University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Head Track and Field Coach Phil Lundin
10/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Aaron
Minneapolis, Minn.
A: Seeing Minnesota boys Adam Steele and Mitch Potter go 1-3 in the 2003 NCAA 400m meter final with world leading times will be something I will never forget...
Q: While watching UCLA practice the other day I noticed that, even though rather powerful, they did not seem to cover all events, while the Gophers seem to have most events covered with solid athletes. How does the amount of scholorships, recruiting, etc. play into this?
Rich
Las Vegas, Nevada
A: We have always attempted to field complete teams, trying to be competitive at the Big Ten level in all events. It is not easy given 21 events and the NCAA limit of 12.6 scholarships for Men's Track /CC. We generally recruit kids from the Midwest who are familiar with the cold weather we encounter and share the work ethic of Minnesota culture. Our philosophy is one of development. The bottom line objective is to get all student-athletes to a performance level that would put them into a position to score in the Big Ten Conference Meet.
Q: I am a single sport high school sophomore who has triple jumped for just 15 months and want to improve. However, there are no jump camps in Minnesota I know of and no AAU club nearby. Speed, pole vault, and throw camps are fairly common. How about a University of Minnesota jump camp?
Tim
Nisswa, Minn.
A: We may start some camps this summer..Stay tuned..
Q: Each year the student athlete population has to deal with NCAA Regulatory Compliance paperwork and Training/Sports Medicine paperwork, more now than in the past because of the new HIPAA requirements. Do you feel that any of this spills over onto the Coaching/Assistant Coaching staffs plate (department wide) or do you spend 100% of your time "Coaching" Be Honest....
Shaun
Austin, Texas
A: All aspects of a program come across a head coaches desk, so ultimately I must deal with these issues in some manner or form. I am fortunate to have great Medical Control here at Minnesota, so much of the paperwork burden is absorbed by them..
Q: What techniques do you use to motivate your team members on the days they just can't seem to get feet out the door to run? Thanks so much!
Jennifer
Bloomington, Minn.
A: No techniques. Just honest communication and appraisal of their situation on the day. I always remind the boys that the Badgers aren't restin'...
Q: My son is a Junior in High School and he runs track for DODDS Overseas. He currently runs the 400m with a best time of 50.5. What training programs or camp's do you recommend to enhance his run?
Eugene
Heidelberg, Germany
A: To answer your question would require more space than is reasonable in such a format. However, I would recommend that your son should compete in events shorter than the 400 (to develop acceleration, speed, and speed endurance qualities) and events longer (including cross country) to develop his work capacity. Engaging in various jumping and throwing events can help in the development of power and athleticsm...overall, however, the most important element in 400m performance is the development of leg speed.
Q: I've noticed that your 4x4 relay exchanges are different from all the other elite teams in the country (or the world). The outgoing man receives the baton with palm up. Why?
Eric
A: No reason. We do not have a "set" relay exchange technique, but the palm up method has been the one many of our guys seem to prefer....
Q: When I saw Jeremy Wariner, a 20 year od college student from Baylor, receive the Olympic gold medal in the 400 meter race, it is not that far-fetched to think that could just as easily have been Mitch Potter or Adam Steele. After their monster 2003 year, and great expectations for 2004, what happened to these two world class sprinters this past season? Now that they have graduated, do they plan to continue their training?
Gary
Woodbury, Minn.
A: I think we played it a bit safe in 2004 after the resounding 2003 season....We did, however, encounter some injuries to both Mitch and Adam in 2004 that did not allow the continuity of training and racing that we enjoyed in 2003..Also, the boys had targets on their backs in 2004. At the start of 2003 they were just a couple of little bumpkins...I also believe I did not do as good a job in periodizing the training as I did in 2003. Both Mitch and Adam will continue their training here at Minnesota in the upcoming year..our hope is to get them back to their 2003 form.
Q: In your successful tenure as Head Coach what do you think is your greatest accomplishment? And, is there a single great Gopher performance on the track or in the field that has surprised you that really stands out as memorable?
Aaron
Minneapolis, Minn.
A: Seeing Minnesota boys Adam Steele and Mitch Potter go 1-3 in the 2003 NCAA 400m meter final with world leading times will be something I will never forget...
Q: While watching UCLA practice the other day I noticed that, even though rather powerful, they did not seem to cover all events, while the Gophers seem to have most events covered with solid athletes. How does the amount of scholorships, recruiting, etc. play into this?
Rich
Las Vegas, Nevada
A: We have always attempted to field complete teams, trying to be competitive at the Big Ten level in all events. It is not easy given 21 events and the NCAA limit of 12.6 scholarships for Men's Track /CC. We generally recruit kids from the Midwest who are familiar with the cold weather we encounter and share the work ethic of Minnesota culture. Our philosophy is one of development. The bottom line objective is to get all student-athletes to a performance level that would put them into a position to score in the Big Ten Conference Meet.
Q: I am a single sport high school sophomore who has triple jumped for just 15 months and want to improve. However, there are no jump camps in Minnesota I know of and no AAU club nearby. Speed, pole vault, and throw camps are fairly common. How about a University of Minnesota jump camp?
Tim
Nisswa, Minn.
A: We may start some camps this summer..Stay tuned..
Q: Each year the student athlete population has to deal with NCAA Regulatory Compliance paperwork and Training/Sports Medicine paperwork, more now than in the past because of the new HIPAA requirements. Do you feel that any of this spills over onto the Coaching/Assistant Coaching staffs plate (department wide) or do you spend 100% of your time "Coaching" Be Honest....
Shaun
Austin, Texas
A: All aspects of a program come across a head coaches desk, so ultimately I must deal with these issues in some manner or form. I am fortunate to have great Medical Control here at Minnesota, so much of the paperwork burden is absorbed by them..
Q: What techniques do you use to motivate your team members on the days they just can't seem to get feet out the door to run? Thanks so much!
Jennifer
Bloomington, Minn.
A: No techniques. Just honest communication and appraisal of their situation on the day. I always remind the boys that the Badgers aren't restin'...
Q: My son is a Junior in High School and he runs track for DODDS Overseas. He currently runs the 400m with a best time of 50.5. What training programs or camp's do you recommend to enhance his run?
Eugene
Heidelberg, Germany
A: To answer your question would require more space than is reasonable in such a format. However, I would recommend that your son should compete in events shorter than the 400 (to develop acceleration, speed, and speed endurance qualities) and events longer (including cross country) to develop his work capacity. Engaging in various jumping and throwing events can help in the development of power and athleticsm...overall, however, the most important element in 400m performance is the development of leg speed.
Q: I've noticed that your 4x4 relay exchanges are different from all the other elite teams in the country (or the world). The outgoing man receives the baton with palm up. Why?
Eric
A: No reason. We do not have a "set" relay exchange technique, but the palm up method has been the one many of our guys seem to prefer....
Q: When I saw Jeremy Wariner, a 20 year od college student from Baylor, receive the Olympic gold medal in the 400 meter race, it is not that far-fetched to think that could just as easily have been Mitch Potter or Adam Steele. After their monster 2003 year, and great expectations for 2004, what happened to these two world class sprinters this past season? Now that they have graduated, do they plan to continue their training?
Gary
Woodbury, Minn.
A: I think we played it a bit safe in 2004 after the resounding 2003 season....We did, however, encounter some injuries to both Mitch and Adam in 2004 that did not allow the continuity of training and racing that we enjoyed in 2003..Also, the boys had targets on their backs in 2004. At the start of 2003 they were just a couple of little bumpkins...I also believe I did not do as good a job in periodizing the training as I did in 2003. Both Mitch and Adam will continue their training here at Minnesota in the upcoming year..our hope is to get them back to their 2003 form.
