/GPAs for incoming students has actually been increased, so the quality of students aren't going down with the increase in attendance. A very informative meeting, and my first time meeting vu72 in person.
It's true, I was there and it was terrific to meet valpotx in person together with his very nice and very pregnant wife! President Heckler did confirm that the new track will be built, using only the finest (or close to the finest) ciders. While new hurdles couldn't fit into the budget at this time (more fund raising in underway!), we were fortunate that at the same time Valpo High discovered an old storage facility which contained hurdles used most recently during the forties. Though somewhat heavier than today's version, they do fold for easy storage and the current track team has volunteered to sand and repaint them so they should be like new!! The jump beds may be problematic though he assured us that the saw dust currently planned will be of the highest quality while foam rubber (from a used mattress company) is being priced for a possible replacement within the next five years.
Well, that wasn't exactly how he explained it. Let me try to add a few things from what valpotx said. It will be an eight lane track made of the latest spongy stuff. A new storage facility will be part of the project which has been mentioned in some of the news releases. The track will be named for a long time track coach at Luther North High in Chicago. Can't remember the name but 2 million dollars were raised which made it all possible.
If you haven't ever had the chance to hear President Heckler, don't pass up the next chance you have. He is a gem and incredibly polished and professional. No doubt, being a trained thespian makes public speaking easy, but he is simply brilliant and has a great vision for the future of Valpo.
Quote from: vu72 on February 20, 2014, 09:54:52 AMThe track will be named for a long time track coach at Luther North High in Chicago. Can't remember the name but 2 million dollars were raised which made it all possible.
The current and long time track coach at Luther North (33 years) and current Ath Dir is David Grim. That seems like the perfect name for this track.
http://il.8to18.com/LutherNorth/gallery?page=7
That isn't the name I remember being mentioned
Now it's time to speculate on the track's design. Will it be the traditional reddish/orange with white lines we see so much of, or will it be brown with yellow lines? A milk chocolate brown, not a dark brown, would look pretty good IMO.
VU72/ValpoTx --
Did President Heckler mention when construction would begin on the second new dorm? Was there mention made of any other building projects?
Paul
Quote from: 78crusader on February 20, 2014, 01:10:33 PM
VU72/ValpoTx --
Did President Heckler mention when construction would begin on the second new dorm? Was there mention made of any other building projects?
Paul
I recall him saying that the new dorm would begin almost immediately after Beacon Hall is occupied. He did mention a glaring need for a new science building so I suspect that could either be an addition to Neills or a new structure as part of the STEM cluster.
He also spoke in-depth about the work they have done in the chapel. I didn't know that they updated the heating system in there, or that O.P. Kretzmann put in an experimental heat conducting system in 1959, that was the cause of it often being cold in there. He briefly mentioned that the hospital has been demolished, as you probably knew, and that will become the site of the fieldhouse, but no timeline.
These sound like very exciting times for Valpo, and I think a brown and gold track would be awesome!
Do you think the addition of a track make VU more competitive in track and XC?
Quote from: SanityLost17 on February 20, 2014, 06:44:52 PMDo you think the addition of a track make VU more competitive in track and XC?
Well seeing a track on the campus should help with the recruitment process and retention of our top track athletes. Along with that it will give them a good facility to practice at every day (at least during nice weather). So in theory it will make the Track/XC teams more competitive.
I think it goes a little bit beyond that. The completion of this facility (Brown Field with a track) speaks to the overall commitment to athletics in general. So when a prospective volleyball player or a baseball player tour the campus on a recruiting visit, they not only see the facility they are most interested in, they also see a more complete picture. It might not be an overwhelming aha! moment, but with everything else equal it might be the difference in getting a kid versus losing out to another school -- regardless of the sport they play.
Given that much else needs to be done (ARC renovation, FB Locker space, eventually a field house, etc.) this is still a major improvement for VU athletics in general -- not just T&F and CC.
Quote from: VULB#62 on February 20, 2014, 10:32:18 PM
I think it goes a little bit beyond that. The completion of this facility (Brown Field with a track) speaks to the overall commitment to athletics in general. So when a prospective volleyball player or a baseball player tour the campus on a recruiting visit, they not only see the facility they are most interested in, they also see a more complete picture. It might not be an overwhelming aha! moment, but with everything else equal it might be the difference in getting a kid versus losing out to another school -- regardless of the sport they play.
Given that much else needs to be done (ARC renovation, FB Locker space, eventually a field house, etc.) this is still a major improvement for VU athletics in general -- not just T&F and CC.
Agreed. It can also be used by other sports, other functions (such as Air Force ROTC), and the general student population. The track is a no-brainer.......hopefully prospective students just thought they missed seeing the track before on the tour, but now they will know we have one.
I agree that the new track should help out with recruiting all sports. However, as a track/xc guy, I can tell you that the track and XC programs will not see significant improvements without a coaching change. I see this as the perfect time to get somebody in there that knows how to recruit. A good recruiter can do wonders even without much scholarship support. The fact that several D3 programs in Indiana are out recruiting VU in these sports is just plain sad.
I might add that now that a track is actually in our future, recruiting could be stimulated a bit with the addition of a couple more scholarships that can be spread among in-coming athletes. I understand that VU is lagging quite a bit behind other HL schools in scholarship aid and when it comes to attracting athletes, even trackless schools (e.g. UWM, Oakland, Detroit, Wright) with a larger scholarship pool can get the attention of good athletes.
As of this summer, all of the following HL schools will have complete outdoor track facilities:
YSU: Actually a new facility for the 2014 outdoor season because they demolished the older facility to build a field house
Valpo: Should be completed by the beginning of the 2014-15 academic year
Yep, that's it.
I believe that we are in the top 3 in athletic department budget in the HL. Can someone confirm that?
Wouldn't be surprised Tex. Valpo fields more sports teams than any other HL school plus has football. YSU is FCS scholarship in FB so that means a lot of $$$. My guesses would be in bold.
Valpo -- 19*
Detroit -- 17 **
UIC -- 16
CSU -- 16
Oakland -- 16
WSU -- 15
UWGB -- 14
YSU -- 14*
UWM -- 13
* football schools
** has Men's LAX (large roster and travel budget)
Lehigh, where new HFBC Cecchini came from, by comparison, fields 23.
UIC web site lists 18 sports (non HL sports are gymnastics for men and women). Regardless, the biggest difference is budget demands obviously is the tuition differences between the private and tax-supported schools.
Quote from: valpotx on February 22, 2014, 11:45:07 AMI believe that we are in the top 3 in athletic department budget in the HL. Can someone confirm that?
Too much work to bury it here in a track thread, but here:
http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1763.msg42581#msg42581 (http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1763.msg42581#msg42581)
Hmmm........... didn't figure on UIC, but got 2 out of the 3.
Here is the official announcement from Mark LaBarbera. My recollection of the person being honored was slightly off. It wasn't Luther North but rather Walther Lutheran in Chicago. Should be a very nice addition to the athletic facilities.
It is my great pleasure to announce the upcoming installation of the Warren G. Hoger Track at Brown Field. This state-of-the-art eight lane track will provide an outstanding competition facility for our track and field program, as well as invaluable training space for all our other teams and the general student body. The Hoger Track will include all of the additional areas needed for a full Division I meet, including jumping pits and the equipment for the steeple chase. For the first time we will be able to host home track meets including, potentially, the Horizon League championship. The project will also improve the aesthetics and landscaping at Brown Field, where we host football and soccer games.
The lead gift for this project was given in honor of Warren Hoger '53, a member of the Valpo Athletics family, who competed in track and field for the Brown & Gold. Mr. Hoger has gone on to a long and distinguished career as the track coach at Walther Lutheran High School in Chicago. We are thrilled that Mr. Hoger's example of service, commitment to faith and pursuit of calling will be held up to future generations of Valpo students through this new facility. An official dedication will take place at halftime of the Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 11.
Construction on the track will begin shortly after our basketball seasons are completed. We hope to have construction continue throughout the summer so that the track will be complete before student-athletes report back to campus in August. Some additional fundraising for this project is still needed. If you are interested in making a gift please contact Associate Director of Athletics John Kuka.
I still think calling it the Grim Track in honor the 30+ year track coach & athletic director at Luther North HS would have been more appropriate. ;D
Only if he had a brother.
Speaking of Track, (if anybody other than valporun was...) Here is a great piece from the Valpo Athletics site about a Valpo grad's and former Track Star's success story. He has some great stories about how far the program has progressed under Mark LaBarbera.
http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/articles/2014-15/14182/worth-the-weight-valpos-bartholomew-finding-his-niche/#.VIEE1THF8TA (http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/articles/2014-15/14182/worth-the-weight-valpos-bartholomew-finding-his-niche/#.VIEE1THF8TA)
Quote from: vu72 on December 04, 2014, 07:05:57 PM
Speaking of Track, (if anybody other than valporun was...) Here is a great piece from the Valpo Athletics site about a Valpo grad's and former Track Star's success story. He has some great stories about how far the program has progressed under Mark LaBarbera.
http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/articles/2014-15/14182/worth-the-weight-valpos-bartholomew-finding-his-niche/#.VIEE1THF8TA (http://www.valpoathletics.com/news/articles/2014-15/14182/worth-the-weight-valpos-bartholomew-finding-his-niche/#.VIEE1THF8TA)
Not only did he have wonderfully true things to say about the track and facility changes under Mark LaBarbera, he also changed the game of weight throwing in track. He has over 500 clientele from Division I track down to the NAIA ranks. He's doing great things for himself in the world of track and friend weight throwing. Great to see someone taking away from the monopoly that was companies just trying to get into a niche market they had no business being in. Even Gill Athletics is losing clientele to Steve, and that says A LOT about what he's doing. Go check out www.dominatorathletics.com (http://www.dominatorathletics.com), and see what he's doing in the track and field world.
Run, can you explain some of the differences in his products versus the competition? I don't know a single thing about throwing weights.
Quote from: valpotx on December 09, 2014, 12:50:14 PMI don't know a single thing about throwing weights.
I bet you do...just...light ones.
Quote from: valpotx on December 09, 2014, 12:50:14 PM
Run, can you explain some of the differences in his products versus the competition? I don't know a single thing about throwing weights.
Oh, come on, you have no trouble at all throwing your verbal "weights" around. ;D
I think that our former track athlete found that companies used unnecessarily expensive materials in a niche side industry of track & field, weight throwing, and he was able to make good throw weights with much cheaper materials that were of good quality through innovation and his own hand crafting skills. He was able to price the competition out of the small niche throwing weights market and corner that market. Those companies that were priced out of the throwing weights market still have large portions of the other track & field equipment markets and decided facing off with our Valpo grad was not in their best interests.
I'll think he should be the first recipient of the Valpo Carl Fisher award!!!
(https://lincolnhighwaynews.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/il_lynwood_mural_front.jpg)
While on the subject of track, my daughter attended the shot put clinic at VU this past Sunday. I came away very impressed with Coach Moore and Coach Pukstys. They are extremely knowledgeable and both seem to be great guys. They also did a fantastic job working with the kids. Give ML credit; he seems to have a knack for finding quality coaches for all of our athletic teams. Hopefully this is the right place for this post.
valpotx, bbtds summed up what I was going to say. Steve basically did his research on the overall cost of each part of a weight implement, and rather than just throw a random price on it to make it seem like it wasn't for everyone, he made throwing a shot or hammer something that every school across Division I that has track, and various other schools across the NCAA and NAIA, affordable. Plus, he makes his implements custom made to the individual thrower, whereas Gill and the other names in weight throwing just make a general ball that can be used by so many different types of thrower, but doesn't balance the weight of the thrower as effectively as the ball that Steve makes. He also makes apparel that is very well made to fit the individual, not just a 'one size fits all' that some of the other companies use. He would love to get involved with high schools, but so many of the high school coaches just go with the company they've been going with for years because they aren't as focused on the best equipment available to their throwers.
Quote from: valporun on December 10, 2014, 12:57:12 AMbut so many of the high school coaches just go with the company they've been going with for years because they aren't as focused on the best equipment available to their throwers.
Spread the word to the high school track coaches! It's cheaper and it's custom made! If the word gets out you don't know how far Steve's vision could go.
That's something I'm looking to do, although I think the other factor with high school teams, what happens when a shot is ordered for a thrower, and then that thrower quits? Commitment levels aren't as high in high school as they are in college. I'm guessing Steve has considered this as well. With high schools having so many kids come and go as the season goes on, it becomes costly for them to have a collection of custom made shots that go unused.
Wow, I never realized how much that stuff costs! If his products are cheap, I can only imagine what his competitor's equipment costs!
Quote from: valporun on December 10, 2014, 03:52:46 PM
That's something I'm looking to do, although I think the other factor with high school teams, what happens when a shot is ordered for a thrower, and then that thrower quits? Commitment levels aren't as high in high school as they are in college. I'm guessing Steve has considered this as well. With high schools having so many kids come and go as the season goes on, it becomes costly for them to have a collection of custom made shots that go unused.
Couldn't Steve still make a basic ball that is not custom made that is cheaper than his competition, due to the cheaper materials, for high schools? Or is that against Steve's principals of manufacturing throwing weights?
He could make a basic ball, but I didn't get the feeling that he just wanted to make shots for the sake of making them. He wanted to make a shot for a thrower that wants to throw The Best ball available.
From the Torch:
http://www.valpotorch.com/sports/article_9c7a6b7e-822d-11e4-b264-8784eae63622.html (http://www.valpotorch.com/sports/article_9c7a6b7e-822d-11e4-b264-8784eae63622.html)
When it was announced that one of the most decorated American javelin throwers of the last 20 years was joining the Valparaiso University track and field coaching staff, it likely came as a surprise to many, including those within the program.
Predictably, no one with the school is complaining about the good-fortune hire.
For much of the 1990s, Tom Pukstys was at the top of his field in this country. A six-time U.S. champion, Pukstys was the No. 1 ranked American javelin thrower seven times and twice competed at the Olympics, placing 10th at the 1992 Barcelona games and 8th at the 1996 games in Atlanta.
This should help Jeremy Getz out of his slump and get him into the 230' zone. Should also help the other throwers.
That is really cool, and I hope that our T&F team takes advantage of his knowledge over the next year.
Rather than start a new topic, I'll put it here...although Butler didn't field their top athlettes in any events last night, the Valparaiso Men's and Women's track and field programs BOTH DEFEATED Butler at the IPFW Duals. I never competed in a meet like this one while at Valpo, so I have no idea what the focus was, but from looking at the results, points were acquired based on finishes per event, so events were scored as if we were competing against Butler alone, instead of just taking the total points overall. It looks like we did well, but we're definitely a young team that just gets runners from wherever. I'd love for Valpo track to finally be able to provide some real scholarships for multiple members of the programs, but until I can make millions as a CEO somewhere, I'll justt have to be happy with what Coach Moore and Coach Straubel can recruit to a very "non-scholarship" program. (I put non-scholarship in quotes because each program has one scholarship per program to give out, so most of the team just walks in to practice in September, and is on the team regardless of how talented they are.)
I can speak to the age of the team a bit - my son is a freshman pole vaulter, and he said that when they had their first team meeting in the fall about half of the room was freshmen. I'm not sure if that speaks to a growing team, or that many athletes drop off of the team somewhere between their freshman and senior years.
My son was one of the top cc and track runners in NWI this past school year (13-14), and didn't even get a letter from anyone on either coaching staff.
He was first-team all-area in cross country, first-team all-area in the 3,200 after finishing 13th at state in a time that was the fifth best all-time at VHS.
His GPA was over 4 and he did fairly well on the ACT and SAT, results that were sent to VU. Still, nothing from either coaching staff - not that he would have gone to VU anyway because he wanted to get out of town. Still, would have been nice to get at least some interest.
Quote from: Valpo89 on January 25, 2015, 07:25:27 PM
My son was one of the top cc and track runners in NWI this past school year (13-14), and didn't even get a letter from anyone on either coaching staff.
He was first-team all-area in cross country, first-team all-area in the 3,200 after finishing 13th at state in a time that was the fifth best all-time at VHS.
His GPA was over 4 and he did fairly well on the ACT and SAT, results that were sent to VU. Still, nothing from either coaching staff - not that he would have gone to VU anyway because he wanted to get out of town. Still, would have been nice to get at least some interest.
That's very disappointing. You wonder why the coaching staff doesn't start recruiting with the local product rather then hoping someone with talent walks through the door. Looking at the roster, we do have kids from places like Florida, Texas, Virginia and Minneosta, but the vast majority of track and field athletes are from Indiana and Illinois.
Most of the lack of recruitment issues are due to the lack of scholarships that can be offered. Valpo89, your son would have been a great addition, but with his grades and want to get out of town, the coaches would have ignored him just the same. Do I hope the new track helps with recruiting? You bet I do! I just wish there was scholarship monies to offer, but VU Track just doesn't get the attention as basketball, softball, baseball, and soccer do.
Quote from: valporun on January 25, 2015, 10:17:39 PMValpo89, your son would have been a great addition, but with his grades and want to get out of town, the coaches would have ignored him just the same.
does not compute
First off, the grades were > 4.0, right? So why would the coaches have ignored him because of that? Is that too high for VU?
Second, they didn't know he wanted to get out of town BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T BOTHER TO ASK. Further, since he had his scores sent to the school, that should probably be taken as a modicum of interest, at least, right?
I don't pretend to know how the information flows (e.g. admissions to coaches, or vice versa) in such a case, but clearly, as has been stated before, there's not a whole lot of attention paid to local athletes in our non-revenue sports. Which to me is strange because since these are the non- or fewer-scholarship sports, you might expect to harvest some economy of scale due to savings in travel, etc.
I agree that you can't assume that a high school track and field athlete is "too good" or "too close to home" to be interested in Valpo's track program. My son-in-law was an extremely gifted shot putter and discus thrower with many options coming out of high school. He chose Huntington University because he was more comfortable in a small college environment and actually wanted to be close to home so his family could attend his meets. While at Huntington he set school records in both the shot and discus that far exceed Valpo's all-time bests, earned 4 national titles, was a 14-time All American, and was inducted into Huntington's athletic hall of fame. The critical point here is that Huntington's coaches took the time to make a connection with him when he was in high school.
https://www.huntington.edu/news/hall-of-fame-to-induct-four-foresters/ (https://www.huntington.edu/news/hall-of-fame-to-induct-four-foresters/)
I too am sorry your son didn't receive any mailings from Valpo. Ironically that is what put Valpo in my son's sights - a mailing regarding competing in track. Without that mailing we would have never considered Valpo living in Ohio.
Quote from: momofalex on January 26, 2015, 08:58:14 AM
I too am sorry your son didn't receive any mailings from Valpo. Ironically that is what put Valpo in my son's sights - a mailing regarding competing in track. Without that mailing we would have never considered Valpo living in Ohio.
Well, we received a lot of mailings from VU. But nothing specific to track or cross country, at least that I can recall.
It would have been nice just to get a little interest. I know I wasn't going to be able to talk him into going to VU, and we would have had to have a pretty good overall financial package for him to go there anyway. He's certainly very happy being at IU and competing for their running club, posting times in the fall that would have been right in the mix of VU's top 5 runners. And, he's better at track.
Quote from: valporun on January 25, 2015, 10:17:39 PM
Most of the lack of recruitment issues are due to the lack of scholarships that can be offered. Valpo89, your son would have been a great addition, but with his grades and want to get out of town, the coaches would have ignored him just the same. Do I hope the new track helps with recruiting? You bet I do! I just wish there was scholarship monies to offer, but VU Track just doesn't get the attention as basketball, softball, baseball, and soccer do.
I would hope that with the new track that the staff will have more recruiting $$$ or time to at least send out letters to those track and field athletes (and CC) in a 2-3 hour drive of Valpo. These are the students, especially those that have times that would compete with our current team, that might consider Valpo even without scholarship money. I would also think that some of these athletes might even be in line for some academic grants/aid, as they are probably better than average students in HS. The trick is getting them money, but not based on the fact that they were a member of the track team in HS.
I can somewhat echo Valpo89's concerns with recruiting. I went to Lake Central and my junior year I was a regional qualifier in Cross Country and the 3200 in track, one of the top 10 distance runners in Lake county. I received a letter of congratulations or interest from every D1 outside of Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, and Valpo. My grades were not nearly as good at 89's son's, but they were good enough to get into Valpo. I had 0 interest of running in college, 7 years of competing was enough and was already starting to feel the effects of running 350 days a year for 7 years. (Note: I now have the knees of a 65 year old according to a MRI tech when I went in 2 years ago to get them looked at since they were causing me so much pain I couldn't sit with them bent or stand for long periods of time.) I enjoyed my time at Valpo, and I might have considered running there if I had gotten a letter of interest from them, but since I didn't I decided to focus on going to basketball games instead.
As a former runner and Valpo Alumni, I understand the thought process on why people think Valpo should recruit more local kids. However it was already said earlier, they don't want to stay in Valpo. Why bother wasting the time and resources when 99% of the local kids want to leave Valparaiso and attend a different school? The local kids that want to attend Valpo are on the team, and doing well, but for the most part the local kids want to get the heck out of town. The program can't entice the top talent in the area to stay because they basically have 0 scholarships, and the smart & fast kids are going to attend the schools like Notre Dame and IU.
Here's the thing, though: they don't know if they don't ask, and really that's all that Valpo89 and other want. To say "they want to leave" is a generalization, and everyone who makes generalizations should be shot.
It's simply not enough to say that "local kids don't want to go to Valpo" when recruiting data has consistently shown that all things being equal, kids will most often opt for the school closest to home. Sure, some kids can't wait to go to Alaska-Fairbanks because it's SO far away, but every year dozens of kids from the 219 enroll at VU.
If they want to leave, sure they'll leave, but there's no chance they'll consider crashing a party to which they've never been invited.
As far as distance running is concerned, Valpo is a joke! It is not a lack of scholarships, or the fact that local kids "don't want to run at Valpo", or the fact that there was not a track for the longest time. An intelligent, passionate coach can overcome these things. Indiana Tech and Southern Indiana (no track) / Wabash College (no scholarships) / EVERYONE ELSE (success with lots of in state runners....you know, the same in state runners that VU ignores)
Several Indiana D3 schools have more consistent distance squads.... Sad!
I think I posted this another time. I had a runner who won the Lilly scholarship (free tuition), was looking for a private religious institution, and was the 9th best 3200 meter runner in the state. She got a letter from every single school in the state with the exception of Notre Dame, IU, and VU.
Quote from: SanityLost17 on February 03, 2015, 09:52:34 PM
As far as distance running is concerned, Valpo is a joke! It is not a lack of scholarships, or the fact that local kids "don't want to run at Valpo", or the fact that there was not a track for the longest time. An intelligent, passionate coach can overcome these things. Indiana Tech and Southern Indiana (no track) / Wabash College (no scholarships) / EVERYONE ELSE (success with lots of in state runners....you know, the same in state runners that VU ignores)
Several Indiana D3 schools have more consistent distance squads.... Sad!
I think I posted this another time. I had a runner who won the Lilly scholarship (free tuition), was looking for a private religious institution, and was the 9th best 3200 meter runner in the state. She got a letter from every single school in the state with the exception of Notre Dame, IU, and VU.
You may be correct although Valpo has had All Americans in track and cross country, most recently Laura Rolf and Collette Liss. I know Laura came from a Lutheran High School in Michigan but I'm also fairly sure Collette was a local product.
In any event, the fact is that we can, with all of our facility challenges, produce athletes at the highest level. With additional support, this can only improve.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 03, 2015, 08:55:03 PMbut there's no chance they'll consider crashing a party to which they've never been invited.
You're not referencing a party on Lind Lane, are you?
(http://media3.giphy.com/media/t7mlJRN2Er5nO/200_s.gif)
Quote from: vu72 on February 03, 2015, 10:08:29 PMAn intelligent, passionate coach can overcome these things. Indiana Tech and Southern Indiana (no track)
It can be done. I know Brad Peterson who started the Indiana Tech track and X country programs. A very passionate coach who had them in the national championship race in both sports in just two years. Of course it helps when you have one of the best distance runners on the country follow you to a school. He was also great at developing talent, taking average high school runners and turning them into great performers.
Not sure if this was done but a lot of "recruiting" in most sports is initiated by the athlete. Contacting the coach or recruiting coordinator indicating interest in the program is the best way to go. There are programs more proactive than this but most of them aren't.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 03, 2015, 08:55:03 PMeveryone who makes generalizations should be shot.
Hmm, is this a generalization?
Quote from: covufan on February 04, 2015, 11:20:49 AM
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 03, 2015, 08:55:03 PMeveryone who makes generalizations should be shot.
Hmm, is this a generalization?
(http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/483/894/463.jpg)
It sounds like the most frustration is coming from the distance/cross country side of the program. Keep in mind, that VU treats Cross Country and Track as two separate sports. The head cross country coach is also the distance coach, and he basically recruits his own way instead of how the track program does. They don't share offices, they don't share monies, and it seems like they don't do anything together. So the distance/cross country kids are recruited by the head cross country coach, but the head track and field coach has no power of who he recruits.
Quote from: covufan on February 04, 2015, 11:20:49 AMQuote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 03, 2015, 08:55:03 PMeveryone who makes generalizations should be shot.
Hmm, is this a generalization?
(http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/images/r/ru%20rz/ryan_budget004/ryan_budget004_16x9.jpg)
SAVING GENERAL RYAN IN PRIVATEIs this a generalization?
Something we haven't seen too often: Valpo is in the lead at the HLMTF indoor championships. Sunday will probably bring us down to earth, but there is some apparent improvement happening. With the new track ready for its first full spring season, that should help attract some more talent. Not having had a home track for decades, I wonder if anyone at Valpo has experience in running a track meet ???
Men's Team Standings:
Valparaiso 42
Youngstown State 38
UIC 31
Milwaukee 27
Detroit 10
Oakland 7
They have seen steady improvement this year throughout, even if we end up in the bottom 3, as we probably will. Things are looking up, so if we can only get some better amenities for S&D, we will have a really competitive overall athletic program!!
Quote from: valpotx on February 28, 2015, 08:32:48 PM
They have seen steady improvement this year throughout, even if we end up in the bottom 3, as we probably will. Things are looking up, so if we can only get some better amenities for S&D, we will have a really competitive overall athletic program!!
When we first moved to the HL I had my doubts as to whether we would be able to compete across the board much less in MBB. Goes to show you that a rising tide floats all boats. I think the coaches and the athletic administration have a very good job given the funds and resources they have to work with. I still am amazed at HL champs 3 out of the last 4 years in MBB. Wow!
Yeah, we will come back to earth today, as we only have 1 qualifier for finals in the sprints. We had a lot of track events yesterday where we didn't run anyone. All of the points came from field events, and I'm impressed with 1-2-3 in the men's pole vault, winning the women's pole vault, and having 17 of a possible 31 points in the weight throw. Yes, we'll come back to earth today. I just wish I knew what the extent of recruitment looks like. Blind dart throwing, waiting for phone calls, hoping for freshmen to walk into the fall team meeting that didn't show recruitment interest or what, but we need numbers big time.
In terms of running track meets, I was a high school track coach for a couple of years, and have experience running meets. I'm not sure what the comment you had means, 62, but I guess we'll see how things play out for that on April 25th at the 1st Annual Crusader Invitational.
Re: running meets. It's a coordination thing while also trying to coordinate/coach/lead your own team. There's also the pre-meet prep stuff that you don't have to do when you are the "visitor." It'll be a new experience for Valpo.
I'm sure folks saw that the men finished in 4th place, which is what the coaching staff was hoping for. We were in 3rd by 1 point heading into the final event (4x400). As was mentioned above, there were lots of great performances including Valpo program records broken. As a track team the guys were very excited and proud, and eager for the outdoor season.
Quote from: momofalex on March 02, 2015, 08:59:09 AM
I'm sure folks saw that the men finished in 4th place, which is what the coaching staff was hoping for. We were in 3rd by 1 point heading into the final event (4x400). As was mentioned above, there were lots of great performances including Valpo program records broken. As a track team the guys were very excited and proud, and eager for the outdoor season.
I ended up watching some of it on ESPN3. First time for that I believe. The facility looked very nice. Is that the sort of facility we envision for Valpo?
The facility is WONDERFUL complete with a 300 meter track. Youngstown has the only indoor track in the league which is why they host the indoor championships every year. They host many high school meets also so being from Ohio we'd been there many times. http://ysusports.com/information/facilities/watts (http://ysusports.com/information/facilities/watts)
Kudos to Mark LaB for getting sports other than MBB on the right track. I recall that some years ago in Indy when he was introduced to VU supporters in a reception prior to the Butler Men's BB game that he said that his objective was to put Valpo on the map in the Horizon League is all sports. He has done a great job in upgrading VU sports.
Quote from: valpo64 on March 03, 2015, 11:26:19 AM
Kudos to Mark LaB for getting sports other than MBB on the right track. I recall that some years ago in Indy when he was introduced to VU supporters in a reception prior to the Butler Men's BB game that he said that his objective was to put Valpo on the map in the Horizon League is all sports. He has done a great job in upgrading VU sports.
I second this. As the facilities become better, I would expect that VU sports to be at or near the top of the HL.
Maybe with a successful post season run, ARC renovation can be put on a higher priority. With a successful season and increased fan interest, plus a great potential for success at least over the next couple of years, this would be the time to get a campaign on the road??
When I was coaching, 62, if we hosted a meet at my high school, there was virtually little to no coaching going on because we had to keep a flow going to the meet. Hopefully Coach Moore can get enough former athletes to come in and help run the meet that he can just focus on coaching and enjoying hosting a home meet, and not have to do all the coordinating of activity.
Quote from: valporun on March 04, 2015, 09:48:46 AM
When I was coaching, 62, if we hosted a meet at my high school, there was virtually little to no coaching going on because we had to keep a flow going to the meet. Hopefully Coach Moore can get enough former athletes to come in and help run the meet that he can just focus on coaching and enjoying hosting a home meet, and not have to do all the coordinating of activity.
That's what I was wondering about. After the first one is in the books the remainder become easy.
Keeping with the conversation that the program is getting stronger and competing in the HL, here's some tidbits from @ValpoSpeed on twitter:
- The 2015 Indoor season resulted in 20 Top-5 All Time marks & 5 school records for Men and Women!
- On the Men's side, 52 of the 59 points scored at the Conference meet will be returning next year!
- 36 of the Men's 59 points were scored by underclassmen (Fr./So.), which is 61% of the points!
- Of the 36 points scored by the Women, 50% (18) of the points will be returning next year!
I know I'm a newbie to the Valpo track program, but these stats are encouraging.
Quote from: momofalex on March 04, 2015, 11:54:29 AM
Keeping with the conversation that the program is getting stronger and competing in the HL, here's some tidbits from @ValpoSpeed on twitter:
- The 2015 Indoor season resulted in 20 Top-5 All Time marks & 5 school records for Men and Women!
- On the Men's side, 52 of the 59 points scored at the Conference meet will be returning next year!
- 36 of the Men's 59 points were scored by underclassmen (Fr./So.), which is 61% of the points!
- Of the 36 points scored by the Women, 50% (18) of the points will be returning next year!
I know I'm a newbie to the Valpo track program, but these stats are encouraging.
Thanks for keeping us updated!
Quote from: momofalex on March 02, 2015, 01:30:26 PM
The facility is WONDERFUL complete with a 300 meter track. Youngstown has the only indoor track in the league which is why they host the indoor championships every year. They host many high school meets also so being from Ohio we'd been there many times. http://ysusports.com/information/facilities/watts (http://ysusports.com/information/facilities/watts)
The WATTS facility at YSU is one of the best in the country. It is named, in part, after Jim Tressel from his coaching stint at YSU and very few schools have indoor facilities anywhere near the quality. I don't see there being any chance that Valpo committing the resources to build such a facility. Football would have to really decide to take a leap forward as the facility at YSU is used in part as an indoor practice facility for YSU football.
Actually, if the proposed field house has a 300 meter indoor track as a part of the plan, then the turf infield will be big enough to support indoor soccer, baseball/softball infields and plenty of space for indoor FB activities. They'll need a full time scheduler ;) If the track is shorter (200 meters) baseball will probably be a bit squished, but the other sports could still use the infield. Football need not go FCS scholarship, but they certainly will benefit enormously from a recruiting and off-season training program perspective.
BTW, (I know it's not specific to the track, but..... ) the football locker room in the ARC will be renovated this spring/summer. So between the new weight training room in Kroencke and the upgraded locker room, FB is committed to the ARC region of the athletic campus for some time to come. I'm told they have commissioned plans and are recruiting a majority donor. As soon as those are in place additional donors will be recruited. If we find the right QB early to replace Lehman's numbers and ball control, the outlook for the Fall is even brighter than we had the end of the season last Fall.