University of Minnesota Athletics
Gary Wilson's Development Plan
5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Here is just a small sample of the athletes who have improved under Wilson's philosophy. All of these student-athletes dramatically improved their marks from their senior year of high school to the time they left the Golden Gophers.
Eileen Donaghy (1985-89): In 1987, Donaghy became Minnesota's first Big Ten cross country champion, after joining the squad as a walk-on in 1985. Donaghy improved dramatically over her four years, earning All-Big Ten and All-America honors her senior year. Before arriving at Minnesota, Donaghy ran a 5: 25 mile in high school. By her senior collegiate season, the All-American ran a career-best 16:58.0, the ninth-fastest time in Minnesota history, at the 1987 Big Ten Cross Country Championships. She was an All-American in the 10,000 meters in 1988.
Chris Rowe (1989-93): Rowe earned All-American and All-Big Ten honors during her stay at Minnesota. Rowe, who ran a 5:19 mile in high school, posted a career-best 4:43.24 and was an indoor track and field All-American in 1992. She was a cross country academic All-American and posted a career- best 17:25 at the 1991 NCAA Region IV Championship.
Lori Townsend (1991-96): Townsend was a four-time All-American as well as a five-time All-Big Ten honoree. She ran a 5:14 mile and an 11:24 two-mile in high school. Under Wilson, Townsend shaved 14 seconds off her mile time, running even five-minute miles. Townsend holds three school records and ran a career-best time of 17:25 at the 1994 NCAA Region IV meet. She also qualified for the NCAA Championships in both 1994 and 1995 and missed being an All- American by only three seconds in cross country in 1995.
Lori Hardrick (1992-96): Hardrick ranks second all-time for the Gophers in the indoor triple jump and eighth in the long jump. Hardrick is also one of the best sprinters in Minnesota history as she was a member of two record-setting sprint relay teams. Before Hardrick arrived at Minnesota, she had a best triple jump of 37-0, which she improved to a then school-record 41-3 1/2 during her senior year.
Joan Karnes-Erickson (1992-96): The Long Prairie, Minn., native was a walk-on to Wilson's program in 1993 and the next season won both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor shot put titles. In high school, she was a three-time letterwinner and set the school, conference and district records. Karnes-Erickson ranks fourth all-time in both the indoor and outdoor shot put. She improved from a personal-best high school mark of 41-10 to 49-0.
Andrea Grove (1991-96): Grove made an impressive comeback from back surgery in 1995 to become one of the most prolific runners in Minnesota history. Grove became an All-American her senior season in the 1500 meters after posting a time of 4:20.92 at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to better her previous career-best by over nine seconds. Grove ranks second all-time in the 1500 and sixth in the 3000. Her best high school 1,500-meter time was 4:34.
Corinne Nimtz (1997-2001): A member of Minnesota's cross country team the past two seasons, Nimtz has competed at the NCAA Championships both years. During the 1999 outdoor track and field season, Nimtz placed second in the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten Championships and placed 16th at nationals. She ranks third all-time for Minnesota in the 10,000 meters with a time of 34:32.14. In high school, her best time was 11:54 in the 3,200 meters
Aubrey Schmitt (1997-2001): A Hastings, Minnesota native. Aubrey was named Big Ten Athlete of the year. Successfully competing in three events at the NCAA Championships.
Wilson attributes his tremendous success in developing athletes to "just giving them a chance." The University of Minnesota carries one of the largest squads in the nation (55 athletes in 1999). This enables athletes who might not otherwise have a chance to compete on the collegiate level, or who may have been overlooked by other collegiate coaches, and gives them the opportunity to develop and take their athleticism to a championship level. "I aim to give young people a chance to improve themselves," Wilson said. "By giving them an opportunity to compete and improve slowly and progressively over a two- or three- year period, there is always a chance of finding that diamond in the rough. All some people need is a chance. I never count anyone out and always give everyone the opportunity to work hard and succeed."
Wilson also has the distinct advantage of coaching only the women distance runners, enabling him to focus all of his attention on the development and training of each student-athlete.
"I know the potential of each athlete," the 1989 NCAA Region IV Cross Country Coach of the Year states. "I sit down with each athlete and work as a team of two to design the best training. I also have each athlete keep a training diary to track workouts and find what techniques and workout patterns are beneficial." ,p. That philosophy is what makes Wilson one of the nation's elite track and field coaches, according to Townsend.
"Coach Wilson lets his athletes find out what is best for each individual and works from there," she said. "He encourages the athletes to listen to our bodies, and when they need a break, they have to give it to themselves. It all returns to his general life philosophy of being a total person and the balance of being a student, and athlete and having a social life. It's not healthy to put everything you have into running. It is all about balance."
And that balance has been the key to Gary Wilson and his successful development of student-athletes at Minnesota.
