University of Minnesota Athletics
A Battle of Wills: Junior Will McComb
3/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Stepping up to the starting line, McComb already had a lot of pressure to do well. Minnesota was only a few points behind Wisconsin in the team championship, and Wisconsin had proven their distance dominance before.
As assistant coach Steve Plasencia states, "Wisconsin has such a strong long distance crew - they're second in the nation in cross country - and last spring they put four guys in front of anybody that we had in the 5000 meters at the outdoor Big Ten."
As there were only two races left in the meet - the 5000 meters and the 4x400-meter relay - Minnesota needed every point they could get. "At that point in the meet, it was really a do-or-die race," teammate Lynden Reder said. "We were talking about what points we needed, and it came down to the fact that we really needed our 5k guys to show up."
McComb even felt his own pressures to win. "I ran the 3K the day before, and there was this whole big fiasco with that because the officials messed up the race because they didn't know what lap people were on, so they told me I had two laps to go when I really only had one.Then I got passed by a couple guys right at the very end, not even realizing it was my last lap, thinking I had one more to go. So I think I came back with a lot of anger, and being so upset, I just wanted to prove myself."
Even though the race carried such weight and regardless of the fact that McComb had not competed in the 5000 meters yet this indoor season, he stayed calm.
"I didn't really think about it too much, to be honest, but I knew I was going to go and run the best I could, see if I could stick with it. I think I run better when I start off a little slower and work my way into the race. Coach told me that, and we decided that would be our plan - to start out a little more conservatively and build up. I found myself with a few laps to go moving up from 10 to six to five, and then I was just sitting in third, I think, when I started my kick, and it just worked out. It's hard to explain. Everything just fell into place."
Needless to say, McComb's strategy was a success. He took the Big Ten conference title with a time of 14:14.37, much to the elation of his coaches and teammates. Coach Plasencia was somewhat worried that Wisconsin would dominate the race as they had in the past, but McComb wasn't ever really out of the race.
"There were four white-and-red jerseys up there, and then there was this one yellow jersey which was just hanging on. And as it got toward the finish, the last 400 meters, Willie just put the hammer down and blew out some very good runners, so it was fun to see. And for Roy [Griak] and I, as we were standing there, it was an emotional thing because, like I say Wisconsin has such a strong program in the distance, and to kick a little mud in their face was beautiful."
Reder was so excited that when he called his mother on the way home from the meet, he told her all about McComb's race before even talking about his own third place performance in the weight throw.
"Out of that whole meet, that had to be the most exciting moment - when he took over with about 300 meters to go - and we had our entire team lined up around the track, chanting his name and going nuts for him."
In Reder's opinion, McComb's race was very significant, putting Minnesota in a place to challenge for the conference title and defining Minnesota as a team.
"For the most part, people look at [track] as a real individual sport, but at that moment we couldn't have been more of a team, and Will's race really pulled us all together in that way and put us in a position to even get close to Wisconsin."
After such an amazing and exciting race - not to mention a Big Ten title - McComb still doesn't seem to realize how important his performance was.
"It's still kind of weird. I don't know if it's really set in. I think it's a big deal, but for me, it's just another race. I'm just happy that I did well, and could help out the team, because that's all I really wanted to do is win that team title and just get those points. It does give me confidence to know I can run with the top in the Big Ten and maybe hopefully someday in the country. I guess it's kind of sunk in, but I don't really see it as a really huge deal."
Reder noted that McComb's reaction to his apparent success just goes to show the kind of guy he is. "Each guy has their own personality, and he showed that he's really just a humble, hard-working leader on our team. Some guys lead by talking up the guys, and some guys lead just by example and going out and running as gutsy as Will did. He walked over to our team camp as soon as his race was done, and guys were just going nuts for him, and he was so laid back and just taking his spikes off. I don't think realized the excitement he created and the impact he made on our team."
One could argue that turning 25 grueling laps into an exciting race takes something special in itself. However, the excitement of McComb's performance took more than a little talent. His strength, conviction and ability to pull the team together define McComb as the veteran leader his teammates admire and continue to bring him success. At the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame the weekend following Big Tens, McComb pulled off another amazing performance - this time in the 3000 meters - to shatter one of Minnesota's longest-standing records. He placed second, clocking a time of 8:00.46, topping the record of 8:03.40 set by Garry Bjorklund in 1970. As McComb continues to improve even at the end of this indoor season, Reder looks only for more amazing performances.
"Wisconsin has to come to our place in the spring, and I know Will will be ready to go and so will the rest of the team, so we're really excited to have a whole bunch more moments like that in the outdoor Big Ten Championships." The 5000-meter race is rarely hailed as the easiest event at a track and field meet. Running over three miles, the 5000-meter runner must come out strong, set a pace, maintain speed - and run 25 laps on an indoor 200-meter track. Subsequently, the 5000 meters is also rarely considered the most exciting event at a meet. But when junior Will McComb ran the 5000 at the 2003 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 2, all eyes were on him, and excitement echoed through the building. This notoriously tedious race had turned into a battle of wills.
Stepping up to the starting line, McComb already had a lot of pressure to do well. Minnesota was only a few points behind Wisconsin in the team championship, and Wisconsin had proven their distance dominance before.
As assistant coach Steve Plasencia states, "Wisconsin has such a strong long distance crew - they're second in the nation in cross country - and last spring they put four guys in front of anybody that we had in the 5000 meters at the outdoor Big Ten."
As there were only two races left in the meet - the 5000 meters and the 4x400-meter relay - Minnesota needed every point they could get. "At that point in the meet, it was really a do-or-die race," teammate Lynden Reder said. "We were talking about what points we needed, and it came down to the fact that we really needed our 5k guys to show up."
McComb even felt his own pressures to win. "I ran the 3K the day before, and there was this whole big fiasco with that because the officials messed up the race because they didn't know what lap people were on, so they told me I had two laps to go when I really only had one.Then I got passed by a couple guys right at the very end, not even realizing it was my last lap, thinking I had one more to go. So I think I came back with a lot of anger, and being so upset, I just wanted to prove myself."
Even though the race carried such weight and regardless of the fact that McComb had not competed in the 5000 meters yet this indoor season, he stayed calm.
"I didn't really think about it too much, to be honest, but I knew I was going to go and run the best I could, see if I could stick with it. I think I run better when I start off a little slower and work my way into the race. Coach told me that, and we decided that would be our plan - to start out a little more conservatively and build up. I found myself with a few laps to go moving up from 10 to six to five, and then I was just sitting in third, I think, when I started my kick, and it just worked out. It's hard to explain. Everything just fell into place."
Needless to say, McComb's strategy was a success. He took the Big Ten conference title with a time of 14:14.37, much to the elation of his coaches and teammates. Coach Plasencia was somewhat worried that Wisconsin would dominate the race as they had in the past, but McComb wasn't ever really out of the race.
"There were four white-and-red jerseys up there, and then there was this one yellow jersey which was just hanging on. And as it got toward the finish, the last 400 meters, Willie just put the hammer down and blew out some very good runners, so it was fun to see. And for Roy [Griak] and I, as we were standing there, it was an emotional thing because, like I say Wisconsin has such a strong program in the distance, and to kick a little mud in their face was beautiful."
Reder was so excited that when he called his mother on the way home from the meet, he told her all about McComb's race before even talking about his own third place performance in the weight throw.
"Out of that whole meet, that had to be the most exciting moment - when he took over with about 300 meters to go - and we had our entire team lined up around the track, chanting his name and going nuts for him."
In Reder's opinion, McComb's race was very significant, putting Minnesota in a place to challenge for the conference title and defining Minnesota as a team.
"For the most part, people look at [track] as a real individual sport, but at that moment we couldn't have been more of a team, and Will's race really pulled us all together in that way and put us in a position to even get close to Wisconsin."
After such an amazing and exciting race - not to mention a Big Ten title - McComb still doesn't seem to realize how important his performance was.
"It's still kind of weird. I don't know if it's really set in. I think it's a big deal, but for me, it's just another race. I'm just happy that I did well, and could help out the team, because that's all I really wanted to do is win that team title and just get those points. It does give me confidence to know I can run with the top in the Big Ten and maybe hopefully someday in the country. I guess it's kind of sunk in, but I don't really see it as a really huge deal."
Reder noted that McComb's reaction to his apparent success just goes to show the kind of guy he is. "Each guy has their own personality, and he showed that he's really just a humble, hard-working leader on our team. Some guys lead by talking up the guys, and some guys lead just by example and going out and running as gutsy as Will did. He walked over to our team camp as soon as his race was done, and guys were just going nuts for him, and he was so laid back and just taking his spikes off. I don't think realized the excitement he created and the impact he made on our team."
One could argue that turning 25 grueling laps into an exciting race takes something special in itself. However, the excitement of McComb's performance took more than a little talent. His strength, conviction and ability to pull the team together define McComb as the veteran leader his teammates admire and continue to bring him success. At the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame the weekend following Big Tens, McComb pulled off another amazing performance - this time in the 3000 meters - to shatter one of Minnesota's longest-standing records. He placed second, clocking a time of 8:00.46, topping the record of 8:03.40 set by Garry Bjorklund in 1970. As McComb continues to improve even at the end of this indoor season, Reder looks only for more amazing performances.
"Wisconsin has to come to our place in the spring, and I know Will will be ready to go and so will the rest of the team, so we're really excited to have a whole bunch more moments like that in the outdoor Big Ten Championships."
