Track Coach Expects More from Players

By Kristen Griffith (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Track coach Stephen Kimes said he is not satisfied with the work ethic of the women’s track team.

In the past four meets, the women have broken school records, personal records, and took first place in their races.

But Kimes said the lack of commitment from some athletes holds them back.

“The biggest disappointment is I don’t think we came back in the shape we needed to be,” he said. “That would be why it’s just OK.”

Freshmen and sophomores dominate the women’s track team. Only two athletes are upperclassmen.

Kimes said it is mostly freshmen who struggle with consistent performance.

“Just being young and not really understanding what it takes to be an elite college runner,” he said. “Understanding of sleep and nutrition.”

He used freshmen Ashley Morris as an example.

“She has been a little inconsistent lately, but she had some good meets,” Kimes said.

Morris was nationally ranked in hurdles while she attended Smyrna High School.

“I had a bad meet,” she said. “I did not do very well.”

She said she usually runs a low nine seconds in the hurdles. But during the meet that took place at Princeton University, her time was around 10 seconds.

Kimes said some girls need to take better care of their bodies and resist social temptations.

“Late nights, lack of sleep, late-night eating,” Kimes said. “If you’re up late all the time then you eat late all the time. You become lethargic.”

He also mentioned that visiting the training room and heating muscles is required for this sport.

Kimes named sophomore Elizsha Streeter and freshman Angel Hall as standouts on the team.

“They’re just leaders,” Kimes said. “They have good practice habits, they look forward to challenges on the track, dedicated, take care of themselves, coachable.”

Streeter runs the 200, 400, 60, and 4×4 meter race. Hall runs the 60, 4×2, and 4×4 meter race.

“A lot of people need to start stepping up and coming to practice,” Hall said.

Hall said practice is not optional.
“Some people don’t want to workout on the hard days,” she said. “It’s work ethic. Some people have it and some people don’t.”

Sophomore Camille Ince said she attends practice.

“I make sure I go to practice so I can improve,” she said.

She said there are people who skip practice.

“Most of the time, people don’t come because of homework,” she said.

Ince said this was the reason why she missed a few practices.

Morris said she has missed one practice because of homework.

“I had to get my projects done, but I let him know when I don’t come to practice,” she said. “I only done it once and he didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

Both Morris and Ince agreed the track coaches are helpful and beneficial.

“You might think [Kimes] is crazy for some of the things he has us do, but everything turns out for the better in the end,” Morris said.

Ince said the coaches work them hard so they can go to the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

Hall said everyone has to do their part.

“Track is an individual sport so you can’t really tell people what to do,” she said. “He [Kimes] doesn’t take the time or energy to persuade people to come to practice. It’ll show in your performance.”

Kimes said his goal is to have some of the women qualify for nationals, and that is a strong possibility.

“We’re closer this year than last year,” he said. “That’s always the goal, to have national qualifiers.”