Despite being one of the biggest rosters at Millikin, the track and field and cross country teams are one of the most cohesive units that Millikin athletics has to offer.
Although these teams are technically separate during the fall season when cross country is in season, these athletes will be competing together in the spring to accomplish the same goal: winning a conference title in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation.
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Andrew Craycraft realized how important it is to create a family atmosphere in a team that is so large in number.
“We haven’t done a lot in blending those groups just yet, because the pure middle distance guys who take part in most of the cross country training were not at a point of having the full level of foundation that I want them to have to start dipping into working with the sprinters,” Craycraft said. “But, I am really excited about that idea. It won’t be like the group we had last year where we were completely blending, but you have to have those synergies.”
When these two groups eventually do come together to compete at practices in any capacity, these will be some of the most intense practices of the entire year. Because the middle distance group could contain sprinters or distance runners, obtaining a spot on relays where a member of each group could occupy will be extremely difficult to do. One of these relays is the 4×400 relay.
“When I think about our sprinters competing with our distance guys, it creates some really exciting possibilities for our 4×400 and for our open events,” Craycraft said. “All of our runners in that area are ultra competitive and will not give up a spot. This year, we lost Jake Shumaker and Caleb Bleich to graduation. Our times were really exciting last year, but half that group is gone. This year, I think there’s a great argument that we have more than enough to fill those two spots.”
Leading the sprinters is new Assistant Track and Field Coach Forrest Donnell, who has coached at Division I schools such as Oklahoma and Ball State. He has enjoyed every coaching opportunity he has received, but he realized there was something different at Millikin very quickly.
“Everything I’ve experienced with this team is just a very pure form of the sport, which is awesome,” he said. “We have a hard working group, and it’s so clearly a committed group of people, not just on the team, but on campus. It’s an infectious environment to be a part of.”
Commanding the respect and attention of around 25 athletes in a short period of time is no easy feat, but Donnell has done nothing but that. After seeing several coaching changes at the Sprints Coach position, adapting to a new coach is nothing new for the sprinters.
“There’s been a foundation set for the last several years,” he said. “The program was already established, and I just get to be the one who comes in and shines the wheels. There’s a group of athletes that has been ready to go and bought in. I feel super confident about the group we have.”
Transitioning from a much larger Division I school to a small, private school in central Illinois may seem like an extremely daunting task, but Donnell remains confident that the entirety of the group will work together well.
“I think it’s a really good fit,” he said. “We have a lot of really talented upperclassmen and a really good group of young athletes as well, and I can tell they’re itching for some hard work. The upperclassmen want to conclude their time at Millikin with an awesome season, and they’ve totally bought in. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Thrown right in the middle of the 4×400 competition is junior Dayton Lasack, who has won back to back CCIW Conference championships in the event. Lasack understands how important it is for the sprints group to adapt to any new style of coaching they might encounter this year.
“With our group, we can adapt to any kind of coaching,” he said. “Our group will thrive either way. It’s just about adapting.”
Lasack more than anyone understands just how competitive practices have been this year with the loaded roster that the sprints team has.
“It helps you feel like you’re not going through the motions when you’re with people that are competing every day,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re just going to another day of practice. It feels like you’re going out and accomplishing something every single day. It makes it much more enjoyable.”
Mixing the sprints and middle distance teams has been a topic of debate for the team throughout the entirety of the year, and Lasack believes that the coaching staff has walked the line well so far. He was a part of the “X” group last year, a group that entirely blended the sprints and middle distance squads for a few days of practice each week. Although this group resulted in large strides taken forward for several athletes, he has enjoyed the approach that has been taken so far this year.
“I think mixing the groups is important from a team building perspective, but I understand why we wouldn’t mix from a workout perspective,” he said. “Sometimes athletes’ skills just don’t overlap, so it wouldn’t be optimal to practice with the other groups. Still, it’s fun from a team perspective, because I do enjoy seeing the groups that I don’t see very often.”
Whether these groups are eventually mixed or not, Millikin remains one of, if not the most family-centered teams in the CCIW Conference. Results are great, which Millikin will have, but creating a lifelong bond with a team is the most important thing an athlete can accomplish.
“This is one of the hardest working groups I’ve ever been a part of in my entire life,” Lasack said. “They should watch out this year, because Millikin is coming.”
