News and Announcements
MARIST TRACK & FIELD PARENTS and ATHLETES PASTA PARTY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
The Marist Track & Field Parents and Athletes will be having a Team Dinner and Parents Information meeting on Friday, January 19, 2018, from 4:30 pm – 5:45 pm in the cafeteria.
The TEAM dinner will take place the night before the Redhawks King of the Quarter and King of the Shot Put Competition (1/20/18).
Villa Palermo Catering will provide the TEAM and PARENTS with a very healthy Team Dinner. The dinner will feature Garden Salad, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Pasta with Butter, and bottled water. All expenses are 100% paid by Marist Head Coach Jon Gordon.
The Team Dinner will be a great morale booster, and a great way for the athletes to celebrate the start of Track & Field season. A TEAM / PARENTS INFORMATION MEETING will take place after the dinner.
The information meeting will provide Marist parents an opportunity to meet the 2018 Marist Track & Field coaching staff, learn about the Marist Track program, Proper running shoes, Season Schedule, learn about the college recruiting process, and help us find volunteers to help with future Team Tailgate parties and our home meet, the ESCC Marist Classic on April 24, 2018.
The Marist Coaching staff will also be available after the meeting for any individual concerns or questions about the upcoming Track & Field season. Thanks.
TRACK AND FIELD REGISTRATION MEETING - FRIDAY - JANUARY 12, 2018
On Friday, January 12, 2018, a Final Registration meeting for the Marist Boys Track & Field TEAM will begin at 2:30 pm, in the Redhawk Theater. Athletes also need to register online by clicking the "Registration" tab at the top of the Marist Athletics Schedules page: http://il.8to18.com/Marist/
After registration, a motivational TEAM meeting will take place.
Members of the 2018 Track and Field Coaching Staff will be introduced, Details of the 2018 Practice Schedule and Event groups will be distributed, and a finalized 2018 Track Meet Schedule will also be disclosed. Thanks.
Starting Monday, January 15, 2018, practices will commence at their regularly scheduled time of 2:50 pm - 4:50 pm.
All athletes should bring running shoes, and a Water bottle to practice. Distance runners must be prepared to train outside. Please bring a hat and gloves. Sprinters will train inside. If you have anything to place in storage during practice, please bring a combination lock. Thanks.
Many athletes have covered hundreds of miles this winter, and spent hours in the weight room preparing to capture the Conference, Sectional, and State Titles. We certainly hope that you too have been conscientious about your winter training. Remember that in less than five months you must be in top condition for the IHSA State Series. We want you to report to the first practice READY TO TRAIN.
No one will be cut from the Team until May 2018 (IHSA Sectional Roster - Top 2 for Individual Events, and Top 8 for Relays).
The Team requires athletes that are committed to Illinois Prep Top Times (Indoor State Championships), ESCC Outdoor Conference Championships, IHSA Sectionals, and the IHSA State Championships.
Athletes in basketball, hockey, wrestling, and swimming may join the Team when their respective season reaches a conclusion.
MARIST Track & Field is fun, and the experience is priceless. The most frequent question we have received from Incoming Freshman and New members of the Team is what if they don’t have any running experience? Start now. You are going to be a part of a team where your teammates care about you and depend on you. We will make you great!
Track & Field is the ultimate Team sport. It teaches you to push yourself harder than you ever thought you could, and at the same time, your performance means everything to the other athletes on the Team.
The Marist Coaching staff is looking for additional sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, throwers, middle distance runners, and distance runners to join the Team. No experience is necessary to join the Marist Track & Field Team. We will make you great!! Everyone will get the opportunity to train for five months with the finest coaching staff in Chicago before we make any roster cuts.
WHAT IF I HAVE NEVER COMPETED IN TRACK & FIELD BEFORE?
It doesn't matter if you have never competed in Track & Field in your life, we will make you great. Many Marist Sports (i.e. Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Soccer) already prepare you for Track & Field. There are 18 events in a Track meet (100m Dash, 110m Hurdles, 4x100m Relay, 200m Dash, 4x200m Relay, 300m Hurdles, 400m, 4x400m Relay, 800m, 4x800m Relay, 1600m, 3200m), and its not just about running. There are 6 Field Events that require speed and strength. We need GREAT athletes for strength and technique events, including Jumping Events (Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault) and Throwing Events (Shot Put, Discus).
Every event is worth the same amount of points, and every athlete is vital to the success of the TEAM. The difference in winning a championship has come down to a single point on frequent occassions.
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF A TEAM THAT WILL CONTEND FOR THE STATE TITLE?
Mandatory Practice - Monday - Friday (2:50 pm - 4:50 pm) - Beginning January 15, 2018. We are looking for students who their teammates can depend on everyday, and who are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to become an athlete.
Distance runners will be required to train outside if it is 10 degrees or warmer. Dress appropriate for practice (hat and gloves required). Throwers need to be prepared to take 40 or more throws a practice. Weight Training will be mandatory after every practice for ALL events, unless you already weight trained in the morning before school with the Football Team.
If for any reason, you can't attend the the Friday, January 12, 2018 Track & Field Registration Meeting, contact Head Mens Track Coach Jon Gordon at Gordon.Jon@Marist.net.
Official Practices will begin on Monday, January 15, 2018 at 2:50 pm.
Minnesota State University and Marist Alumni Lenell Navarre host an Invitational in Mankato, Minnesota on Janaury 12, 2018.
Illinois Wesleyan and Marist Alumni Matt Wagner host an Invitational in Bloomington, Illinois on January 20, 2018.
Maryville University and Marsit Alumni Kyle O'Farrell travel to Jacksonville, Illinois on January 20, 2018 for the Illinois College Invitational.
WHY EVERY FOOTBALL PLAYER SHOULD RUN TRACK
Co-authored by Lucas Kurtz.
If you strap on a helmet in the fall, you should be lacing up spikes in the spring. This should seem obvious.
After all, the quickest way to impress a football scout or coach is to be the quickest guy in a 40-Yard Dash. "The 40" is probably the most closely-watched drill at any combine, and posting a head-turning time can mean the difference between having multiple scholarship offers and fighting for preferred walk-on status.
But running track won't just help you during recruiting. It will make you an all-around better athlete, improving your on-field performance in four ways.
STRENGTH
Track and Field TEAM is in the weight room 4-5 days a week. Shot Put and Discus throwers are among the strongest athletes on the planet. Sprinters, Jumpers, Pole Vaulters, and Distance runners also weight train for success.
You'll Find Your Fastest Running Form.
Nobody knows the in's and out's of speed like a track coach. After all, there aren't many variables in track—you are running in a straight line. So one small blip in your form can make or break a race. So track coaches place huge emphasis on technique to maximize speed. Refining your technique on the track is a great way to make perfect running form second nature, so when game day comes on the gridiron, you'll be able to run faster without having to think about it.
You'll Build a Better "Burst"
Athletes who run track continually work on their starting stance, and with good reason: a runner's speed "out of the blocks" has a lot of influence on their finishing time. An athlete can trim a tenth or even two-tenths of a second off their 40 time just by getting their start down cold. Added bonus for footballers: the action of coming out of the starting blocks is very similar to getting off the line of scrimmage. Both require you to generate speed and power from a dead stop. So improving your "burst" at the starting line will improve your burst off the ball. In addition, an often overlooked but very important skill in football is the ability to accelerate from half- to full-speed, as when receivers run passing routes or cornerbacks make a break on the ball. Track teaches you to get to your top speed as quickly as possible. Common track drills, like Flying Starts, increase stride frequency and improve body control when transitioning to max speed.
You'll Get More Speed with Less Effort
Most football players are all about force, running like bowling balls trying to knock pins down. Sprinters, on the other hand, look like they almost glide over the ground. A good track coach will teach you to relax your body and exert the minimal amount of force necessary to attain top speed. Not only will you run faster, you won't be as exhausted after a play. Coaches often prescribe long sprints of 200 to 400 yards with short rest periods (about 45 seconds) between them. The short recovery time forces you to find your most efficient stride and arm swing to avoid fatigue.
