Running for Nebraska: Firsts and Lasts

August 12, 2011

Firsts and Lasts

We're about one week away from our first cross country meeting of the 2011 season, first meeting as a Big Ten team, as well as the last meeting with our current coach Jay Dirksen. After twenty eight years as a coach for the Huskers and a frightening heart attack, Jay will be retiring at the end of this cross season. While I have only had him officially as a coach for one year (despite being in frequent contact since my 2007) things will not be the same at Pioneers Park, the Devaney, or Ed Weir without Jay around. While it is a loss for us as a team it is also a gain because we know its Jay's time and best for him and his family. Assisting Jay this upcoming season will be our new distance head coach Dave Harris, former head coach at Emporia State and previous Husker assistant coach from '85-92. This coming season brings a lot of firsts and lasts, it will be Nebraska's first appearance in the Big Ten Conference including the Big Ten Cross Country Championships which will be held October 30th in Champaign, Illinois; including the last time Nebraska's home meet will be presented by Jay who was there from its start in 1990.

So here's to new beginnings and pleasant endings.

1 comment:

Running Bums said...: Good to see you back blogging and running! Can't wait to read about your season :); August 13, 2011 at 9:54 AM

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Why Nebraska?

When I began the college search I knew that I wanted to continue running at the NCAA Division 1 level. I desired a school rich in pride for its sports with good academics as well. I found this in Lincoln, NE. College sports are a very big deal in the state of Nebraska and it shows in the school's facilities and coaching staff. I picked Nebraska because of all it had to offer me as a student athlete and because of the at-home feeling I got on my visit and with the team. Quite a few of my teammates have become a lot faster since their high school PR's and this was a good indicator to me that I could trust in the training tendencies of my long time Nebraska Cross Country coach Jay Dirksen. A graduate of South Dakota State in '68, Jay was an All American steeplechaser and has coached at Nebraska for 28 years producing a total of 3 NCAA National Champions, 1 U.S Olympic Trials Champion, 20 Cross Country NCAA All Americans, 39 NCAA Track and Field All Americans, 5 Big XII Cross Country Team Titles, 6 NCAA Regional Titles and 22 NCAA Cross Country Teams.

Before Nebraska

I ran four years of Cross Country and Track for Great Oak High School under coaches Doug Soles and Daniel Noble. I was a four year letter winner in both sports and went to Nike Cross Nationals all four years. Some notable awards include #1 Freshman in Riverside County in 2006 and Freshman of the Year, as well as the #3 Sophomore in 2007, winner of the Long Beach Invitational, the Mt. SAC D1 sophomore girls champion and Sophomore of the Year. My Junior and Senior seasons I was a team captain and the Most Improved athlete on the track team, Junior and Senior of the Year as well as 1st Team All-League in the SWL, a scholar athlete, a member of the 2008 Riverside County Academic Team winner (gohs xc), part of the CIF Southern Section team champion in 2009, and the tie breaker of Great Oak's 2009 Runner Up accolades at the California State Meet. In track I was the Inland Empire 1600m Champ, held senior records in the 1600m (5:02.54), 3200m (11:09.10), and 3 miles (17:19, xc); and was a California High School Heisman Finalist in 2010.