With Texas Relays is one of the biggest meets in the country, it's no wonder it draws competition from states as far away as Virginia, California, and Florida. One team that's coming is the team from Nansemond River Virginia. Only a month ago they were national champions in the 4x200m relay atNew Balance Nationals Indoor. They have the potential to mix things up in the relays as well as some individual events. We talked with head Coach Byron about the trip down to Texas and what it means for their team!
Texas MileSplit: Why travel all the way to Texas to compete in this meet? How many times has your team come down and what were those experiences like?
Coach B.: This is out first time coming to Texas. Don't get me wrong the east coast (referring to North East) is extremely talented, but we often times are limited to our regional bubble. I try to get the kids to run against the best athletes not just in our geographic region but all over the country. And let's be honest Texas has some fire.
Texas MileSplit: Last year you traveled to Arcadia and performed very well in the relays. Is that the same expectations at this meet?
Coach B.: Indeed, again the idea is to let the athletes get to experience that National speed. Our open events in California were pretty humbling, but the girls pulled together on the relay. I would like to see some better open performances here at Texas Relays, but I also take into consideration the stress of the indoor Championship season.
Texas MileSplit: What's the buzz like on the team traveling halfway across the country for such a big meet? How are you keeping them focused?
Coach B.: Honestly, when we are traveling we are just concerned with the logistics, running around catching connector flights, getting hotel, and vehicles straight. I think we do a lot of mental preparation in training so that when the team steps in the stadium they will get that laser vision focus. There are a lot of hard-working athletes on the team that did not make the trip, a lot of parents, coaches, administrators, and people in the community behind the scenes supporting the athletes here in Texas. I constantly stress to the traveling athletes the depth of their experience and opportunity. I believe they draw a lot of focus from that as well. Representing the state of Virginia, Nansemond River High School, their teammates, their families, and themselves keep them pretty focused and hungry.
Texas MileSplit: What races are you personally excited to watch your team compete in?
Coach B.: I am excited to see the whole meet. As Northerner, I never made it out to this meet. So from high school, to college, to pros, I am going to be a fan this weekend. Do not get me wrong we are here to do work, but it's hard not to get caught up in this atmosphere. For us, there are too many events to choose from but I definitely want to see how our 4x100 and 4x200 stack up against the great state of Texas.
Texas MileSplit: Your girls 4x200m team ran 1:37.43 indoor to win New Balance Nationals Indoor which would rank U.S. #3 outdoor. What are some of the expectations coming into this meet racing against the best teams in the nation? Do you have a goal time set for them?
Coach B.: Yes sir, indoor was a blessing. It was exciting but let's be honest, Texas, Cali, and Florida are not represented there. So this is almost like another Nationals for us. With the meet schedule, we have to take it one round as a time; focus on making the finals first. Then being ready to compete against some of the fastest girls in the nation.
Texas MileSplit: Brandee Johnson is in the 300mH and has the potential to break Sammy Gonzalez 41.89 meet record. What would that mean for her and how has she been transitioning from running the shorter hurdle races indoor back to the longer ones outdoor? In the beginning of each
Brandee Johnson
Coach B.: In the beginning of each season each athlete does a vision board, and outlines their goals for the year. Brandee's goals are aggressive, but I must say her transition from indoor to outdoor has looked solid in training. If she executes what she has been doing in training she will have a great opener in route to hitting her vision board goals this season.
Texas MileSplit: How many different relay jersey combinations do you guys have packed with you? What is the goal or idea behind wearing a different jersey in each round?
Coach B.: That's a great question. Some of my colleagues joke that we are the Oregon of high school track. We literally had to check a suitcase just for uniforms, and I cannot tell you exactly how many combos we have anymore. On travel meets in our nightly team meetings we discuss the goal for the race or the relay and from there we decide which uniform fits that goal. Sometimes the goal will switch before the race, and we have to switch again. Trust me it makes us late to a lot of check-ins, but we would not have it any other way. It's kind of like our thing, each race is different so each goal is different, so each uniform is different. It's like in the prelims you might see Clark Kent Nansemond River but before the finals, we have to go into the phone booth and change into Super Man TEAM WAR.