3A Luling Running With The Big Dogs! Q&A With Coach Barnett!

The guys from Luling may only be a 3A school but they made big waves this past weekend placing 2nd in the 5A-6A race at the Cedar Park Invitational. The Eagles were lead by Buster Roberts who placed 3rd running 16:26. Last year Luling placed 1st at the state meet beating out San Antonio Cole by 4 points. They return five of their top six guys who raced at last years state meet. We asked Coach Barnett what this means for their team, the goals they have for this season and more in this weeks Q&A.

Texas MileSplit: What has the teams training been like so far this year? Have you tried anything different from years past? Did the team attend any summer training camps?

Coach Barnett: Our training has been pretty solid, with a few bumps here and there. I think that is fairly normal for most teams during a season. We have been in the swimming pool a few times with some of the guys!

Texas MileSplit: What are some of the training philosophies/models you use in your coaching?

Coach Barnett: Our main training philosophy revolves around individual excellence. All workouts are individualized for each runner based on their current fitness level.

Texas MileSplit: Are there any key workouts you run during the season? If so what are they and when do they fall in the season?

Coach Barnett: Our key workouts involve tempo runs, long runs and time trials to test fitness! We will transition into some form or aerobic intervals from time to time. It all depends on the athlete and where they are in their training progression.

Texas MileSplit: The team has only raced a few times this season, with their first 5k being this past weekend at Cedar Park, and they did very well at both meets. What are your thoughts on the team placing 2nd in a 5A-6A race when you are a 3A program? What was the mood of the team after such a high finish?

Coach Barnett: We were happy with the Cedar Park result, but not satisfied. They guys understand that there is much work to do and that we are not real sharp yet.

Texas MileSplit: You return almost all of your top 7 from last year, how do the guys returning help encourage the team? Who are guys who have really stepped up as leaders?

Coach Barnett: Our returning runners are real important because of their experience. They have been real good about teaching our new kids and they have been great with our Jr. High kids as well.

Texas MileSplit: What are some of your goals for this season? Being the returning state champs do you or the team feel any pressure to take home the state championship again?

Coach Barnett: Our goals....A. Train up to our potential. B. Be consistent in training. C. Race up to our potential/ability. D. Return to State and compete for medals. We don't feel much pressure to repeat as State Champions, but it certainly is on our radar screen. Winning State is VERY HARD to do and certainly it is something we think about and discuss, but the more important goal is to run up to our ability. If we chase our own potential then other things have a way of working themselves out. We can only control what we do....if we lose to another team then hats off to them.......they were just better than us!

M 5,000 Meter Run - Finals
Place Athlete Team Result Points
1 Viegra, Daniel 11 Pflugerville Henderickson 15:58.60 1
2 Scott, Parker 12 Corpus Christi King 16:11.90 2
3 Roberts, Buster Luling 16:26.10 3
Team Scores
Place Team Points Scorers Times
1 Georgetown High 121 6+17+24+33+41 (85+109) 0:47 1-5 Split | 17:14 Avg
2 Luling 137 3+16+20+47+51 (113+147) 1:17 1-5 Split | 17:13 Avg
3 Donna North 169 18+22+34+43+52 (57+118) 0:34 1-5 Split | 17:26 Avg

Full results here!

Interview With Buster Roberts After 3rd Place Finish

Interview With Team After 2nd Place Finish