Hi there!

Another successful week in the books! We had an absolute blast at the Washington Distance festival. Mixed relays cleaned up! Event champs include: Finn Sutton and Halina Tompkins (800m), Lilian Schauer (1600m), Madison Kutzke (3200m), Luke Karvonen (discus), Lilian Schauer, Alice Rogers, Rhia Currie Ickes and Pria Stauning in the girls distance 4x100m, Danyal Umut-Bejarano, Keyvan Pouladian Kari, Wyatt Deimel and Noah Sherman in the boys distance 4x100m, Finn Sutton, Vita Hochuli, Halina Tompkins and DJ Warren in the mixed 4x400m, Liam Carlson, Pria Stauning, Bea Hunter, and Stuart Strack in the mixed 4x800m, Maylena Carter, Vita Hochuli, Keyvan Pouladian-Kari and DJ Warren in the anything but a baton 4x100m, and with no long term injuries following the event (!!!), coaches Tammy, JG, Coffin and G in the coaches 4x100m.

We also found success at the Conference True Team meet. Both the girls side and the boys side placed 2nd with many many PRs had. Event champs include: Charlotte Kusch (100m), Vita Hochuli (200m), Lilian Schauer (800m), Laura McClary (3200m), Charlotte Kusch, Maylena Carter, distance runner Pria Stauning and Vita Hochuli in the 4x100m, Charlotte Kusch, Annabel Bernu, Kaisa Lindfors, and Vita Hochuli in the 4x400m, Maylena Carter (long jump), Harlow Tong (400m), Damien Aune (110m hurdles), Johanan Bautista-Neri, Lavontae Cox, Roi Ward Kendall Fane in the 4x100m, Harlow Tong, Oliver Bauch, Keyvan Pouladian-Kari and Isaac Robertson in the 4x400m, Fela McConnell (shot put), and Lukas Thames (high jump). We have great depth this year and had many, many athletes place 2nd and 3rd on Wednesday as well- too many to list here. Excellent work from our athletes!

Tuesday is our Section 6AAA True Team meet. Keen observers note that Central is in Section 4AAA - I don't know why it runs this way, but it means we have really strong competition at this meet, which is good preparation for athletes headed to sections and potentially to state. Athletes are dismissed from class at 2:00 to make the 2:15 bus. Field events begin at Mounds View at 4:00, and running at 4:15. It runs efficiently, but does lead to a pretty late night. NO JV PRACTICE on Tuesday while Varsity is at the meet.

Thursday we will have a time trial. Many of our Varsity athletes don't have times for certain events because they have been running them in relays, and we have some JV athletes on the bubble who haven't had that many opportunities to get times for their events. This extra information will help coaches make more informed decisions as they set rosters for Conference and Sections. On Thursday, athletes should come right out to the track and begin warming up. Anyone can participate in any event in the time trial - for example, one of our captains Pria ran a fast enough leg in the distance 4x100m to make the Varsity 4x100m relay team last week - this could be YOU! And some of you distance athletes have been making claims about the 400m - let's see it! Coaches will also have some athletes assigned to events, and a workout planned for athletes who are not running in the time trial.

Looking forward: Next week is Conference for Varsity on May 14th and 16th at Harding. The following week is Conference for JV on May 20th at Harding - this is the end of the season for JV. The week after that is Sections for Varsity on May 28th and 30th at Stillwater - which is the end of the season for most of Varsity as well, except for athletes who are State-bound. Banquet will be Monday, June 3rd, details forthcoming.

Some general notes - really positive attitudes and huge efforts recently. I'm so proud to work with all of your athletes. However, many of them come to practice or meets dehydrated - stay on them for drinking water! This can have serious effects on performance and... demeanor - let's keep our athletes happy and healthy! Additionally, I'm hearing about some nagging aches and pains and that a lot of track athletes are visiting our trainer Bruce. Make sure we keep lines of communication open as we head into the end of the season. We're at the point that racing at 100% while injured can have long-term negative effects. 

Thanks for everything!

Reed Coffin

Hi there!

I'd like to start with some shoutouts! Congratulations Laura McClary and Charlotte Kusch for participating in the Hamline Elite Meet on Friday! Laura was able to place 2nd in the girls 1600m with a PR of 4:57.29. Big thanks to athletes and families that showed up to cheer them on! Additionally, we had upwards of 120 athletes participate in meets last week. WOW - and also thanks to everyone who helped make that happen - especially families who donated food and helped with transportation. And also to our coaches - three meets in one week (and then two more this week) is wild - thanks for everything you do.

A quick note on Google forms: recently, the number of athletes registering for meets via google forms has dropped significantly - especially for Monday's distance and throwing meet. Registering through the google form before the deadline passes is the only way to be included in conference meets. My Google form deadlines are inflexible for a reason - they are set 12 hours before my coach's entries are due. After this point in time, I cannot add athletes to the roster. The athletes most affected by late registration are our JV athletes, who already have fewer meets on the schedule than Varsity. Giving JV athletes racing experience is so important - encouraging them and building skills and confidence is how we develop next season's Varsity athletes. Some athletes (JV and Varsity) may notice that they are left off the roster even if they did fill out the form. This happens most often when the athlete is not attending practice consistently. Consistency in practice is also how we develop next season's Varsity athletes.

On Monday's Washington Distance and Throwing Festival: sorry for the delay in details and roster. All athletes, please check the roster for your name, as we are bringing along some sprinters for the 4x400m. This is a goofy meet, and the details were difficult to iron out with all 7 conference schools attending. It seems like all events begin at 3:30, the schedule is rolling, and the order of events is as follows. Events separated by commas are ran as separate heats, and mixed events are not Varsity-eligible, thus are JV:

Boys JV, Girls Varsity, Boys Varsity 3200m

Boys, Girls 800m

Girls, Boys 4000m Distance Medley Relay

Girls JV, Boys JV, Girls Varsity, Boys Varsity 1600m

Mixed 4x800m

Girls Varsity Distance, Boys Varsity Distance, and Mixed Thrower's 4x100m Relay

Mixed 4x400m

Coaches 4x100m (last running event, stick around to see JG, Coach G, Coach Tammy and myself try very hard to avoid injury)

Field events: girls and boys Varsity discus, girls and boys Varsity shotput.

On Wednesday's Conference True Team meet at Harding: watch for details coming early this week - likely Tuesday. Linked here is our tentative roster, subject to change based on injuries and the outcome of Monday's meet. I am fairly certain that there will be NO PRACTICE for JV athletes on Wednesday. Come out and cheer at Harding! Note that after this week, we have only 1 more JV meet on the schedule, which is JV Conference at Harding on Monday, 5/20.

As always, feel free to reach out with questions or concerns!

Reed Coffin

Hi all!

It's time to register for next week's meets. 

We have the Washington Distance and Throwing festival on Monday - which is open to Varsity and JV. Varsity throwers and distance athletes will need to make responsible decisions for themselves about participation - if they would like to participate in both meets next week, and if so, in which events. We will NOT be maxing out events for athletes across the two meets, so choose your events wisely if you plan on participating in both.

Please fill out the following google form to register for this meet. There are some goofy events, so be sure to read through the event list before deciding what you'd like to run.

Conference True Team is at Harding on Wednesday. We won't have a google form for this meet, as coaches will be setting rosters in much the same way they did for Roseville. If you think you may be called upon to participate next Wednesday, and know that you CANNOT attend, please let your event coach know - either by replying to this email, messaging them in GroupMe, or talking to your coach when they have a notebook in their hands.

As always, any questions, let me know.

Reed Coffin

Hi there! 

Last week we had our first outdoor meet. Thanks to athletes, parents, families and coaches for making everything run smoothly. Especially big thanks to those of you who donated snacks, and those who helped do some creative problem-solving around transportation as the meet went quite long.

A handful of notes- 

If your athlete is still missing a uniform, please contact AD Ekegren (alicia.ekegren@spps.org). We have had 4 uniform distribution days, so athletes should have one by now. I do not have any uniforms, nor do I have any way of getting them from AD Ekegren to the athletes. She is the only person who can do this - if you can't get her via email, find her in her office during the day. If you do not have a uniform, you cannot run in meets. 

Our athletes are hungry. Please remind them to eat three full meals a day and also some snacks - as we increase our mileage or intensity of workouts, our bodies need more calories. There is free breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack for all students at Central. This is a phenomenal resource, and we should all make use of it. It is very alarming for me to hear "I haven't eaten anything today" at practice and at meets (or from a teenager in any context outside of religious fasting). Additionally, PLEASE send snacks with your athlete on meet days. I brought a ton of snacks to Highland on Thursday, and they were gone within 15 minutes, before all of the athletes had arrived. Same thing with hydration - athletes should have their own water bottles and should be drinking water throughout the day. It is getting warmer again and our workouts are harder - hydration has a dramatic effect on performance. Drinking water during a workout is not enough. Athletes need to fully hydrate the day before a workout.

Recently, athletes seem to have a hard time packing for practice. Athletes need their running shoes, running clothes and water bottle every single day.

Here's what this week holds - 

Monday: practice like normal

Tuesday: varsity only meet at Roseville. The roster for Roseville is linked here. Athletes, please let us know if you have any questions or if you can't make it. The meet director asked us to submit a roster instead of entries, so we have some flexibility in rearranging things if you need to pull out. Athletes are dismissed from class at 1:45 to get on the 2pm bus, and the meet starts at 3:30 for field events and 4:00 for runners. The bus is scheduled (not guaranteed) to leave Roseville at 7:00pm. Remember that athletes are only able to find alternate transportation if they have the transportation form filled out by Monday of this week. You only have to fill it out once per year.

JV athletes may have practice if coaches can get some things figured out. If JV athletes do not have practice, we will let them know before the end of practice on Monday, in person and through the GroupMe.

Wednesday: JV only meet at Washington. With one or two exceptions (folks I have already spoken with), only athletes who did not participate on Tuesday can register for Wednesday's meet. Please sign up using the meet registration google form. Athletes are dismissed from class at 2:15 to catch a 2:30 bus, and the meet starts at 4. The bus is scheduled (not guaranteed) to depart Washington at 7:30. Personally, I'm so excited for this meet - it's always a blast over at Washington and their track is amazing. Seating is quite limited though, so if you plan to spectate, it might be wise to bring a lawn chair to set up.

Thursday and Friday: practice like normal.

Next Monday, 4/29: this is the Washington distance and throwing festival. It was perhaps the most fun meet of the year last year. Keep your eyes on your email for a registration form for that event coming out (likely on Wednesday of this week).

Next Wednesday, 5/1: this is Conference true team. Unfortunately, due to construction on our track, this meet has been moved to Harding (along with the conference meet). Keep your eyes on your email for a registration form for this meet, likely on Thursday of this week.

Thank you! As always, please email if you have any questions.

Reed Coffin

Hi there - and welcome back from spring break!

Happy to have some warmer weather and our first outdoor meet this week! All things meet-related:

1. Athletes, please fill out the meet registration google form before 8:30am Tuesday. Sorry for the short notice, but entries are due to the meet director by Tuesday evening. Yikes!
   
   

2. Our fourth and final day for uniform distribution is this Tuesday after school. If you do not get your uniform after school on Tuesday, you will not have one to wear on Thursday at the meet. Please remember to bring $15 if you prefer the uniform-compliant spandex. I have noticed that on the girls' side, athletes do not have a very strong preference between spandex or regular shorts. On the boys' side, however, there seem to be strong preferences (in either direction) for either the looser, shorter athletic shorts or the tighter, fuller coverage spandex shorts - so please have your mind made up ahead of time.

3. The meet is on Thursday, 4/18 at Highland. All students who do not have a transportation form completed by Wednesday of this week must ride the bus both to and from the meet. The bus leaves Central at 2:30, so students are dismissed for class at 2:15pm. There are no set times for any of the events, but track and field events both begin at 4, and all of our meets moving forward follow the same order of events, linked here. Our bus is scheduled to leave Highland at 7:30pm to return to Central, but last year this meet ran very long, so thanks in advance for your flexibility.

4. If students do not take the bus to the meet, they must check in and check out with me or their event coach. It is important for us to know if registered athletes will be absent, to connect athletes with their relay teams, and to ensure that anyone without a transportation form rides the bus (this is a liability issue for the team, not a coaching choice on my behalf).

5. Your athlete should have all of the following things packed in their meet bag: uniform shorts and top, running shoes and racing spikes, extra socks, a water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, and warmer layers or hat/sunglasses if needed. Other uniform components they should bring may include all black foundation garments with small logos only (such as long sleeve tops, long leggings, or shorts worn beneath the uniform bottoms - note that sports bras are considered undergarments and undergarments can be any color). 

6. From time to time, coaches have snacks, water or sunscreen on hand, but please note they will have purchased these things with their own money and don't have supplies for everyone. Families, if you feel so inclined, you can either drop off sunscreen, water and snacks or send them with your athlete. We will have a spike kit available for use, but again, supplies are somewhat limited. We do always have a first aid kit and period products. Note that there will be a trainer at the meet for injuries that may arise.

Note that other than uniform distribution, practices Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday meet at 3:20, the normal time. We will begin meeting out at the track, as the weather is nice. As usual, daily attendance will be completed through our attendance form, and remember that regular attendance is required for meet participation. Also remember that the distance training plan is posted on the Central track website, and linked here for convenience.

Thank you!

Reed Coffin

Hi there!

We had a very successful Saturday at the Griak classic at the U of M Fieldhouse! Results are linked here. I'd like to shout-out hat winners (athletes that finished in the top 3 of their event): Vita Hochuli, Maylena Carter, Harlow Tong, Charlotte Kusch, Laura McClary, Halina Tompkins, Keyvan Pouladian-Kari, Xavier Iwaszkowiec, Johanan Bautista-Neri, Isaac Robertson, Annabel Bernu, Elsa Lindfors, and Kaisa Lindfors. Wow! Also, big thanks to everyone who came out, tried new events, and cheered on their teammates. It was truly so joyful.

Today (Monday): very important - our fundraising campaign through SnapRaise starts today. Athletes should prepare for practice as normal, but Adam Hunkins (good friend of Central athletics) will come through and have students enter emails or phone numbers of friends or family to solicit donations. Donations go towards meet entry costs, equipment, and coaching stipends. Remember that it is required of the track team to run a SnapRaise campaign by the Athletics department, but if you know someone who would rather donate directly to the boosters, they can cut a check to the Central Athletics Boosters and get it to our AD Alicia Ekegren.

Tomorrow (Tuesday): also very important - we will be finishing uniform handout after school in the equipment room. Please bring $15 to purchase uniform-compliant spandex shorts if you like. Otherwise, you can check out regular shorts for free with your racing tank. Some of you have uniforms from other sports - please bring those (or a check for their value) with you or you won't be able to get your uniform.

Another plug for the Central Track and Field BSN store, which is closing tomorrow at midnight. Last chance to get your gear for the season!

Lastly - on the distance side, I'm trying to have the weekly training plan set early in the week. It's linked here, but also in the coaches' contact tab on the website. Things change all the time, so keep an eye on it throughout the week - it'll largely be dependent on weather, facilities, etc. There will be a spring break plan posted as well.

We'll have an update on spring break practices later this week.

As always, reach out with questions. 

Reed Coffin

Our BSN store has reopened! You can buy gear at this link - from now until Tuesday, April 2nd.

Some reminders from the person who runs the store:

• Items not listed as Women's sizes are Men's sizes.

• Size charts are available for each item.

• The team shop will close on April 2nd.

• Items will be delivered roughly 4-5 weeks from the close date.

• Live inventory is set on the store to help avoid backorders. If an item is unavailable, it has ran out of inventory and will reappear if and when it is restocked.

Thanks!

Reed Coffin

Hi there!

Some general things:

On Saturday we had our first meet - indoors at the U of M! Big thanks to all who participated and stopped by to cheer - good times had by all. Results are linked here, but note they are incomplete - we're still chasing down some times.

We will be opening up our Central Track and Field BSN store tomorrow morning. The link to the store will be sent out via email and posted in Schoology so that students and families have access. Remember that the orders take 4-5 weeks to be filled, so we will receive our second round of Track merch towards the end of the season. Keep an eye on your inbox for the link.

The weather is no longer cooperating with us - so we are back to mostly practicing inside. Coaches are focusing on strength, form drills, and mobility. However, practicing inside means we're on a cement floor. This can cause or worsen shin splints. Athletes have learned some helpful exercises at practice, but here's a page from our trainer with detailed instructions and pictures. Remember, icing helps too. Freeze dixie cups with water in them - so you can tear away the paper and sort of massage and ice at the same time. Appropriate shoes can also do a lot to prevent pain and/or injury.

We have more than a handful of transfer and exchange students this year. Remember that you must fill out your transfer paperwork (which was part of your spring sports registration process) to submit it to the MSHSL (via the athletics office) before they can make a ruling on your eligibility for the season. If you need more information on eligibility rules, the MSHSL website is linked here. Remember that until eligibility paperwork is filled out, transfer athletes are only JV eligible. This means that they cannot participate in the U of M meets, or any other varsity meet. JV athletes can participate in the smaller, conference meets throughout the season.

Specific things for this week:

Monday: today is uniform handout for participants in the March 30th meet ONLY. AD Ekegren will be in the equipment room from 2:00-3:30ish. Remember to bring in any old uniforms, and also a check for $15 to buy discounted uniform-compliant spandex shorts if you want them. Regular shorts are available to check out for the season as always. Other than this, practice starts outside the gym doors at 3:20 like normal. Uniform check-out for other athletes will take place after our AD returns from her work trip.

Tuesday-Thursday: practice as normal.

Friday: no school due to teacher professional development. Note that this is a pre-meet day for many of us - check in with your event coaches for further instructions.

Saturday: Meet day for these athletes! The bus leaves Central at 8:30am, so athletes should arrive at 8:15. Remember that athletes can only find alternate transportation to or from the meet if they have the transportation form completed. I will not accept forms completed the day of the meet, so please get it filled out this week. Athletes, please bring your uniform, spikes, a water bottle, snacks, etc. Please remember that technology (phones, earbuds, etc) is not allowed around the track, and should only be used in the warm-up area. Please remember to not use earbuds at practice on or around the track either.

Monday of next week: Good friend of Central Athletics, Adam Hunkins, will be swinging by practice at 3:30 to get our SnapRaise fundraising campaign kicked off. Please bring your phone to practice - he'll be meeting with us outside of the gym like normal, after attendance.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out.

Reed Coffin

Hi all! 

Thanks to those of you who came in person or online to our parent info session tonight!

In case you missed it, here are the slides, and here is the recording. 

Thanks,

Reed Coffin

Hi there!

Before anything else, I want to say thank you to athletes, families and coaches (and El Nino/our unseasonable weather) for a great start to the season. I see all of you working really hard and having positive attitudes, which is wonderful. Thanks to you all, our time trial went smoothly on Friday! I had an absolute blast seeing you all in competition mode - we're  in a much better place this season than we were at this time last year.

Unfortunately, I do not have an updated email list for this season - it will come to me after registration closes - so please pass this information along to other parents and athletes! Updates are also posted to the website, as is the calendar. There may have been some syncing issues with the calendar recently, so please reach out if you have any questions.

First update: we do have an upcoming parent info session tomorrow in the cafeteria from 5:30 to 6:00. The agenda includes updates about meets, transportation, parent volunteer opportunities, fundraising, and time for Q&A. The meeting will also be online, at this link. We hope to record the meeting and post it afterwards. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me and ask, especially if you can't make the info session.

Second: if athletes hope to run in either of the two meets at the U of M, they must fill out this google form by Wednesday, March 20th after practice. We will use this interest form, plus information from the time trials or last season's times, to determine which athletes will run which weekends. More information on the U of M meets (Saturday 3/23 and 3/30) to come later this week as we set the rosters. 

A reminder that newcomers are more likely run in the meet on the 23rd and returners are more likely to run on the 30th - so no worries if you couldn't make the time trial last Friday - we'll figure it out. Please allow us some grace around the rosters/events: it's an art not a science at this point in the season, and we do plan to err on the side of bringing more athletes to both meets. As such, athletes will likely be limited to one or two events. Thanks in advance for your flexibility and understanding!

Last: we will continue to have portions of our practice outdoors this week, despite the cold. Athletes, please make sure to come dressed appropriately - long pants and layers, hat and mittens, etc. I also notice that many of our athletes are not coming with their own water bottles - please make sure to bring one, and have it filled before you come out to practice. This will save you trips inside, and a boatload of time.

This list does feel incomplete - if I have forgotten anything, please reach out and let me know!

Thanks! 

Reed Coffin

Just a few updates as we head toward the season. 

Captain's practice has begun! These take place Monday-Thursday this week and next week, from 3:15-4:15 or later. Due to the intense variability in weather, the meeting location has been changing. Athletes, make sure you have the GroupMe app, and that you're in the 2024 Track and Field group. This is where daily practice updates are shared.

Registration is underway! All spring sports registration takes place at this link. You'll need to pay a fee, fill out an eligibility waiver, and have an up-to-date physical on file. Remember that you can get a sports physical for free at the clinic at school, you just need to schedule an appointment. The last date to register for Track is March 29th at 3pm. You cannot participate in practice until your registration is fully complete. If you come with incomplete registration, we will work with you to figure out what you're missing, and then we have to send you home.

We'll have amnesty days for missing uniforms. I'll be accepting any uniforms in my classroom (4404) Monday March 4th through Wednesday March 6th - I'll make sure they get checked in. Please bring in any uniforms for any sport- sporting events are chaotic, and shorts/shirts get swapped unintentionally all the time - you may be preventing another athlete from getting their uniform! If your uniform is lost, we'll sort out payment further into the season. Remember - we'll be checking out uniform tops and bottoms as usual, with the added option of buying uniform-compliant black spandex shorts at a discounted rate. 

We'll have a student info session on Tuesday, March 5th in the cafeteria. Bring your friends! Meet your coaches! Parent/family info session is forthcoming.

Our first day of formal practice is Monday, March 11th. Please bring a water bottle, appropriate clothing for exercise (inside or outside), and running shoes. The weather is wild these days, but we want to get as many days in on the track as possible. Appropriate clothing includes shorts and a t-shirt in case we're indoors, and sweats/long pants and a warm top for outside. We'll be sweating outside even if it's cold, so keep in mind that cotton retains moisture. Shoe choice is important for comfort and injury prevention. Please have a dedicated running shoe. Local running stores like Running Room will often give discounts to student athletes. You can get a good shoe for a lower price if you ask about past season's shoe models. In my experience, trying on shoes in person and getting the right fit is very important. Please reach out to me individually if you have more detailed shoe questions, especially if your student is a beginner.

As always, my goal for us is to remain injury-free. This goes without saying, but it's hard to hit PRs and find success if you can't run/jump/throw due to injury. Please keep lines of communication open between athletes, parents, and coaches in this regard. Athletes - if you notice a nagging pain or ache, tell somebody before it turns to injury. There are always things we can do proactively to try to keep you healthy. 

A big part of injury prevention is healthy nutrition and hydration. I want to be very clear - when I say healthy nutrition, with student-athletes I mean that they should be eating plenty of food, and a variety of different foods - eating foods of many different (naturally occurring) colors is a good way to ensure you're getting the nutrients your body needs. Athletes, please eat three or more meals a day. Eat breakfast for free at school. Bring snacks. Eat lunch in the cafeteria or a bag lunch. When we don't fuel our bodies, our brains don't work that well either - which is bad for our focus on our workouts. Again, please reach out if you have any specific questions about nutrition. 

I'm so excited for this season! Can't wait to see you all in person!

Reed Coffin

Questions?  Contact reed.coffin@spps.org 

• Season Bus Exemption Waiver Use this form if you plan to go home with a parent after a meet, opposed to riding the bus to Central. Print, complete, sign, and give the bus exemption waiver to a coach prior to going home with a parent.

• GREAT WEBSITE for keeping up with all SPPS sports teams: https://saintpaulsports.org/

• DID YOU KNOW? Track meets follow a standard order of running events:

  • 4x800m Relay G&B

  • 100m Hurdles Girls only

  • 110m Hurdles Boys only

  • 100m Dash G&B

  • 4x200m Relay G&B

  • 1600m Run G&B

  •  4x100m Relay G&B

  • 400m Dash G&B

  • 300m Hurdles Girls only

  • 300m Intermediate Hurdles Boys only

  • 800m Run G&B

  • 200m Dash G&B

  • 3200m Run G&B

  • 4x400m Relay G&B