Off the Record
with Jill M. Geer
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
As the indoor track season comes to a close, reflective-minded people are inspired to analyze what they have witnessed and to make sense of it all. Or, if you’re me, you just blurt out several random sentences, many of which follow below.
The indoor season is always a nice blend of veterans and newbies. Indeed, the indoor circuit is where many future stars win their first national titles or run big personal bests; these are the accomplishments that lead the athletes to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they are “THE MAN” or “THE WOMAN.” And in world-class track and field, believing that you are “THE MAN,” rather than “THE GUY WHO REALLY HOPES TO DO WELL ESPECIALLY IF SOMEBODY ELSE FALSE STARTS OR TRIPS ON HIS SHOELACE” can make the difference between a gold medal and eighth place.
Nobody really knew what to expect from the 2007 indoor season. There was no World Indoor Championships, and with the World Outdoor Championships in Osaka not taking place until late August and early September, it was possible that everybody would stay home and rest up for Osaka. Not only did that not happen, but we got to witness several compelling athletes take the next step toward being THE MAN. They are, in no particular order:
Nick Symmonds. When Barbara Huebner of Global Athletics & Marketing suggested we have Nick on a teleconference to promote the Reebok Boston Indoor Games back in January, my response was – and I am not making this up – “Who is Nick Symmonds? Is he that New Zealand dude?” Fearing that many journalists might not call in because they didn’t know who the Division III champ was, I emailed several folks to see if they’d dial in. I needn’t have worried. It was one of our best-attended teleconferences in more than a year.
On that call, Nick revealed himself to be an intelligent, mature, confident and competitive athlete who was ready to kick some veteran butt. It came as no surprise that he went on to win the 800 at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, then was featured in the New York Times and Boston Globe before winning his first national title at the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships last weekend. And to top it off using the bluntest of terms, he’s cute. If he keeps running well, there is no doubt that he will be the next inspiration for young men and women middle-distance runners around the country.
LoLo Jones. The Communications Department was rightly chastised when we failed to mention LoLo, who had the fastest time by an American so far this year, in our preview of the women’s 60m hurdles for the AT&T Indoor Champs. So when the runners took their marks in the hurdle final and a colleague turned to me and said, “Who do you like in this race?” I immediately said, “LoLo.” She did indeed go on to win, and she was darn happy about it. That’s one thing you’ve got to love about first-time winners: they are on top of the world, and happy to share their joy.
In addition to being a great hurdler, LoLo was also a great sprinter for LSU, where she competed in 2004. Speed plus hurdle skills equals a great hurdler. Just ask Gail Devers. And like Nick, Lolo appeals to just about everybody. She’s a good Midwestern girl from Iowa with heritage that includes African-American, Norwegian, French and Native American, among many others. She’s a walking U.N. of hurdling, and we hope to see much more of her.
Aarik Wilson. For years I’ve known Aarik as the guy from Indiana whose name shared a spelling convention with the word aardvark. Face it, double As are hard to find. Double jumpers also are hard to find, in terms of athletes who still do the long jump/triple jump double. Aarik tried to pull off that double victory at AT&T USA Indoors. The 2005 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion got off to a great start, moving to #7 on the all-time U.S. list with his huge triple jump personal best of 17.28m/56-8.50. That is nearly the equivalent of hopping, skipping and jumping up a six-story building. He ended up third in the long jump at Boston, but there is no doubt that Wilson must now recognize that he is “THE MAN,” along with the U.S.’s reigning long/triple jump threat, the World Indoor and Outdoor triple jump champion Walter Davis.
Of course, once one becomes “THE MAN,” one realizes that others now want to “stick it to THE MAN." This trio of athletes is no longer unknown, and I’m pretty sure they’d have it no other way.
Jill M.Geer is Director of Communications for USA Track & Field
