Notes from Nationals
By Tom Nurre

Day 1 - Monday, May 24

The ASU track and field team's trip to the NCAA Division II National Track and Field Championships at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., got off to a flying start.

The team, along with coaches James Reid, Tom Dibbern and Gary Gabriel, trainer Joe Briley, photographer Danny Meyer and reporter Tom Nurre, flew out of San Angelo's Mathis Field Airport in two groups on Monday - and that is when the fun started.

Many of the athletes are not experienced flyers, and several were taking their first airplane ride.  When some turbulence hit the first group's American Eagle flight from San Angelo to Dallas, the reactions ranged from wonder to nervousness to outright fear.

"It was awesome!" said 400-meter runner Isidro Garcia, a first-time flyer.  "It gave me a rush.  After the turbulence, our landing was actually really smooth."

"I felt like I was on a ride at Six Flags," said sprinter Makayla Myers.  "It was just up and down.  My gut was sinking and my stomach was all butterflies.  I think that was the worst flight I have ever been on, and I've flown out of San Angelo to Dallas at least once or twice every semester.  It was really rough."

"When we were bouncing around, I was in the back sweating bullets," said another Rams athlete who wishes to remain anonymous.  "I was expecting a bigger plane.  That was really scary."

Much of the first group was also subjected to the inevitable talkative seatmate, who sat next to Meyer and seemed to have an endless supply of bad jokes and inappropriate comments.

"There are two words you never say on an airplane, 'gun' and 'bomb,'" Briley said.  "He said them both, along with 'crash,' while he was talking.  He was not funny."

Upon landing in Dallas, though, the remainder of the trip to Charlotte was uneventful on the larger American Airlines planes, except for a bit of a bumpy landing for the second group of ASU athletes led by Dibbern.

"It was cool looking out and seeing from above the clouds," said javelin thrower Tyler Orlando, another first-time flyer.  "I didn't know it would be like that.  On the big plane, the wings were really shaking, though.  I didn't like that, and our landing was like someone tied a rope to the plane and jerked it."

After arriving in cool, wet and rainy Charlotte, Reid spent nearly an hour securing rental vans for the team and a Ford Fusion for Meyer and Nurre.  Dealing with a rental agent unused to State of Texas travel methods apparently caused the delay, but eventually the vehicles were ready and the first group headed for the EconoLodge that would be its home for the week.  The second group landed about an hour later and was also transported to the hotel, complete with a story to tell about Dibbern, who apparently had a bit of trouble with the seating at Burger King and ended up giving everyone quite a show that ended with him in a heap on the floor that included his bags and his chair.

After everyone got settled in the hotel, next came the first trip to the Irwin Belk Complex to check out the track and get in a brief workout.  Termed a "dynamic workout" by Reid, it consisted of warm-ups and stretches, followed by a series of 50-meter and 150-meter sprints and a cool-down period.  While it was obviously a light workout for the athletes, it is probably not one appropriate for the average person.

Though part of a small university, the complex includes a great view of the Charlotte skyline and got positive reviews from the ASU athletes, for the most part.

"It's a cool complex," Garcia said.  "I like the scenery.  The skyscrapers are awesome."

"It's nice, but the javelin area is not great," said thrower and pole vaulter Jacob McDonald.  "Tyler has to start his run-up in the grass."

Talk of the complex also dominated the dinner conversation of several of the Rams athletes Monday evening at Chili's, particularly comments on various anatomical deficiencies of the statue of the JCSU bull mascot compared to the ram statue at the ASU Junell Center. 

The first day of nationals wrapped up with a brief team meeting at the hotel.  The schedule for Tuesday includes morning workouts at the Belk Complex followed by a free afternoon in Charlotte.