Sunday, December 31, 2006

Winter Training(Jan. 1 thru Jan. 14)

Training for Jan. 1 thru Jan. 14:

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We are at the midpoint of winter break and in some ways are beginning our training not just for track in the spring, but also for next fall’s cross country meets. Everyone should be running consistent mileage and be ready to increase volume. We are six weeks of solid base training away from starting faster repeats and intervals as we prepare for outdoor track races. Women should be averaging 50+ miles during the upcoming weeks. Men should be averaging 60+ miles during this period.

In addition to increasing mileage during the next two weeks, add a couple of specific workouts. Your long run each week should now be somewhere between 70 minutes and 90 minutes. At least one time during the week find a 150m-200m hill and run 6 to 8 moderately hard repeats up with an easy jog back down. Also, at least two times during the week add 6-8 short relaxed sprints/strides on the grass at the end of your training run and combine those strides with core stability work(crunches, leg raises, dips and pushups). Except for the hill repeats and strides, all other runs can be done at a conversational aerobic pace. As always, try to run as much as possible on trails or grass.

We will add a few more miles and additional strength work when we get back to campus. I would like to meet with any runners who are already back on campus on Monday, Jan. 15, at 3:30 pm the Fitness Center for an easy run and to discuss class/training schedules and racing goals. We will all start off-season training with a long run on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 7:15 am at the Bread Company(Elm & National).


Sunday Long run of 10-13 miles

Monday 7-9 miles

Tuesday 6-8 miles w/ strides & strength training

Wednesday 7-9 miles w hill repeats

Thursday 6-8 miles w/ strides & strength training

Friday 8-10 miles

Saturday 5-7 miles/cross training


Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Winter Training(Dec. 17 thru Dec. 31)

Training for Dec. 17 thru Dec. 31:

We are eight weeks away from the track season. Speedwork will likely begin mid February so we can be ready to race outdoors at the end of March. For now we can stick with building an aerobic base and the training schedule will be basically the same for everyone. Starting with the next two upcoming weeks, we want to establish our volume and mileage and stay consistent with daily runs. Decide for yourself what day of the week works best for your long runs, but take advantage of the break in school by making your daily run a priority.

Your long run each week should be somewhere between 60 minutes and 80 minutes. Also, at least two times during the week find a hilly course and push the pace on the uphills. Do some core strength exercises after those runs. Except for the hills, all other runs can be done at a relatively easy pace. Try to run as much as possible on trails or grass and stretch after each run.

Women should be at 40-50 miles during these next two weeks. Men should be around 50-60 miles.

After Jan. 1 we will add a few more miles and more strength work. When we get back to campus in mid January we will set our mileage and plan specific workouts according to which events you want to race outdoors.


Sunday Long run of 10-13 miles

Monday 6-8 miles

Tuesday 5-7 miles w/ hills & strength training

Wednesday 7-9 miles

Thursday 5-7 miles w/ hills & strength training

Friday 7-9 miles

Saturday 4-6 miles/cross training


Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Winter Off-Season Conditioning

Our method of training for outdoor track is very similar to preparing for cross country and is based on principles of stress, adaptation and progression. You must overload, or stress, a specific physiological function to produce a training effect. Adaptation occurs as you recover from the workload. Progression occurs as you increase intensity and volume over time and add different types of training to the mix. With the right amounts of sharpening and tapering during the outdoor track season, the end result will be outstanding fitness and fast races on the track.

In order to race fast during the outdoor track season, we will be doing steady-state running and speedwork in February and March. To make the most of these workouts, we must spend the winter months(December and January) doing the kind of base training necessary to support this hard running. Winter conditioning starts with aerobic mileage and adds hilly runs, strides and strength work. The idea is to increase VO2max and running efficiency during this period. Anerobic development and speed will come later during the track season.

After finals week in the fall, plan to increase weekly mileage and add a weekly long run to improve aerobic capacity. While these increases need to be gradual, they also need to happen early during the winter break so aerobic conditioning can be consistent for 6-8 weeks before we start speed work in February.

The more volume you can do during the winter, the better you will be in races in the spring. I'll be posting suggested training starting Sunday, December 17, and will provide some variation between the training necessary for those runners wanting to focus on 1500m and those runners wanting to focus on 3000m/5000m.

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Spring 2007 Track Schedule

Drury Panthers
Track Competitions Spring 2007


March 24(Sat) Tulsa Invitational UT(Tulsa, OK)
(1500m/3000m)

March 30(Fri) Missouri Relays Mizzou(Columbia, MO)
(3000St/1500m/W3000m/5000m/10000m)

April 7(Sat) Washington U Select WashU(St. Louis, MO)
(1500m/800m/5000m/3000St)

April 21(Sat) Dewey Allgood Invitational UMR(Rolla, MO)
(3000St/1500m/W3000m/800m/5000m)

April 27(Fri) Bob Williams Invitational MSSU(Joplin, MO)
(3000St/1500m/W3000m/800m/M5000m)

Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Record Board/Top Runners(11/06)

Drury Cross Country & Track
Record Board/Top Five Runners with Times Per Event

Men’s 10K XC:
1. 32:51 Ross MacDonald NCAA Reg. 2003
2. 32:53 Chad Limberg NCAA Reg. 2003
3. 33:09 Ryan Mee NCAA Reg. 2004
4. 33:09 Chad Jolliff NCAA Reg. 2004
5. 33:13 Isaac Battaglia NCAA Reg. 2003

Men’s 8K XC:
1. 25:39 Chad Limberg GLVC 2005
2. 25:54 Ryan Mee GLVC 2005
25:54 Geoff Hughes GLVC 2006
4. 26:15 Chad Jolliff GLVC 2005
5. 26:20 Ross MacDonald UMR 2003

Women’s 6K XC:
1. 22:16 Veronica Bible GLVC 2005
2. 22:28 Jaimee Hoffman NCAA Reg. 2003
3. 23:07 Elizabeth Hurford GLVC 2005
4. 23:09 Emily Grindeland GLVC 2005
5. 23:34 Jessica Stong Zephyrs XC Only Nat. 2005

Women’s 5K XC:
1. 18:43 Jessica Stong Zephyrs MSSU 2005
2. 18:47 Jaimee Hoffman MSSU 2003
3. 18:52 Elizabeth Hurford Border Wars 2006
4. 19:00 Stephanie Cowherd Border Wars 2006
5. 19:14 Veronica Bible MSSU 2005




Men’s 5000m Track:
1. 15:21 Ryan Mee Mizzou 2005
2. 15:35 Ross MacDonald MSSU 2004
3. 15:37 Chad Jolliff Mizzou 2005
4. 15:37 Chad Limberg MSSU 2004
5. 15:44 Nathan Poindexter Mizzou 2005

Men’s 3000m Track:
1. 9:00 Ryan Mee MSU 2005
2. 9:16 Nathan Poindexter MSU 2005
3. 9:21 Matt Van Arkel PSU 2006
4. 9:24 Chad Limberg MSU 2005
5(tie) 9:26 Chad Jolliff MSU 2005
9:26 Ross MacDonald MSU 2005

Men’s 1500m Track:
1. 4:08 Ryan Mee UMR 2005
2. 4:10 Chad Limberg USA 2005
3. 4:11 Nathan Poindexter USA 2005
4. 4:12 Matt Van Arkel MSSU 2005
5. 4:16 Anthony Million USA 2005

Women’s 5000m Track:
1. 18:18 Jaimee Hoffman Mizzou 2004
2. 18:48 Jessica Stong Zephyrs UMR 2005
3. 19:14 Veronica Bible Mizzou 2004
4. 19:35 Elizabeth Hurford FSU 2006
5. 19:36 Emily Schmittel FSU 2006

Women’s 3000m Track:
1. 10:47 Jaimee Hoffman MSSU 2004
2. 10:48 Jessica Stong Zephyrs Mizzou 2005
3. 10:59 Elizabeth Hurford Mizzou 2006
4. 11:22 Emily Schmittel Mizzou 2006
5. 11:23 Veronica Bible USA 2004

Women’s 1500m Track:
1. 5:19 Veronica Bible UMR 2006

Please forward any corrections or additions to Coach Van Arkel

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Fall Cross Country Banquet Nov. 17



Drury’s cross country banquet celebrating the fall season and wishing farewell to our graduating seniors was Friday, November 17, at Stephanie Cowherd’s parent's home in Ozark. Besides showing our appreciation for the seniors, letter winners, and Captains Veronica Bible, Jaimee Hoffman, Kevin Zimmerman and Ross MacDonald, we recognized Elizabeth Hurford's 23:24 for 6K(& 18th place) at the GLVC meet and Geoff Hughes' 33:30 for 10K(& 29th place) at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet as the best performances of the fall.

Our meal was catered by Ott's Pasta and the Cowherds did a great job as hosts.

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Drury Results from NCAA Great Lakes Regional XC Meet

Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office/Pictures by John Schraft

November 4, 2006 at Kenosha, Wisconsin



MEN'S RESULTS

Freshman Geoff Hughes finished 29th to pace the Drury University men's cross country team to a 14th-place finish in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region meet Saturday.



Hughes completed the 10K course in 33:30.3. Junior Nate Peck of Grand Valley State won the meet in 31:30.0, leading GVSU to the team title as well with 36 points.



Team Results:

Grand Valley State 36, Wayne State 60, Saginaw Valley St. 119, Northern Kentucky 170, Southern Indiana 177, Hillsdale 187, Lewis 188, Ashland 193, Tiffin 290, SIU Edwardsville 294, Lake Superior State 316, Northwood 323, Missouri-Rolla 343, DRURY 411, Bellarmine 426, Indianapolis 447, Michigan Tech 467, Findlay 499, Wisconsin-Parkside 535, Ferris State 542, Mercyhurst 554, St. Joseph's 588, Gannon 687



Drury men's individual results on Saturday:

29. Geoff Hughes Fr 33:30.3

71. Ross MacDonald JR 34:37.9

95. Glen Buttrum Fr 35:07.5

105. Matt Van Arkel So 35:28.7

111. Kevin Zimmerman Sr 35:37.3

117. Chad Jolliff Jr 35:48.7

132. Charles Yeager Fr 36:24.9



This was the last meet for Senior Captain Kevin Zimmerman.



WOMEN'S RESULTS



Elizabeth Hurford finished 43rd and Jessica Zephyrs 46th, pacing the Drury University women's cross country squad to a 13th-place finish in the NCAA-II Great Lakes Region meet Saturday morning.



Hurford, a junior, completed the 6K course in 23:36.3, while the senior Zephrys crossed the finish line in 23:44.1. Sophomore Laura Aderman of Grand Valley State won the meet in 21:13.9, pacing the Lakers to the team title as well with 47 points.



Women's Team Results:

Grand Valley State 47, Wisconsin-Parkside 91, Findlay 136, Southern Indiana 139, Indianapolis 192, Northern Michigan 228, Hillsdale 231, Northern Kentucky 256, Wayne State 270, Ferris State 270, Michigan Tech 271, Ashland 286, DRURY 310, Saginaw Valley 319, Lake Superior State 371, Northwood 391, Bellarmine 392, Lewis 441, St. Joseph's 482, SIU Edwardsville 498, Missouri-Rolla 583, Gannon 630, Mercyhurst 641, Kentucky Wesleyan 752



Drury women's individual results:

43. Elizabeth Hurford Jr 23:36.3

46. Jessica Zephyrs Sr 23:44.1

51. Veronica Bible Sr 23:50.1

70. Stephanie Cowherd Fr 24:14.0

100. Kimberly Shigeno Fr 24:44.1

126. Emily Schmittel Jr 25:20.6

149. Jaimee Hoffman Sr 26:12.2



This was the last meet for Seniors Jessica Zephyrs, Captain Veronica Bible and Captain Jaimee Hoffman, and for early grad Emily Schmittel. Hopefully, they are taking with them great memories(in addition to the little bit of mud clinging to the back of their legs).



Comment:

Coach... I believe it's safe to say that the girls achieved every goal you had set for us in the beginning of this season's blog. It was a great finish to a great career here and I thank you. I'm happy and proud to say I'm a Drury Panther! Thanks again for everything, Veronica

Monday, October 30, 2006

Last Hard Workout Before Regionals



For our last hard workout before we taper for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Cross Country meet on November 4 we ran early Sunday morning at Lake Springfield over a tough & hilly course.



Repeat miles with a huge net elevation gain. The first one was at 10K race pace(sort of easy). Our girls later finished their workout close to 5:30/mile. Our guys were around 5:00/mile at the end.



Then we had a breakfast cookout: bacon, eggs, bagels & cream cheese, yogurt, fruit and orange Gatorade, all cooked to perfection by my Jo and Jess’ Joe.



We’ll do some recovery runs this week and be rested for the NCAA race at Wisconsin-Parkside(also host course for the Footlocker Midwest Regional XC meet November 25).



Coach Van Arkel

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Drury Results from GLVC XC Championships



Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office

October 21, 2006

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Led by junior Elizabeth Hurford's 18th place finish, the Drury women's cross country team placed fifth in the 10-team Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships on Saturday.

Hurford completed the 6K course in 23:24.54 in a race won by Southern Indiana sophomore Allie Shafer.

Wisconsin-Parkside captured the team title with 39 points, followed by runner-up Southern Indiana at 53, Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky with 85 each and Drury at 146 to complete the top five.

Women's GLVC XC CHAMPIONSHIPS(At SIUE)

Team Standings:

Wisconsin-Parkside 39, Southern Indiana 53, Indianapolis 85, Northern Kentucky 85, Drury 146, Bellarmine 147, Lewis 192, SIUE 195, Saint Joseph's 238, Missouri-Rolla 265

Drury Women's Results:

(18) Elizabeth Hurford 23:24.54; (25) Stephanie Cowherd 23:39.99; (32) Veronica Bible 23:52.85; (33) Jessica Zephyrs 23:58.70; (38) Kimberly Shigeno 24:05.18; (48) Emily Schmittel 24:28.00; (73) Christina Hirt 25:23.88; (79) Jaimee Hoffman 25:40.11; (85) Sara Murzynsky 26:01.40; (87) Lindsey Bennett 26:10.06; (89) Gabrielle Wilson 26:19.14.







Drury University's men's cross country Panthers finished sixth in the 10-team Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships held Saturday morning.

Freshman Geoff Hughes led the Panthers with a 12th place finish, completing the 8K course in 26:22.43. Andy Tremble, a senior from Lewis, won the individual title in 25:21.69.

Southern Indiana was the team champion with 63 points, with Lewis second at 72. Northern Kentucky was third with 86, followed by SIU Edwardsville at 115, Missouri-Rolla with 122 and Drury with 169 to complete the top six.

Men's GLVC XC CHAMPIONSHIPS(At SIUE)

Team Standings:

Southern Indiana 63, Lewis 72, Northern Kentucky 86, SIUE 115, Missouri-Rolla 122, Drury 169, Bellarmine 176, Indianapolis 180, Wisconsin-Parkside 209, Saint Joseph's 254.

Drury Men's Results:

(12) Geoff Hughes 26:22.43; (16) Ross MacDonald 26:34.06; (43) Chad Jolliff 27:40.34; (49) Glen Buttrum 27:49.77; (67) Matt Van Arkel 28:229.59; (69) Andy Chase 28:27.46; (74) Brad Lyons 28:33.01; (80) Charles Yeager 28:49.66; (84) Kevin Zimmerman 28:59.83; (91) Kerryn Sarwansingh 29:39.94; (94) John Schraft 30:06.21; (103) Tim Short 31:53.17; (105) Andrew Montgomery 32:06.05.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

XC Training: Weeks of Oct. 22 & 29

Weeks of October 22 & 29:

Su(10/22) am: off

M 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Tu 6:00 am: 12-14 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: strides & strength training

W 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Th 6:15 am: 11-13 miles

Th 3:15 pm: strides & strength training

F am or pm: OYO/4-5 miles

Sa am: off

Su 7:30 am: 7-9 miles(meet @ Lake Springfield)

M 7:00 am: 5-6 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: 5-6 miles w/ strength training

W 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Th 7:00 am: 4-6 miles

Th 4:00 pm: Leave Drury
Lodging @ Drury Inn(Collinsville, IL)

F pm: Arrive Kenosha
Lodging @ Comfort Suites(Kenosha, WI)

Sa 8:30 am: NCAA Regional XC Meet
Men’s 10K @ 10:00 am/Women’s 6K @ 11:15 am

Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Drury XC Results from Border Wars



Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office

October 7, 2006

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Drury University women's cross country team took 10th place in the 29-team Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Border Wars invitational meet on Saturday.

Junior Elizabeth Hurford completed the course in 18:52.22 to finish 23rd and lead the Panther efforts, while freshman Stephanie Cowherd was 30th in 19:00.50.

Washington University won the team title with 79 points, with Missouri Southern finishing second at 113. Individual champion was sophomore Stacy Kentzler of Pittsburg State with a time of 17:48.76.

Other Drury results were senior Jessica Zephyrs (48th) in 19:18.53; senior Veronica Bible (62) in 19:26.84; junior Emily Schmittel (103) in 20:06.61; freshman Lindsey Bennett (133) in 20:33.68; senior Jaimee Hoffman (153) 20:48.40; senior Christina Hirt (175) in 21:04.31; freshman Sara Murzynsky (186) in 21:16.03; and senior Gabrielle Wilson (196) in 21:24.74.






Led by an 18th-place finish by freshman Geoff Hughes, the Drury University men's cross country team finished 19th in Saturday's 30-team, SIU Edwardsville Border Wars invitational meet.

Missouri Southern won the title with 79 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Rend Lake (Ill.) Community College at 116 points. Southwest Baptist (140) was third and Central Missouri State (193) fourth.

Freshman Elkana Kibet of Rend Lake was the individual champion, completing the course in 24:31.45.

Drury amassed 450 points. Hughes led the way with a time of 25:54.15. Junior Ross MacDonald finished 48th in 26:38.73.

Other DU results were freshman Glen Buttrum (139th) in 27:50.55; junior Chad Joliff (165th) in 28:10.77; freshman Brad Lyons (182nd) in 28:23.22; senior Kevin Zimmerman (187th) in 28:26.67; senior John Schraft (207) in 28:57.25; sophomore Matt Van Arkel (208) in 28:58.89; freshman Andy Chase (211) in 29:03.07; senior Avery Snelson (216) in 29:09.43; and freshman Andrew Montgomery (279) in 31:03.05.

Sunday, October 8, 2006

XC Training: Weeks of Oct. 8 & 15

Weeks of October 8 & 15:

Su(10/8) am: off

M 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Tu 6:15 am: 11-13 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: strides & strength training

W 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Th 7:15 am: 6-8 miles(meet at Lake Springfield)

F am: OYO/4-5 miles

Sa am: OYO/11-13 miles

Su(10/15) am: off

M 6:30 am: 8-10 miles(run to Silver Springs)

Tu 3:15 pm: 5-6 miles w/ strength training

W 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Th 3:15 pm: 5-7 miles

F 10:00 am: Leave Drury/4-5 miles @ SIUE
Lodging at Comfort Inn(Collinsville)

Sa 8:30 am: GLVC Conference @ SIUE
Men’s 8k 10:30 am/Women’s 6k 11:30 am

Su am: off

Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Sunday, October 1, 2006

Women's XC Results from OSU



Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office/Pictures by Jo Van Arkel

September 30, 2006

STILLWATER, Okla. - Sparked by a 39th-place finish from Elizabeth Hurford, the Drury University women's cross country squad finished 11th Saturday in the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree.

The host school won the event with 49 points, 30 points ahead of runner-up Wichita State (79). Texas Christian was third with 81 points in the 15-team university division field.

Individual winner was Faithy Kamangila of Oral Roberts, who finished in 17:14.

Hurford, a junior, completed the course in 19:24, while freshman Stephanie Cowherd finished 47th in 19:39 and senior Jessica Zephyrs 49th in 19:42.



Drury Results

39. Elizabeth Hurford 19:24

47. Stephanie Cowherd 19:39

49. Jessica Zephyrs 19:42

65. Veronica Bible 20:12

72. Kimberly Shigeno 20:34

76. Emily Schmittel 21:05

82. Christina Hirt 21:28

Jaimee Hoffman 21:30

Lindsey Bennett 22:04

Sara Murzynsky 22:08

Gabrielle Wilson 22:20

Men's XC Results from OSU



Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office/Pictures by Jo Van Arkel

September 30, 2006

STILLWATER, Okla. - Led by freshman Geoff Hughes' 37th-place finish individually, the Drury University men's cross country team came in 19th in the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree held Saturday morning.

Arkansas was the overall winner with a score of 40, ahead of Abilene Christian (64) and the host Cowboys (80) to complete the top three. Abilene Christian also had the individual champion in Nicodemus Naimadu, who completed the course in 23:53. Hughes made his way around in 26:19.



Drury results:

37. Geoff Hughes 26:19

92. Ross MacDonald 27:38

114. Chad Jolliff 28:26

121. Charles Yeager 28:43

125. Kevin Zimmerman 28:56

130. Glen Buttrum 29:22

134. Brad Lyons 29:28

John Schraft 30:08

Andy Chase 30:33

A.J. Snelson 30:42

Tim Short 31:31

Andrew Montgomery 32:28

XC Training: Week of Oct. 1

Week of October 1:

Su am: off

M 6:00 am: 11-13 miles

Tu 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/ strength training

W 6:15 am: 7-9 miles(run to Phelps Grove)

Th 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Th 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/ strength training

F 7:00 am: 4-5 miles

F 2:00 pm: Leave Drury for St. Louis
6:00 pm: Dinner at Andy’s
Lodging at Drury Inn(Downtown)

Sa 8:00 am: Border Wars/SIUE
Women’s 5k 10:00 am/Men’s 8k 10:45 am

Su am: off



Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Friday, September 22, 2006

XC Training: Week of Sept. 24

Week of September 24:

Su 7:00 am: 12-14 miles @ Bread Co.(Elm & Nat.)

M 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Tu 6:15 am: 7-9 miles(run to Phelps Grove)

Tu 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/ strength training

W 6:30 am: 7-9 miles

Th 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Th 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/ strength training

F 1:00 pm: Leave Drury for Stillwater, OK

Sa 6:00 am: OSU Cowboy Jamboree
Women’s 5k 9:10 am/Men’s 8k 9:40 am

Su am: off



Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Geoff Hughes GLVC Runner of the Week

Indianapolis, IND. -- Drury University's Geoff Hughes (Raytown, Mo./South) is the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week. The freshman runner placed 25th in the Men's University Division of the Missouri Southern Stampede held in Joplin, Mo. on Sept. 16. Hughes completed the 8K course in a time of 26:20.7 to lead the Panthers' to a 15th-place team finish. He competed against 297 individual runners in his first collegiate 8K event and helped Drury to a solid team finish in the 31-team field. Drury finished with a team score of 391 assisted by the score of 22 posted by Hughes. The Panthers' men's cross country team will return to action on Sept. 30 at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Drury XC Results from Southern Stampede

September 16, 2006

Courtesy of the Drury Sports Information Office/Pictures by Jo Van Arkel



JOPLIN, Mo. - The Panther women finished 10th in their second meet of the fall season with junior Elizabeth Hurford (19:00.7) coming in 42nd in the 5K. Faithy Kamangila of Oral Roberts had the fastest time of the day (16:53.4). Harding University claimed first place with Missouri State, Southwest Baptist, Oral Roberts and Pittsburg State rounding out the top five.



The Panther men finished fifteenth in the 31 team 8K field with 391 points. The University of Arkansas took first followed by Southwest Baptist, Harding, Missouri Southern and East Central (Okla.) to round of the top five. Julius Kosgei of Harding was the top runner in a field of 297 with a time of 24:15.8. Drury's Geoff Hughes, a freshman from Raytown, Mo., was 25th individually with a time of 26:20.7.



Both Drury teams return to action on Saturday, September 30, when they head to Stillwater, Okla. for the Cowboy Jamboree which is hosted by Oklahoma State University.



Drury Women's Individual Results
42. Elizabeth Hurford 19:00.7
47. Stephanie Cowherd 19:09.8
63. Jessica Zephyrs 19:19.9
70. Kimberly Shigeno 19:27.1
104. Veronica Bible 19:58.7
108. Emily Schmittel 20:01.0
127. Christina Hirt 20:20.6
158. Lindsey Bennett 20:48.9
168. Jaimee Hoffman 21:04.5
170. Gabrielle Wilson 21:07.6
196. Sara Murzynsky 21:49.8



Drury Men's Individual Results
25. Geoff Hughes 26:20.7
63. Ross MacDonald 27:14.0
113. Chad Jolliff 28:00.7
119. Kevin Zimmerman 28:05.7
121. Charles Yeager 28:09.1
150. Glen Buttrum 28:49.2
162. Andy Chase 29:13.6
178. Avery Snelson 29:30.6
211. John Schraft 30:25.2
245. Kerryn Sarwansingh 31:31.6
263. Andrew Montgomery 32:40.5

Thursday, September 14, 2006

XC Training : Week of Sept. 17

Week of September 17:

Sun(9/17) off

M 6:00 am: 11-13 miles

Tu 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: 4 miles w/ strength training

W 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Th 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Th 3:15 pm: 4 miles w/ strength training

F 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Sat off

Sun 7:00 am: 12-14 miles(Bread Co./Elm & Nat.)



Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Drury XC Results from Miner Invitational

September 9, 2006

(Courtesy of the Drury Sports Information Office)

ROLLA, Mo. - The Drury cross country teams opened the 2006 campaign with the women taking first and the men coming in third at the University of Missouri-Rolla Miner Invitational. Led by senior Jessica Zephyrs of Enid, Okla., (19:22.6) the Panthers took first in a six team field with 36 points. Individually Jacquie Faust of Truman State took top honors (18:17.2). Drury's depth and balance were evident as the team's five point scorers all finished in the top 10 or higher in a field of 67 runners. Team results were as follows: Missouri-Rolla (65 points), Truman State (73 points), Lincoln (106 points), McKendree (115 points) and St. Louis Pharmacy (131 points).

The Panther men finished third with 68 points in a field of seven teams. Missouri-Rolla, the host institution, took first with 28 points followed by Truman State's 40 points. Rounding out the field were: Unattached (130), McKendree (146), Missouri-Rolla Alumni (152) and St. Louis Pharmacy (201). Drury's Geoff Hughes, a freshman from Raytown, Mo., was fifth individually (in a field of 86 runners). Geoff had a time of 15:58.2. Individually Joffroi Holcombe of Missouri-Rolla took first with a time of 15:34.5.

Drury Women's Individual Results
4. Jessica Zephyrs 19:22.6
5. Elizabeth Hurford 19:31.6
7. Stephanie Cowherd 19:44.6
8. Kimberly Shigeno 19:52.3
12. Veronica Bible 20:23.4
13. Emily Schmittel 20:35.8
19. Christina Hirt 21:19.0
20. Jaimee Hoffman 21:27.8
25. Gabrielle Wilson 22:06.5
27. Lindsey Bennett 22:38.6
28. Sarah Murzynsky 22:40.1

Drury Men's Individual Results
4. Geoff Hughes 15:58.2
12. Ross MacDonald 16:20.8
14. Matt Van Arkel 16:26.6
16. Charles Yeager 16:27.6
25. Chad Jolliff 16:48.1
31. John Schraft 17:07.3
33. Glen Buttrum 17:12.5
34. Kevin Zimmerman 17:16.7
38. Kerryn Sarwansingh 17:42.4
40. Avery Snelson 17:46.9
44. Andy Chase 17:56.1
47. Tim Short 18:03.7
56. Andrew Montgomery 19:36.6

Thursday, September 7, 2006

XC Preseason Preview

For release Sepember 7, 2006:

(Courtesy of the Drury Sports Information Office)

With what coach Jon Van Arkel believes might be his deepest squads in five seasons, the Drury University cross country teams kick off their season Saturday by competing in the University of Missouri-Rolla Miner Invitational.

The women's 5-kilometer race starts at 10 a.m., followed by the men's at 11, with both held at the UMR Golf Course. Drury coach Jon Van Arkel expects the meet to also be the starting line for a successful season for both Panther squads.

The Drury women, in particular, feature a veteran squad led by a senior class of Veronica Bible, Christina Hurt, Jaimee Hoffman, Gabrielle Wilson and Jessica (Stong) Zephyrs. Their experience and leadership, along with that of juniors Elizabeth Hurford and Emily Schmittel, will help the Panthers break in a solid freshman group of Lindsey Bennett, Stephanie Cowherd, Sara Murzynsky and Kimberly Shigeno.

Bible (19th) and Hurford (34th) led the way for the Panthers in their inaugural Great Lakes Valley Conference championship meet last fall, and were Drury's top finishers in the Great Lakes Regional at 52nd and 65th, respectively.

But throw in the strength of Zephyrs, who was off to a strong start last season before a leg injury sidelined her down the stretch, with the talent of the incoming group, and Van Arkel likes the chances for this squad to prosper.

On the men's side, it appears to be a wide-open competition to become one of the seven runners who hits the course for meets.

The Panthers have just three seniors on the roster - John Schraft, Avery Snelson and Kevin Zimmerman - but also feature a host of talented underclassmen for Van Arkel to work with as he enters his fifth season at the Panthers' helm.

Among the top returnees are junior Chad Joliff, who led the Panther efforts in several races early last season before being slowed by an illness, and classmate Ross MacDonald, as well as sophomores Tim Short and Matt Van Arkel. MacDonald and Van Arkel are coming off redshirt seasons due to injuries.

"I expect those three (Joliff, MacDonald and Van Arkel) to have an impact this season," coach Van Arkel said.

The Panthers have seven freshmen on the roster - Glenn Buttrum, Andy Chase, Geoff Hughes, Brad Lyons, Andrew Montgomery, Kerryn Sarwansingh and Charles Yeager. Van Arkel believes several could crack the Drury top five this season, and the group as a whole helps build the depth necessary to outlast the usual rash of in-season injuries that can play a collegiate cross country team.

"You've got to have the depth to still be competitive," Van Arkel says.

"In a sense, this is kind of a rebuilding year, but I expect us to be at least as good as last season."

After years of dominating the Heartland Conference, the Panthers have found the step up in competition to the GLVC an extreme challenge. Van Arkel believes he's put together back-to-back recruiting classes on both sides that, in time, will be able to contend for league and regional honors.

"Last year we graduated our initial four-year class of runners, and those seniors developed a lot and became good runners who provided us with competitive teams," Van Arkel said. "But every year, our recruits have gotten stronger and stronger. I really think we're now substantially stronger than the original group of freshmen we brought in to start the program, and that's the kind of incremental increase in quality you have to have."

Elected team captains for the Panthers are Zimmerman and MacDonald for the men and Bible and Hoffman on the women's side.

Van Arkel also has added a new assistant coach in Mark Millsap, a Drury alumnus and local running and fitness training afficianado.

XC Training: Week of Sept. 10

Week of September 10:

Su am: off

M 6:00 am: 11-13 miles

Tu 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Tu 3:15 pm: 4 miles w/ strength training

W 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Th 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Th 3:15 pm: 4 miles w/ strength training

F 7:00 am: 4-5 miles

Sa 6:00 am: Leave Drury for Southern Stampede
Women’s 5k 9:00 am/Men’s 8k 9:45 am

Su am: off



Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Friday, September 1, 2006

Drury XC Captains

Veronica Bible and Jaimee Hoffman have been selected by their peers as co-captains of the Drury Women's Cross Country team. Kevin Zimmerman and Ross MacDonald have been selected by their peers as co-captains of the Drury Men's Cross Country team.

Congratulations vee, jaim, kev & ross!

Coach Van Arkel

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

XC Training: Week of Sept. 3

Week of September 3:

Sun Break /11-13 miles

Mon Labor Day/6-8 miles

Tue 6:15 am: 8-10 miles(run to Phelps Grove)

Tue 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/Strength Training

Wed 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Thu 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Thu 3:15 pm: 3 miles w/Strength Training

Fri 7:00 am: 5-6 miles

Sat 6:30am: Leave Drury for UMR Golf Course
Women’s 5K @ 10 am/Men’s 5K @ 10:30 am

Sun Off/OYO

Coach Van Arkel
873-7567

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Info for XC Parents & Boosters

Family, Friends & Boosters of Drury Cross Country Runners:

Our athletes have now started not only practice but also their fall semester of classes. We are looking forward to a chance to compete and hope to improve on last year’s good results. Our first cross country meet will be September 9 in Rolla at the UMR Miner Invitational. The meet schedule is on the drury.edu website, and the team roster is posted online, as well. Results from our meets will be included on the cross country web page as the fall season continues. I also plan to post updates on our Drury Running web blog.

Any support you can give to the cross country team during the season would be appreciated. As a fund raiser, we have running t-shirts(short-sleeved white tee’s w/ Drury Panther logo in sizes youth large thru adult XL) available for $25. Our other fund-raising efforts will include the Drury Auction Benefiting Athletics on October 14.

I am looking forward to spending time with each of the students on the team and seeing them grow as individuals and athletes. We will be competitive and challenge some of the best teams in our conference and region. If you have any questions about the team or about the location of any meets or wish to order a t-shirt, please call me on campus at (417)873-7567. I hope to see you in person at our races supporting our outstanding runners.

Jon Van Arkel
Head Cross Country Coach

Thursday, August 24, 2006

XC Training: Week of Aug. 27

Drury University
Cross Country Training

Week of August 27:

Sun 7:00 am: 11-13 miles @ Bread Co.(East Battlefield)

Mon 6:30 am: 6-8 miles

Mon 4:15 pm: 4 miles & strides

Mon 6:00 pm: Springfield Cardinals

Tues 6:15 am: 8-10 miles @ Phelps Grove

Tues 3:15 pm: 4 miles & strength training

Wed 6:30 am: 8-10 miles

Thur 6:15 am: 6-8 miles @ Silver Springs

Thur 3:00 pm: Baseball tryouts @ Meador Park
3:15 pm: 4 miles & Strength Training

Fri 6:30 am: 8-10 miles

Sat Break/OYO

Sun Break/OYO/11-13 miles

Mon(Labor Day) Break/OYO

Tues 6:15 am: 8-10 miles

Coach Van Arkel 873-7567

Saturday, August 19, 2006

XC Training: Week of Aug. 20

We've had a good first three days during our cross country preseason training at Drury. Everyone showed up relatively fit and healthy and there are many reasons to believe we will be competitive this fall. It has been unseasonably hot, so our first few runs haven't been a couple miles less than I planned. If it cools off somewhat by Sunday, we will run long in that morning. Remember to bring t-shirts to the picnic on at 6 pm Sunday evening and we'll mark the backs. Also, remember to wear your uniform(split racing shorts and singlets) to pictures on Tuesday afternoon.

Drury University
Cross Country Training
Week of August 20

Sun 6:30 am: 11-13 miles @ Bread Co.(Elm & Nat)

Sun 6:00 pm: Picnic @ Van Arkel’s(311 S. Cordova Ct.)

Mon 6:30 am: 7 miles @ Lake Springfield

Mon 4:00 pm: 4 miles & strength training

Tue 6:30 am: 8-10 miles

Tue 4:00 pm: Pictures @ Silver Springs

Wed 6:30 am: 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats

Thu 6:30 am: 6 miles

Thu 4:15 pm: 4 miles & strength training

Fri 6:30 am: 8-10 miles

Fri 3:00 pm: stretching/ice

Sat 7:00 am: off/On Your Own

Sun 7:00am: 11-13 miles @ Bread Co.(East Battlefield)

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Assistant XC Coach Mark Millsap

Local runner and Drury alumnus, Mark Millsap


will be helping the Drury Men's and Women's cross country teams this fall as assistant coach. Mark has a B.A. from M.S.U. and Masters in Education from Drury. After working for a number of years at the Greene County Juvenile Court as Supervisor of Probation and Field Services, he became an Exercise Specialist at Cox Fitness Centers. His duties there include personal training and facility supervision. Mark is a certified coach with USATF, Road Runner Club of America, American Sports Education and USA cycling. Mark is eager to be involved with student athletes, intercollegiate cross country and distance running.

Monday, August 14, 2006

No Sleep 'Til Rolla

No.. sleep..
No.. sleep.. 'til.. Rolla

Foot on the road never ever false steppin’
Engine runnin’ hotter than a boiling kettle
My run ain’t a run it’s a damn good time
City to city I’m runnin’ my times
On location racing around the nation
Drury runners always on vacation
Itchy trigger finger but a stable aerobic base
I do what I do because I’m willin’ and able
Ain’t no faking your trophies I’m taking
Going coast to coast watching all the runners shaking
The Drury runners at Rolla cold kickin’it live

No.. sleep.. 'til.. Rolla
No.. sleep.. 'til.. Rolla

(I'm not sure if the Beastie Boys are runners or not but this sure could be the lyrics of their song - Coach Van Arkel)

Monday, August 7, 2006

XC Preseason Schedule: First Practice 8/17 @ 7 am

Week of August 13

Move-in August 13 thru August 16. Freshmen must schedule move-in w/ Coach Van Arkel. Physical/insurance forms must be on file in order to practice 8/17.

Sunday(8/13) Long Run(11-13 miles)

Monday(8/14) Easy Run

Tuesday(8/15) Easy Run & strength training
8:00 am Coach Van Arkel at Fitness Center

Wednesday(8/16) Easy Run
8:00 am Coach Van Arkel at Fitness Center
6:30 pm Springfield Cardinals game

Thursday(8/17) 7:00 am 6 miles @ Fitness Center w/ breakfast
Noon Lunch @ Commons(optional)
2:30 pm NCAA Signing Party(Pens needed!)
3:30 pm Hand out gear(backpacks/shoes/t-shirts/etc.)
4:00 pm 2-4 mile warmup & strength training
6:30 pm Team Dinner @ Enterprise Park Lanes w/Bowling (1625 S. Enterprise)

Friday(8/18) 6:30 am 13 miles @ Bread Co. (East Sunshine)
Noon Lunch @ Commons(optional)
4:00 pm Stretching/Ice Bath

Saturday(8/19) 6:30 am 6-8 miles & strength training w/ breakfast

Sunday(8/20) 6:30 am Long run of 10-12 miles @ Bread Co. (Elm & Nat.)
6:00 pm Picnic @ Van Arkel's (311 Cordova Court)

Monday(8/21) 6:30 am 7 miles @ Lake Springfield
4:00 pm 4 miles & strength training

Tuesday(8/22) 6:30 am 8-10 miles
4:00 pm Pictures

Wednesday(8/23) 6:30 am 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats (Silver Springs)


Coach Van Arkel
(417)873-7567

Saturday, August 5, 2006

I Know It Is Hot And Dry, But Remember When...

...it wasn't so hot and it rained once in awhile,

and instead of being so tired



and cranky



we played in the mud



and had some fun times.



Those days will be here again soon. I promise.

Coach Van Arkel

Elizabeth said...
"I love it Coach, and I can't wait!!!"

Anonymous said...
"Hey guys it's Jaim and Chris!!!!!!!! We are SOOOOO excited to see everyone!!!!! Welcome FRESHMAN!!!!! GO PANTHERS!!!! C ya soon XOXOXOX"

Thursday, August 3, 2006

XC Training for Week 10(8/6)

Temperatures will stay high this next week and it will be all we can do to keep our mileage up. Try to run whatever mileage you have averaged for the last two weeks. We will do a long run again on Sunday, August 13, and then have a few easy days just prior to the start of practice on August 17. Definitely do some hill repeats at least one time this week and try to stay hydrated for the duration of your training runs.

Training for Week 10(August 6):

Sunday(8/6) Long run of 12-14 miles

Monday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles

Wednesday 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats & strength training

Thursday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles

Friday 8-10 miles & strength training

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Coach Van Arkel

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Important Preseason Info for Runners

Housing - The Housing Office will allow cross country runners(upperclassmen) to move into College Park as early as Sunday afternoon on August 13. Freshmen runners can move into the dorms starting Monday, August 14. Freshmen, please let me know the day and time you plan to move in so we can arrange for Housing to check you in. You must also get your room key from Security and their hours are limited during that week before school officially starts.

Medical/Insurance Forms - Per Drury policy, no athlete may practice or compete until their medical/insurance forms(including a physical exam by a physician) are in order and provided to the Athletic Trainer, Erin Kineman. This must be done prior to the first practice on August 17 so I expect those forms to be on file with the Trainer or in my hands by August 16. I will be available at the Fitness Center at 8:00 am on Tuesday August 15 and Wednesday August 16 for anyone wanting to turn in forms or talk with me. Students who are not covered by their family's health insurance can purchase a student health insurance policy thru Drury. Please contact Erin Kineman at 417-873-6865 for more info about health insurance for student athletes.

Preseason Practices - Our first cross country practice will be on Thursday, August 17, at 7 am at the Fitness Center(breakfast apres run) and we’ll run again at 4 pm that afternoon. Dinner out and bowling will commence at 6:30 pm. We'll run 13 miles Friday morning at 7 am on the Sequiota Trail from the East Sunshine Bread Company(again with breakfast after the run). Runners can eat lunch at the Commons in Finley Student Center on Thursday and Friday. Orientation for freshmen starts on Saturday and we'll be doing an easy run at 7 am from Drury that day. Sunday morning we may start a bit earlier and be running 10 or so miles from the Elm & National Bread Company. We'll likely run easy again from Drury early Monday(an intense orientation day for freshmen) with another workout late Monday afternoon. I plan for us to go to Lake Springfield for a hilly tempo run on Tuesday morning and run from the Fitness Center Tuesday afternoon.

Once school starts, practices will be scheduled around class times as much as possible. We'll try to finish in the mornings by 8 am and probably start afternoon practices shortly after 4 pm. Until we have everyone's class schedule I cannot yet say what days we'll be running in the mornings or afternoons. Some days it will be both. I will expect all runners to be at all practices(unless in class or sick in bed with a contagious illness or fever) and we will be running on weekends throughout the season. Labor Day Weekend and Fall Break will give you a chance to be gone from campus for about 72 hours or so to visit family.

Eligibility - Incoming athletes must be declared eligible under NCAA rules before they can practice and compete. Official ACT/SAT test scores from the testing agency and final high school transcripts from your counselor must be forwarded to the NCAA. Also, juniors must have a declared major on file with the Registrar's Office before practice begins.

Shoes/Gear - I hope to have training shoes for all runners when we start practice(although some narrow and wide sizes are back-ordered at this time). We will hand out backpacks, t-shirts, running shorts and singlets right away and have duffel bags, warm-ups and hooded sweatshirts available within a couple of weeks after we begin. Team pictures will probably be taken during the first week or so of school.

Biographical Info - I still need to receive the form with biographical information from several runners. The Sports Information Office is putting together our roster but will not update our web page until everyone has responded. Please do so as soon as possible.

Continue drinking lots of water and let me know if you have any questions. We will have a very good team this fall.

Coach Van Arkel

Thursday, July 27, 2006

XC Training for Week 9(7/30)

For the upcoming week I would like us to increase our mileage by an average of just one mile per day(an extra 7-8 minutes or so). For example, if you ran 56 miles this past week(8 miles/day) then run 63 miles(9 miles/day). If you ran 65 miles, then try for 72 miles. I would like for this mileage(other than our Sunday long runs) to be run evenly and consistently and, as much as possible, in singles(one run/day) from day to day without necessarily doing any specific workouts. Pace can remain relaxed as we are going for volume. Some of those runs should be on hilly courses and please still do core strength work(crunches and pushups) three times during the week.

Next week I'll ask you to do hill repeats and a faster run.

Coach Van Arkel

Monday, July 24, 2006

Drury XC T-shirts

Drury Cross Country T-shirts and Fundraising:

We have decided on the final design for our Drury t-shirts





and hope to have these ready for the start of practice. Additional shirts can be purchased by family and friends for $25 and helps us raise the extra funds we need for our trips to meets and gear.

We will have a Pledge Run on Saturday, September 23, and run 10K on the track to raise additional funds for our team and another charity to be chosen by the team. Our other fund raising effort will be the Drury Auction for Athletics on October 14. As our season begins I’ll be asking runners and their families to come up with items to be auctioned at that event.

Anyone wanting a t-shirt should contact Coach Van Arkel @ xcountry@drury.edu or (417)873-7567.

Coach Van Arkel

Elizabeth said...
"I just saw the shirt designs, those are awesome Coach!!!"

Rossmac said...
"yeh...i like how it says Ross Country."

Thursday, July 20, 2006

XC Training for Week 8(7/23)

With such intense heat in most places, the past week was a hard one and I hope everyone drank plenty of water and moderated their workouts a bit. Temperatures may drop this next week and allow us get our mileage back up. Three more weeks of aerobic conditioning before practice starts will help us achieve our personal and team goals in the fall. Plan to run fairly high mileage(50-70+ miles) during weeks 8, 9 & 10. We will have a few more easy days again just prior to the start of practice on August 17. I would also suggest increasing the number of hill repeats(8-10 total) and doing core strength work at least three times during the week. Expect to do a lot of crunches and pushups when we start official practice.

Training for Week 8(July 23):

Sunday(7/23) Long run of 12-14 miles

Monday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles

Wednesday 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats & strength training

Thursday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles

Friday 8-10 miles & strength training

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Coach Van Arkel

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Cross Country Goals

Coach’s Goals for Cross Country:

Returning runners have shared with me their goals for the summer and fall. Without exception, all want to train well for the duration of the summer and be competitive in races during the season. I have adopted most of these ideas and would like to state my goals for the cross country season so you have an idea of what I would like for us to accomplish this fall. Putting goals in writing encourages commitment and helps make those goals happen. (Just so you know, my personal training goal for the rest of the summer is to run at least 60 miles a week for the next four weeks. My fall racing goal is to run under 17:00 for 5K and beat former Drury runner A.J. Million:

Example

in a race. Bring it on, A.J.)

Fall Team Goals. Lots of things come to mind and, obviously, being competitive at the end of the season and getting to Nationals is important. For now, however, I am going to list five specific attainable goals for early in the season and save the “end of the season” goals for later. I do believe we can achieve each and every one of these goals as we start the season:

1. Everyone shows up to practice fit enough to run a half-marathon.
2. We have some fun times together.
3. Everyone stays healthy!
4. Victory by both the women and men over UMR at the Miner Invitational on 9/9/06.
5. The top five Drury women average 19:15 for 5K and the top five Drury men average 26:45 for 8K at the Missouri Southern Stampede on 9/16/06.

Coach Van Arkel

Anonymous said...
"Coach - what kind of goal is beating Million? Even as a masters runner you should strive to do a little more than that...it is A.J. you are talking about."

MILLION said...
"Coach - Here are my goals: 1) Run 15 miles a week until October 1st. 2) Spike my mileage to about 70. 3) Get injured. 4) Sit on the sidelines eating ice cream knowing it dosen't matter because we both know you wouldn't have beat me anyway.
Hope you're ready for me to drop that 5:15 middle mile to bring me way under 16:30 pace. Keep up if you can!"

Thursday, July 13, 2006

XC Training for Week 7(7/16)

After a relatively easy recovery week this past week, we will again begin to increase mileage with a goal of running the most miles of the summer during weeks 7 thru 10. Guys should be at 55-60 miles for the upcoming week and perhaps 65-70 miles for the following weeks. Girls should be around 45-50 miles for the upcoming week and 55-60 miles for the following weeks. Considering the July heat & humidity, a long run of 10-12 miles(about 75 minutes) is sufficient. Except for one up-tempo run mid-week, all running can still be done at a conversational pace. Hill repeats(8 uphills run fairly hard) should be done at least one time during the week. Upper body/core strength work should be done at least two times during the week.

After the high training mileage of weeks 8, 9 & 10, we will have a few more easy recovery days just prior to the start of practice on August 17. We will be running 13 miles on August 18.

Training for Week 7(July 16):

Sunday(7/16) Long run of 10-12 miles

Monday 4-5 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Tuesday 7-9 miles

Wednesday 6 miles(Tempo)

Thursday 4-5 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Friday 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Coach Van Arkel

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Online Social Networking

Online networking sites such as facebook.com or myspace.com are great ways to communicate with friends and I am all for these kind of activities. However, online postings have created problems for student-athletes at various college campuses and some schools have even banned postings on sites such as facebook or myspace. Please be aware that while I strongly support free speech, I also support the Drury student-athlete Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct applies to behavior on and off campus and online.

The following policies have already been established by some other universities in the SEC and it would be prudent for Drury student-athletes to not stray very far from these guidelines when posting online:


*Be mindful that online content is not private and that there could be long-term ramifications.

*Don't post personal information (cell phone, address, class schedule) for safety reasons.

*Online communication puts one at greater risk for stalking.

*Consider that your coach, teammates, family and even future employers may review your site.

*Do not participate in or post inappropriate photographs or other content.

*Refrain from affiliating yourself with topics that are potentially offensive or degrading.

*Do not post comments about fellow student-athletes, coaches, administration or faculty from your institution or other institutions.

*Fans from opposing teams have downloaded images or information and used it to taunt or humiliate during a contest.

If you have any questions or concerns about online behavior please contact me.

Coach Van Arkel

2006 XC Meet Schedule(revised 7/11)

2006 DRURY MEN’S & WOMEN’S
CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE(unofficial)

9/9 @ 9 am Miner Invitational/Rolla, MO

9/16 @ 9 am Southern Stampede/Joplin, MO

9/30 @ 9 am Cowboy Jamboree/Stillwater, OK

10/7 @ 9 am Border Wars/Edwardsville, IL

10/21 @ 9 am GLV Conf. XC Champs/Edwardsville, IL

11/4 @ 9 am NCAA DII Great Lakes Reg./Kenosha, WI

11/18 @ 9 am NCAA DII Nat. Champs/Pensacola, FL

The Forest Park meet on September 9 has been canceled and we will instead run at UMR on that date. The Ted Lloyd Stampede at Harding has changed dates and we will run at the Border Wars meet instead. Longer trips will include overnight stays on 9/29, 10/6, 10/20 and 11/3.

There will be two open dates during the fall for runners to be gone from campus for 48 hours or so and travel home to visit family: September 3 & 4(Labor Day) and October 14 & 15(Fall Break). Expect to be on campus and either racing or training with the team on all other weekends until the season ends.

Coach Van Arkel

Biographical Info needed for XC Roster

All returning and new runners need to please forward to me or Eric Pannell at epannell@drury.edu answers to the following questions so the Sports Information Office can begin compiling cross country rosters and include this information about each runner. The sooner we get this done the sooner our online rosters will be completed.

Coach Van Arkel

Name: ___________________

Class: ____________________

Height: ___________________

Hometown: ___________________________

High School: ___________________________

Previous School/Junior College/College if applicable: ____________________________

Birthdate: ________________________________ (Month/Day/Year)

Honors:
If a returning runner please put your top(up to three) times at Drury, with the meet and best times, best finishes, placing, All-Conference honors, or other on-campus academic honors.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


If you are a new runner at Drury please put your high school honors, all-state, what place and what time you had at the state meet, any honors as far as with team, conference, district and academic honors, grade point average, honor society, or other academic honors.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


YOUR FAVORITES ….
Food: _____________________________________
Restaurant: ________________________________
Musical Artist: ______________________________
Magazine: _________________________________
Book: _____________________________________
Movie star: _________________________________
Pro athlete: _________________________________
Dream job: _________________________________

Thursday, July 6, 2006

XC Training for Week 6(7/9)

This next week will be an easy week for those runners who have been consistently building their distance base the past several weeks. We'll do one long run(> 75 minutes) at the beginning of the week, but the next four days should consist of very easy running(just a few miles) and cross training(maybe some biking or swimming) to give the legs a rest. Do not be concerned about total miles this week. On Friday we'll get back into the routine and do hill repeats. Strength work during the week should still include 3 sets of pushups, crunches and pullups or curls with dumbbells. The following week will begin with another long run and we will plan to run fairly high mileage(50-70+ miles) during weeks 7 thru 10.

Training for Week 6(July 9):

Sunday(7/9) Long run of 11-14 miles

Monday Cross training w/ strength work

Tuesday Easy run

Wednesday Cross training w/ strength work

Thursday Easy run

Friday 7-9 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 4-6 miles

Coach Van Arkel

Sunday, July 2, 2006

Dealing with Injuries

Dealing with Injuries:

For most elite runners training at a high level, running injuries are seemingly inevitable. At best, they are merely annoying; at worst, they prevent us from running. There are, however, ways to minimize the risk of injury and lessen the amount of training time lost to injury.

Most running injuries result from overuse and are exacerbated by such things as running surfaces, structural imbalances, poor form or inadequate equipment(shoes are worn-out or do not have sufficient cushioning and support). Pain/inflammation is the most obvious symptom and can be of great use in helping to diagnose the problem and suggest proper treatment. For this reason, I generally do not recommend taking any kind of pain reliever(aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen) just prior to exercise.

Stiffness, slight tenderness and a variety of dull aches that subside as you exercise are definitely worth paying attention to, but are also just part of hard training. That is why we run easy once in a while and stretch after running.

Soreness that remains as you exercise or lingers for more than a day after a hard workout may require more active rest(cross training) and should be treated aggressively until the pain subsides. Usually making certain your shoes are not too worn and a combination of rest and ice and ibuprofen will fix the problem. Sports massage may also be helpful.

Soreness that intensifies as you run and sharp pains in a localized area are more serious, obviously, and demand immediate attention. The usual treatments along with total rest may be needed. As your coach, I would expect to be contacted if you have such an injury and would also expect you make a visit to a sportsmedicine specialist as soon as possible so a proper diagnosis can be made and effective treatment can begin.

To help prevent injuries, drink lots of fluids, make certain your shoes have adequate cushioning and support, warm-up gradually, run often on soft surfaces, stretch after running and ice tender spots. Also, because higher mileage increases the risk of stress fractures, be sure to drink plenty of milk or consider taking a multivitamin to get enough calcium and other minerals.

Coach Van Arkel

Thursday, June 29, 2006

XC Training for Week 5(7/2)

For one more week we will continue building our distance base, with weekly mileage of at least 45-65 miles and one long run(> 75 minutes) during the week. Hill repeats should consist of 6-8 uphills run moderately hard. Strength work should include 3 sets of pushups, crunches and pullups or curls with dumbbells. Our mileage will drop the week of July 9 for those runners who have been running consistently the past several weeks. After giving our bodies a break for several days, we will get back into the base training mode and plan to run fairly high mileage(50-70+ miles) during weeks 7 thru 10. We will have a few more easy days again just prior to the start of practice on August 17.

Training for Week 5(July 2):

Sunday(7/2) Long run of 11-14 miles

Monday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles

Wednesday 6 miles(Tempo)

Thursday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Friday 7-9 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Coach Van Arkel

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

XC Training for Week 4(6/25)

Training for Weeks 4 & 5:

For the next two weeks we will continue building our distance base, with weekly mileage of at least 45-65 miles and one long run(> 75 minutes) each week. Hill repeats should consist of 6-8 uphills run moderately hard. Strength work can be as simple as 3 sets of pushups, crunches and pullups or curls with dumbbells.

Sunday Long run of 11-14 miles

Monday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles

Wednesday 6 miles(Tempo)

Thursday 5-6 miles
pm 4-5 miles & strength training

Friday 7-9 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Coach Van Arkel

Summer Reminders

Runners:

Eligibility. Freshmen need to be certain a final transcript is forwarded from your high school to the NCAA Clearinghouse to confirm eligibility.

Medical. Physicals(by a medical doctor) and health insurance are required before the start of practice. Forms may be downloaded and are available at the Drury Athletics web site or at a link on this webpage.

Gear. Shoe orders will be placed as soon as everyone responds. Backpacks, bags and Adidas training/racing apparel will be available after practice starts.

T-shirts. We will have Drury running t-shirts available for all runners on the team and lots of extras for family/friends/boosters to purchase as part of our fundraising efforts for the team.

Fundraising. Besides selling t-shirts, we will be gathering items for the Drury Auction for Athletics in October. We are also planning a pledge run(10k training run on the track) this fall to raise money for our team and for a favorite charity to be chosen by team members.

Racing Schedule. Our fall racing schedule is on this webpage and will soon be added to the Drury Athletics web site.

Practices. Our first practice will be Thursday, August 17, at 7 am. Runners will be able to move into campus housing earlier that week. We’ll get together for a second workout that afternoon and then go out for dinner/ bowling in the evening. Plan to run 13 miles on Friday morning, August 18, at 7 am.

Soft Surfaces. Do as much of your running as possible off roads and on grass or dirt or wood chips. Legs & muscles need a break from asphault and concrete.

Stretching. Start your runs at an easy pace to warmup and do an easy jog at the end of your workout to cool down. Be sure to stretch calves and shins and hamstrings and quads sometime after the run when muscles are most likely to respond.

Hydration. I can't say this often enough. Drink lots of water before a run, find some water during a run and drink more water at the end of a run. Also, drink something with carbs in it after the run to replace the depleted glycogen. You'll recover more quickly from your workout and feel fresher later.

Coach Van Arkel

Saturday, June 17, 2006

XC Training for Week 3(6/18)

Training for Week 3(June 18):

Sunday(6/18) Long run of 10-13 miles(> 70 minutes)

Monday 5-6 miles(40 min.) &
pm 4-5 miles(30 min.) w/ strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles(> 50 min.)

Wednesday 6 miles(Tempo)

Thursday 5-6 miles(40 min.) &
pm 4-5 miles(30 min.) w/ strength training

Friday 6-8 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 4-6 miles or swim/bike

Mileage for this next week should be slightly higher than the past week. In addition to the weekly long run and 4-6 hill repeats, we are adding two more types of workouts. Twice weekly strength workouts should include, at a minimum, 3 sets of crunches and pushups, plus any other core strength exercises you might wish to do. Weight training, if done at all, should consist of light weights and relatively high numbers of repetitions. The 6 mile tempo run on Wednesday should be run at a faster pace(30 seconds to one minute faster per mile) than the other training runs. All other runs can still be fairly easy(conversational pace).

I am waiting to hear from a few runners about training shoes. I also plan to be at the Student Center next Friday(6/23) morning and am looking forward to meeting with whomever is on campus for freshmen registration.

Coach Van Arkel

Thursday, June 8, 2006

XC Training for Week 2(6/11)

Training for Week 2(starting Sunday, June 11):

Rest is important and everyone by now is at least two weeks away from the track season with hopefully some days off and some easy running. Starting this coming week, we want to bump up mileage, stay consistent with daily runs and add a couple of specific workouts.

Your long run each week should be somewhere between 70 minutes and 90 minutes. Also, at least one time during the week find a 200m hill and run 4 to 6 moderately hard repeats up with an easy jog back down. Except for the hill repeats, all runs can be done at a relatively easy pace. Try to run as much as possible on trails or grass and stretch after each run.

Returning women should be at 50+ miles during this coming week. Freshmen women should be around 40-50 miles.

Returning men should be at 60+ miles during this coming week. Freshmen men should be around 50-60 miles.

Weeks 3, 4 & 5 will add a few more miles and strength work. Then we’ll back off for a few days and plan for the last 5 weeks of the summer to include even more mileage as we establish our aerobic base for the cross country season.

Coach Van Arkel

Monday, June 5, 2006

First Practice August 17 @ 7 am

Some reminders to returning runners and announcements to new runners:

SHOES: Everyone gets a new pair of running/training shoes at the beginning of the fall. Please email or call me with the model and size when you can. No experimental/beta/prototype models; only tried & true equipment.

BACKPACKS: New backpacks will be provided to everyone as part of their gear. Also expect nylon warm-up tops and bottoms, hoodies, running pants, shorts and racing singlets. Adidas XC spikes will be provided and are available in a variety of sizes and colors, or you can get your own racing spikes for the fall.

HYDRATION: Please remember to drink lots of water before summer training runs and also drink something with carbo’s in it after a run.

Medical Forms are linked at the right. Physicals and insurance are mandatory before the start of practice. And, if you don’t contact me with your shoe requests I will know you haven’t been reading this web page.

Coach Van Arkel
xcountry@drury.edu
417-873-7567

Saturday, June 3, 2006

XC Training for Week 1(6/4)

Starting June 4 we will want to be as consistent as possible with our training. Mileage will be higher later in the summer(60+ for returning women/70+ for returning men). For now, it is important to run every day with a day off once in a while to recover & cross train or to rest because of illness or injury.

For the week starting Sunday, June 4:

This is an introductory training week. Pace can be easy. Returning women should now be running an average of 6 miles a day or more, with a long run sometime during the week of 60 minutes or longer. Try to get 40+ miles this week. Returning men should be running an average of at least 7 miles a day with a long run of 70 minutes. Try to get 50+ miles this week.

Freshmen girls can average about 5 miles a day with one long run around 7-8 miles. Freshmen guys can average 6 miles a day with a long run of at least 8-9 miles.

Next week we will add strength work and a few more miles and think about training goals for the summer.

Coach Van Arkel

Friday, June 2, 2006

New Men's XC Recruits

Panthers Add Five To Roster For 2006-07 Campaign

Coach Jon Van Arkel's recruiting class includes trio of Missourians

For release: Upon receipt

(Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office ... Contact SID Scott Puryear at 417-873-4097 for more details)

May 25, 2006

Drury University men's cross country coach Jon Van Arkel has announced the addition of five runners to the Panthers' squad for the 2006-07 school year.

Joining the Drury cross country program will be Andrew Chase from University City (Mo.) High School; Brad Lyons from Springfield's Kickapoo High School; Kerryn Sarwansingh of Enid (Okla.) High School; Charles Yeager from Jasper (Ark.) High School; and Geoff Hughes from Raytown South (Mo.) High School.

"I believe it's a very talented group that will fit in quite well and push our returning group of runners," Van Arkel said.

Among the Missourians, Hughes finished fourth in the state Class 4 meet in Jefferson City last fall, completing the course in 16:16.29, while Lyons was 29th in 16:53.71. Chase finished 24th in the Class 3 meet in 17:10.90.

Yeager was the Arkansas state AA champion for a second straight year while leading his Jasper squad to a second consecutive team title last fall. Sarwansingh helped Enid to a fifth-place finish in the Oklahoma Class 5A championships while finishing 10th at state individually.

New Women's XC Recruits

Women's Cross Country To Feature Four Newcomers In Fall

Panthers add pair from Oklahoma, one each from Missouri and Colorado

For release: Upon receipt

(Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office ... Contact SID Scott Puryear at 417-873-4097 for more details)

May 25, 2006

The Drury University women's cross country squad will feature a class of four newcomers next season, coach Jon Van Arkel announced Thursday.

Joining the Panthers as freshmen in the fall will be Lindsey Bennett from Jenks (Okla.) High School; Stephanie Cowherd from Ozark (Mo.) High School; Sara Murzynsky of Chisholm High School in Enid, Okla.; and Kimberly Shigeno of Mullen High School in Denver, Colo.

Bennett was 13th in the state Classes 3-4-5 3200 meters last fall in 12:23.24; Cowherd finished 58th in the Class 3 state meet in Jefferson City last fall; Murzynsky came in 11th in the Oklahoma Class 2A championships in the 3200 (in 12:45.71); and Shigeno finished 43rd in the Colorado 4A state championships as a senior.

"It's a solid recruiting class and a quality group of student-athletes that I believe is going to have a positive impact on our program at Drury," Van Arkel said.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Off-Season Training Tips

Off-Season Training Tips:

1. Be sure you have good supportive running shoes with plenty of cushioning. You will run many miles over the summer, so you may need to get some new trainers.
2. Get lots of sleep and rest between hard workouts.
3. Stay hydrated. Drink water all day long and drink some kind of sports drink/fruit juice(maybe even chocolate milk) after a run.
4. Run on soft surfaces as much as you can.
5. If you are sore, back off. Don’t run thru sharp pain. Ice those areas that are sore.
6. Do core strength work(crunches, pushups, curls, etc.) at least twice each week.
7. Run hilly courses as often as you can.
8. Follow the hard/easy training cycle. Do recovery runs or cross train between hard runs or long runs.
9. Do a long run(around 90 minutes) at least once a week.
10. Be consistent.

Specific off-season training suggestions will begin in June. Plan for 2 different five week training cycles(June 4 thru July 8 & July 9 thru August 12) with mileage climbing during each five week cycle. We’ll do similar five week training cycles during the cross country season(August 13 thru September 16 & September 17 thru October 21).

Coach Van Arkel(417-873-7567)
xcountry@drury.edu

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Summer Conditioning

Our method of training for cross country is based on principles of adaptation and progression. You must overload a specific physiological function to produce a training effect. Adaptation occurs as you recover from the workload. Progression occurs as you increase intensity and volume over time and add different types of training to the mix. With the right amounts of sharpening and tapering, the end result is outstanding fitness and fast races.

In order to race fast during the cross country season, we will be doing a large amount of hill training, steady-state running and speedwork in September and October. Additionally, we will be running 70 miles(women) to 80 miles(men) a week at the beginning of cross country practice in August and will be doing hard 13 mile runs our first week back. To make the most of these workouts, we must spend the summer months doing the kind of base training necessary to support this hard running. Summer conditioning starts with aerobic mileage and adds hilly runs, strides and strength work. The idea is to increase VO2max and running efficiency during this period. Anerobic development and speed will come later during the cross country season. I guarantee we will be competitive individually and as a team during cross country if we stick to these principles of training.

After a couple weeks of easy recovery running post track season, an increase in weekly mileage and a weekly long run will improve your aerobic capacity. While these increases need to be gradual, they also need to happen early in the summer so aerobic conditioning can be consistent for 8-10 weeks before the season starts.

The more volume you can do during the summer, the better you will be in races in the fall.

I will provide specific training suggestions starting June 4.

Coach Van Arkel

Friday, May 5, 2006

What a great team!

Thank you to all Drury team members for working hard this spring. I expect you to have a summer full of good times and great running, and to contact me if you are hurt or injured.
















First XC Practice: Thursday, August 17 @ 7:00 am (8 miles)

Second Practice: Thursday, August 17 @ 4:oo pm
(Easy run, stretching, strides & strength work)

Bowling & Dinner: Thursday, August 17 @ 6:00 pm

Third Practice: August 18 @ 7:00 am (13 miles)


Insurance and Physical required before the first practice!

Medical forms are on the Drury Athletics web page or click on the link in the right-hand margin.


Tuesday, May 2, 2006

First XC Practice: August 17 @ 7 am




First practice: Thursday, August 17 @ 7:00 am

This site will be regularly updated with info about Drury cross country & track and suggested training schedules.

Coach Van Arkel