2008 Woodie Awards
Sanderson readies for nationals
Erik Johnson
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Today, March 9, Southwest Baptist senior T. Jay Sanderson will attempt to take another step toward being the first national champion in SBU's track and field history.
Sanderson will be competing in the one-mile run at the NCAA Division II national championship meet for the second time in his illustrious career. Two years ago, Sanderson placed fourth in the one-mile run and will look to improve on that placing this weekend.
Coming into the meet, Sanderson has the fifth fastest time out of the 13 competitors. Working in Sanderson's favor is the fact that the mile is the only event he will be running. All four of the competitors ranked ahead of Sanderson will be competing in at least two events. Assuming Sanderson makes the finals Saturday, March 10 (10 of the 13 runners will make the final), he will be the top miler who is fresh.
"The way the schedule works with people doubling and tripling is definitely a good thing. I just have to make finals and then run a solid race," said Sanderson.
So far this year, Sanderson's fastest time is 4 minutes, 10.11 seconds. Sanderson won that race by two seconds and visibly had something left in the tank when he made his last half of the race his fastest.
Sanderson feels he can improve and that time and that is what it will take to win. "I think it will take around a 4:04 or 4:05 to win," said Sanderson "That has been the average winning time the last couple of years and I think somewhere around there will win it again this year."
Last week, Sanderson had a tune-up race of sorts to get him ready for nationals. Sanderson, along with junior Alyssa Maggart, freshmen Jenny Blair and Jennifer Gillespie, competed at Iowa State.
With training going well and nationals in his sights, everything was going well for Sanderson leading up to the Iowa State tune-up. Everyone should have known that something was not right. Sanderson has had numerous injuries and illnesses hit at the most inopportune times. He has contracted pleurisy, a lung disease, more than once and had hamstring problems numerous times. His most recent hamstring problem took place at the regional cross country meet and kept Sanderson from qualifying for nationals in his final year of cross country. This is why it should not have been a big surprise when something went wrong before the Iowa State meet.
The day Sanderson was scheduled to leave for Iowa State, his car was t-boned on his way towards campus. The car that him was traveling around 25 miles per hour and hit Sanderson's car on the driver side. Amazingly, Sanderson sustained no serious injuries. He was admittedly a little sore in the following days but still managed to run a solid 800 at Iowa State and is now fully recovered and ready for this weekend.
As for his race strategy, Head Coach Jeff DeLong had this to say: "He's going to run to win the race. I don't want him racing for All-American honors or just to place. If he goes for the win, can't hold it and finishes out of the medals that's fine. I want him to go for the win and have no regrets."
By Saturday afternoon everyone will know if the "go big or go home" strategy paid dividends.
Sanderson will be competing in the one-mile run at the NCAA Division II national championship meet for the second time in his illustrious career. Two years ago, Sanderson placed fourth in the one-mile run and will look to improve on that placing this weekend.
Coming into the meet, Sanderson has the fifth fastest time out of the 13 competitors. Working in Sanderson's favor is the fact that the mile is the only event he will be running. All four of the competitors ranked ahead of Sanderson will be competing in at least two events. Assuming Sanderson makes the finals Saturday, March 10 (10 of the 13 runners will make the final), he will be the top miler who is fresh.
"The way the schedule works with people doubling and tripling is definitely a good thing. I just have to make finals and then run a solid race," said Sanderson.
So far this year, Sanderson's fastest time is 4 minutes, 10.11 seconds. Sanderson won that race by two seconds and visibly had something left in the tank when he made his last half of the race his fastest.
Sanderson feels he can improve and that time and that is what it will take to win. "I think it will take around a 4:04 or 4:05 to win," said Sanderson "That has been the average winning time the last couple of years and I think somewhere around there will win it again this year."
Last week, Sanderson had a tune-up race of sorts to get him ready for nationals. Sanderson, along with junior Alyssa Maggart, freshmen Jenny Blair and Jennifer Gillespie, competed at Iowa State.
With training going well and nationals in his sights, everything was going well for Sanderson leading up to the Iowa State tune-up. Everyone should have known that something was not right. Sanderson has had numerous injuries and illnesses hit at the most inopportune times. He has contracted pleurisy, a lung disease, more than once and had hamstring problems numerous times. His most recent hamstring problem took place at the regional cross country meet and kept Sanderson from qualifying for nationals in his final year of cross country. This is why it should not have been a big surprise when something went wrong before the Iowa State meet.
The day Sanderson was scheduled to leave for Iowa State, his car was t-boned on his way towards campus. The car that him was traveling around 25 miles per hour and hit Sanderson's car on the driver side. Amazingly, Sanderson sustained no serious injuries. He was admittedly a little sore in the following days but still managed to run a solid 800 at Iowa State and is now fully recovered and ready for this weekend.
As for his race strategy, Head Coach Jeff DeLong had this to say: "He's going to run to win the race. I don't want him racing for All-American honors or just to place. If he goes for the win, can't hold it and finishes out of the medals that's fine. I want him to go for the win and have no regrets."
By Saturday afternoon everyone will know if the "go big or go home" strategy paid dividends.
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