The Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships begin on Friday, Feb. 18 in Kingston, R.I. Last season, the University of Dayton earned a share of the Atlantic 10 title in an outstanding team performance. Recently, DaytonFlyers.com had the opportunity to sit down with Head Track and Field Coach Adam Steinwachs to discuss his thoughts on the challenge ahead and how his team has progressed thus far.
DF.COM: Coach Steinwachs, your team has had a great start to the season. Not only have your athletes placed high in the results, they have done so while breaking personal bests and school records. What has been the difference this year?
Coach Steinwachs: This has been the trend each year so I don't feel as if anything is much different from previous seasons. Our coaching staff has done a great job helping the younger athletes develop, while making sure the veterans are progressing correctly. We're fortunate to have the gifted staff that we have.
DF.COM: Last season the team earned a share of its first Atlantic 10 track and field title. Can you talk a little bit about your goals for this weekend’s A-10 Championships?
CS: The goal is simple... take our best shot at winning this thing.
DF.COM: Mallory Barnes and Kerry Allen have both had impressive starts to their senior year. Talk about the success your throwers have had this season and what the difference has been from years past.
CS: Yes, the staff is impressed with and proud of these two young ladies. They both have worked incredibly hard to get this far, and they deserve so much of the credit. They've built on the foundation established in their first year and each year they've improved to the point we see today.
DF.COM: On the subject of Mallory, she recently qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Can you talk about what it means for her to accomplish this feat for the second time in a row? How about for the program sending a student-athlete for the third consecutive year?
CS: Hitting an automatic qualifying mark is hard to do for an athlete in any event - from any school. The NCAA sets the standards high so that only a handful qualifies automatically in each event each year. Mallory is the first UD student-athlete to exceed the auto mark in her event. This is a huge deal and it sets her up well for the championship season ahead.
DF.COM: You’ve also had several strong outings in events such as the pole vault and in distance events like the 3000m and 5000m runs. Can you talk about what your team’s strengths are heading into this weekend?
CS: Maura Bulgrin, Liz Coorey, Elissa Mason, Emily Zimmerman and Ashley Cattran will have a big impact on the overall team performance this weekend. Collectively they are some of the hardest working and most disciplined student-athletes on our team. They make up a strong core of middle and long distance runners. Additionally, the pole vault will be a strong event for us this year. Katie Nageotte is the defending A-10 Champion and has the highest jump in the conference this year. Her teammate, Courtney Siebenaller, won the A-10's in 2009. She is jumping well, so between the two it will make for a great competition.
DF.COM: How do you feel about the development of your freshmen? How about your veterans?
CS: In the last two weeks the confidence of our freshman has gone up significantly. They're beginning to apply the things we've been working on and their results are showing it. Overall, I'm happy with how all our girls have developed this year. They look like they're ready at just about the right time.
DF.COM: Lastly, what do you think will be the key to defending your title this weekend?
CS: Our girls as always need to overachieve. First of all they need to believe they can win it, and then it's a matter of effort. We'll also need a little bit of help from the rest of the conference to pull it off. One thing is certain, you can never underestimate the will of this team.
DF.COM: Thank you Coach Steinwachs, and good luck this weekend in Rhode Island.
