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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN TRACK & FIELD MEDIA CONFERENCEMay 12, 2014Jim StintziTHE MODERATOR: The Wisconsin women's track and field team heads to the 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Championships this Friday through Sunday in West Lafayette, Indiana. Between the indoor heptathlon and outdoor heptathlon, the Badgers have won the past nine Big Ten combined event titles, sweeping both (indiscernible) in each of the last four seasons. Head Coach Jim Stintzi is here. We'll have an opening statement and then take questions. COACH STINTZI: So I guess I would describe our season up to this point and maybe kind of going through the Big Ten meet and into the first round in the finals in two different ways. First, it's kind of a chance for our younger athletes to actually be kind of put into a baptism‑by‑fire situation because they're going to be the ones who are really‑‑ we're going to rely on at the Big Ten and beyond this year, and who we have relied on so far. We made a decision as a staff to redshirt two people that really could account for roughly to a half to a third of our points in the given year this year, Deanna Latham, our multi‑events, the hurdler, and then Kelsey Card, our thrower, shot putter, and distance runner. The reason we did that is we‑‑ our‑‑ a little bit of a gamble that the future will be brighter with our young athletes that are going to carry us this year and with the addition of Kelsey and Deanna next year. So on one hand, it's the opportunity for the young athletes to carry the team, really, and put them in pressure‑filled situation of the Big Ten Championships and beyond. And on the other hand, it's a chance for us to build for the future. So we're looking forward to the Big Ten Championships. It will be an interesting meet without those two, but it will be a great chance for our team to grow and some of our‑‑ a few of our older athletes to show leadership and our younger athletes to kind of learn what Big Ten competition is like. Q. Jim, how did Deanna and Kelsey respond to this plan? COACH STINTZI: I would say that they both responded joyously. When you're a track and field athlete, probably like most sports, age is such an important factor and maturity is such an important factor. And especially technical events. The heptathlon has some flat‑out running events, but there's a lot of technical events in there. Obviously, in the throws, it's about strength and power and speed, but it's also about the technical aspect. So the more time that they have to learn their events, the better they're going to be. And the decision wasn't made exclusively for their benefit. It's obviously for the team's benefit, and not just at the Big Ten level, but also at the NCAA level. So they both have NCAA experience and have both placed at the NCAAs, but we feel that they can be major, major players both at the NCAA and obviously the Big Ten Championships next year. And with the addition of their points to a more mature team next year, we're hoping for some big things. Now, that's a gamble.  It's a risk. Anytime you roll those dice that way, it could go one way or the other. But we think it's a good gamble. Q. The four young ladies in particular from right near this area, if you could maybe give a little synopsis of each of them if you don't mind: Angela Boushea, Brianna Bower, Molly Hanson, and Laura McGinnis. COACH STINTZI: Let me start out with Laura because Laura's the senior for us. Laura has been a really steady, consistent jumper for us for all four years. And I'm really excited to say that she had a breakthrough meet this past weekend at our home meet at exactly the right time, assuming she does the same thing next weekend. She has always hovered around the 40 foot, 39high mark. And that's kind of on the borderline of scoring very year in the Big Ten and doing something at the regional. And this past weekend she kind of had taken the things that she's learned from Nate and‑‑ Coach Davis and now has transitioned to Coach Jackson who's a bit more of a sprint coach, and I think has kind of put all those things together, and now I think she's on top of her game and she's poised to do something really special at the Big Ten. I think she had about a 14‑inch PR in the triple jump this weekend. That's pretty big PR. We're hoping she can duplicate that. Angela Boushea, a junior for us. Angela is one of those people who‑‑ regardless of what happens during the regular season, she will come through. I'm putting pressure on her now. But she has come through every single Big Ten meet that she's thrown in. And that is obviously the type of athlete that you like to have. She's had a solid year for us, and I think she will shine now when we get to the Big Ten Championships and beyond that. And, again, another year under her belt of the technical aspects of the event, and I think she's only going to get better. Brianna Bower, another thrower. Brianna came to us really more as somebody we thought was going to be a multi‑eventer under Coach Davis, and quickly we discovered that she can really throw the javelin. And she has made tremendous strides in a few seasons, certainly in the mix in the Big Ten and at the regional level. I think the future is really bright for Brianna. She's a super hard worker. She understands the technical part of her events, and I think that she'll not only shine this weekend for us but I think she'll continue to grow as an athlete and get much, much better in her final two years. And then, finally, Molly Hanson, a young runner for us. This is her first year with us, her sophomore year of eligibility. We recruited Molly out of high school, and she decided to go a different direction and felt after her first year at that other school it wasn't the right place for her. We were thrilled when she came to us. I knew that Molly had a really big upside, but I wasn't sure that she would have this quick of a progression at the Big Ten level middle distance running because it's very, very competitive. I think Molly will be a factor in the mile this weekend‑‑ or the 1,500, excuse me, at the Big Ten Championships. Again, not to put too much pressure on her, but she's passed at the biggest meets, and I think she will challenge for that Big Ten title. And I think that she will continue to improve this season, and I see her going pretty far in the NCAA process. Q. Molly's got some interesting bloodlines, doesn't she? COACH STINTZI: She sure does, yeah. Q. Her mom was a‑‑ COACH STINTZI: Her mom was a big star here, and her father was a multi‑time D‑III champion. So the bloodlines are great. Her sister was also an All‑American runner at Marquette. She actually came to one of our meets in New York this year and saw Molly run. I asked her if she was sad that she no longer had the mile record, and she said she kind of expected that to go, but not this quickly. So, yeah, the genetics are there. We always like that. And I think it helps Molly in that she kind of has the experience, at least vicariously, what big‑time running is like. So she doesn't get too wound up about Big Ten Championships and beyond that. Q. How has Georgia Ellenwood looked during the outdoor season? COACH STINTZI: Georgia Ellenwood‑‑ I didn't mention Georgia. A great freshman for us, a multi‑eventer. Brian put a little pressure on her there by mentioning all the back‑to‑back‑to‑back championships that we've had in that event. She's only a freshman. With that said, she is an elite athlete already in her freshman year. I think it would be a big task to ask her to win a Big Ten Championship this spring, but she's a competitor. She's only done one heptathlon for us, and I see her making it to the NCAA Championships and being in the fight for that Big Ten crown. So, again, she's really, really untested because she's so young, but we knew coming in she'd be kind of a big‑time athlete right off the bat. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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