Geneva, Ohio
March 2, 2013
DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY teammates ANDY COY and SETH BOOMSMA each earned a chunk of silver at the 2013 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships this afternoon in Geneva, Ohio. Well, they didn’t get an actual chunk of silver, but they did each claim the coveted All-American awards; Boomsma’s his first as a Trojan and Coy, his sixth in an outstanding career at Dakota State.
The 60 Meter Dash Finals
The indoor 60 meters is a crazy event. Sprinters have to get everything right at the crack of the gun or the race is over. Two-tenths of a second slow out of the blocks? Might as well just crawl around on the infield for seven seconds and watch everyone else sprint, because you’re out of the race. There really is no room for correcting racing errors like there might be in a 3,000 or 5,000 meters.
The 60 meters is a fast and ferocious event.
As for the NAIA finals of the 60 meters. Seth Boomsma looked to have a great start (see the video HERE. I am a distance coach, so I don’t actually know what I am talking about when it comes to something like the 60 meters, but the video is worth a couple-thousand words) and accelerated into the race with everyone else. He held top-end speed better than most or was still accelerating at the line, because it seemed as though he actually nosed out a couple of guys at the very end of the race to nab an outstanding national runner-up spot.
Boomsma’s time is no joke, either, as it would have qualified him for the USATF Indoor meet, held today in New Mexico.
Boomsma on finishing NAIA Runner-Up (6.75) in the 60 Meters.
“There’s a sense of disappointment (on just missing out on a national title), but yet at the same time also a sense of accomplishment. Last year, I was running unattached, so right now it just feels good to be on a team and be able to be All-American. But at the same time, I wanted to win.”
“Last year (being unattached), there was the motivation to run PR’s, but now there’s added motivation to be All-American, win the National Title and race well for your team. Just being able to train with your teammates has made this season better.”
Boomsma will focus on the 100 meters outdoors and thinks the Dakota State 4x100 meter team could potentially be strong. Add in teammate D’Artist Williams, who made the semi-finals of the 60 meter at the national meet, and a couple of others and that’s a solid team.
1,000 Meter Finals
Shortly after the 60 Meter finals, Andy Coy was up to bat in the 1,000 meters in an attempt to defend his national title of a year ago.
The race played out to be a tactical affair, with the first half-mile going through in a pedestrian 2:00 or so. The competition heated up with around a lap to go and the real racing started. Coy moved up from near the rear of the field and onto the shoulder of the leader, Dickinson State’s Dante Carter. The final 75 meters saw Coy in an all-out sprint to try to steal the win, but it in the end it was Carter squeaking out a .07 win with Coy finishing in second place.
Coy on his NAIA Runner-Up (2:28.00) in the 1,000 Meters.
“I didn’t run the best tactical race I could have ran, but it’s a race and things like that happen.”
“Dante (Carter, Dickinson State) is a nice kid. We hung out before the race and after the race a bit, so I’m definitely not upset to lose to a guy like him. Obviously you want to win, but that doesn’t always happen. This will be good motivation heading into the outdoor season.”
On what Coy will focus on this outdoor season
“Definitely the 1500, but I’ll run some 800’s to hopefully lower my P.R. a bit. I need to go back and work on some aerobic fitness and a couple things, but definitely the 1500 will be the focus.”
FUN FACT: In Coy’s four national indoor meets, he has never finished lower than 2nd place (2010- Runner-Up 4x800; 2011- 1,000m Runner-Up; 2012- 1,000m Champion; 2012- 1,000m Runner-Up). That, readers of SD.MileSplit...is pretty good.
Mounty Marty’s ABBY VANDENBERG closed out the day for South Dakota college athletes, scoring an impressive 37-04.5 in the women’s Triple Jump to place 6th and earn All-American honors for the Lancers. Vandenberg is a former Sioux Falls O'Gorman prep.
Next week is another championship week with South Dakota qualifiers headed to the NCAA II National Meet!
And then for the absolute best time of year: high school and college outdoor track!