Gibson feels no pressure as NCAAs near
6/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Montana State’s junior distance runner will compete in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the national meet in Sacramento, which begins June 11 at Hornet Stadium. Next week will mark Gibson’s first NCAA Championship meet, but certainly not his first big-time meet.
“I ran in the US-Great Britain Dual Meet in a little place called Stoke on the Trent River in England, and then up in Edinboro the following week,” Gibson said. “It was great. Being in a totally different atmosphere, spending time on the US Team, it was exciting. When some of these big meets come around they aren’t as big to me as they seem to other people.”
Gibson’s path to the U.S. Junior National Team came with a lot of hurdles. And water pits. That path began in high school, when he ran 2,000 meter steeplechases to train for the mile. “I kind of enjoyed it,” he said. “I ran a couple (steeplechases) in high school, and I qualified for the US Junior National meet as a junior in high school, and ended up making the US Junior National Team my freshman year at MSU.”
Gibson ran an outstanding 8:50.75 steeple at the Oregon Invitational in late April, a mark which qualified him for the NCAA Meet without having to automatically qualifiy at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Lincoln, Nebr., May 31. It’s a good thing, too, because Gibson faced some adversity in Lincoln.
“I planned on automatically qualifying by finishing in the top five (at regionals), but I had a freak occurrence happen when I came down with a rash on my arms and got only three hours of sleep the night before. I had a rotten go at it, I was tired the next day when I had to run.” The rash, Gibson said, was probably a reaction “to the pillow or the laundry detergent they used on the sheets or something” at the motel in Lincoln.
Gibson also faced extreme heat at the regional meet two weekends ago. He should face more of the same in Sacramento, where temperatures are expected to be in the upper ‘90s. The Woodinville, Wash., native is not worried. “I’ve been in hot weather before. The first time I ran in the US Junior National Meet it was in Texas, just outside of Dallas, and it was 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. They left the water in the steeple pit for a week, and the water was actually hotter than it was outside when we ran the race. The other time was in Virginia, and it was in the upper 80s and more humid than it was in Texas. You just have to deal with it. It’s going to hurt no matter what.”
Steeplechase competitors will be faced with trials and finals at the NCAA meet. Gibson said his game plan will differ from race to race. “For the prelims I want to hang back in the pack for the first mile, but not out of reach, stay in range and then go after it in lap five or six. I want to automatically qualify for the finals.” For the finals? “I just want to go out and give it everything I have. Hopefully I’ll make it into the finals and walk away with an All-America certificate.”
The steeplechase is the arguably the most grueling race in track and field. The 3,000 meters involve seven-and-a-half trips around the track, with barriers and water jumps. None of those physical obstacles are as difficult to deal with, Gibson says, as the crowded field, which includes more than 10 competitors per race. “Finding room to run is the hardest part. The pack dictates what’s going on. If barriers are coming up quick you don’t have any room, any reaction time. The key is just to find some room.”
Gibson will run Wednesday, June 11, at 6:30 pm in the steeplechase trials. Finals are scheduled Friday night at 8:10.
“I ran in the US-Great Britain Dual Meet in a little place called Stoke on the Trent River in England, and then up in Edinboro the following week,” Gibson said. “It was great. Being in a totally different atmosphere, spending time on the US Team, it was exciting. When some of these big meets come around they aren’t as big to me as they seem to other people.”
Gibson’s path to the U.S. Junior National Team came with a lot of hurdles. And water pits. That path began in high school, when he ran 2,000 meter steeplechases to train for the mile. “I kind of enjoyed it,” he said. “I ran a couple (steeplechases) in high school, and I qualified for the US Junior National meet as a junior in high school, and ended up making the US Junior National Team my freshman year at MSU.”
Gibson ran an outstanding 8:50.75 steeple at the Oregon Invitational in late April, a mark which qualified him for the NCAA Meet without having to automatically qualifiy at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Lincoln, Nebr., May 31. It’s a good thing, too, because Gibson faced some adversity in Lincoln.
“I planned on automatically qualifying by finishing in the top five (at regionals), but I had a freak occurrence happen when I came down with a rash on my arms and got only three hours of sleep the night before. I had a rotten go at it, I was tired the next day when I had to run.” The rash, Gibson said, was probably a reaction “to the pillow or the laundry detergent they used on the sheets or something” at the motel in Lincoln.
Gibson also faced extreme heat at the regional meet two weekends ago. He should face more of the same in Sacramento, where temperatures are expected to be in the upper ‘90s. The Woodinville, Wash., native is not worried. “I’ve been in hot weather before. The first time I ran in the US Junior National Meet it was in Texas, just outside of Dallas, and it was 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. They left the water in the steeple pit for a week, and the water was actually hotter than it was outside when we ran the race. The other time was in Virginia, and it was in the upper 80s and more humid than it was in Texas. You just have to deal with it. It’s going to hurt no matter what.”
Steeplechase competitors will be faced with trials and finals at the NCAA meet. Gibson said his game plan will differ from race to race. “For the prelims I want to hang back in the pack for the first mile, but not out of reach, stay in range and then go after it in lap five or six. I want to automatically qualify for the finals.” For the finals? “I just want to go out and give it everything I have. Hopefully I’ll make it into the finals and walk away with an All-America certificate.”
The steeplechase is the arguably the most grueling race in track and field. The 3,000 meters involve seven-and-a-half trips around the track, with barriers and water jumps. None of those physical obstacles are as difficult to deal with, Gibson says, as the crowded field, which includes more than 10 competitors per race. “Finding room to run is the hardest part. The pack dictates what’s going on. If barriers are coming up quick you don’t have any room, any reaction time. The key is just to find some room.”
Gibson will run Wednesday, June 11, at 6:30 pm in the steeplechase trials. Finals are scheduled Friday night at 8:10.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
