2012 Collegiate Track Results

[Leftfielder]

Jeff was 19 at graduation and if I remember right had to serve as the head of his family. I can't help but admire him for how he has succeeded despite difficult circumstances.

DOB: Nov. 8, 1986

[Leftfielder]

Schirmer runs down a dream
By Geary Deniston, For The Southern
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 6:41 AM CDT

CARBONDALE - When it comes to being the embodiment of the American Dream, Southern Illinois University runner Jeff Schirmer seems to be the perfect model for a character in one of Horatio Alger's stories.

Schirmer's rise to being a six-time Missouri Valley Conference champion is remarkable for a young man who has only been running competitively for four years. But his biggest accomplishment may simply be earning a scholarship at SIU.

Schirmer, 22, was born in Granite City. His mother moved the family to California in hopes of a better life when he was 2. Over the next seven years, Schirmer and his two younger sisters and brother bounced around the Golden State, moving at least 10 times during that span.

When he was 9, his mother moved the family to Granite City in hopes of settling down. However, it wasn't long before his family moved a few miles east to Collinsville. There, in Troy, things took a turn for the worse, or better, depending on your perspective.

"When I was 12, we were kind of poor and my family wasn't doing right with (substance abuse), so me and my three younger siblings were taken away," Schirmer said. "We all got split up and that was when I moved to Troy with a foster family. A couple of siblings eventually got adopted, but I didn't want to be and I was old enough (13 years old) to say no. I stayed with the foster family until I left for college."

The break-up of his family allowed Schirmer to live in one place for an extended time and gave him a chance to go to college.

"Living in the foster system gives you a good perspective on things, I guess, because I've always just tried to fight my way through everything," Schirmer said. "I guess it makes you stronger on some perspectives, but as far as it being an asset, I'm not sure about that. I've had some really good families, teachers and some really good friends that helped me get through everything."

At Triad High School, he started playing football as a freshman, but didn't begin running until his junior year. Schirmer's running career began with a fitness test.

"'It was one of my favorite teachers who actually started me running," Schirmer said. "My sophomore year there was a fitness test in P.E. where you have to run a mile and I ran in it in 5:12. My old sixth-grade teacher, who was also the high school track coach, then begged me to give running a chance.

" So, my junior year I would practice football during the week and just show up on Saturday to race cross country. It turned out I was a good runner, so my senior year I gave up football for cross county."

Schirmer was so good, he was named Most Valuable Player in both cross country and track. He broke the school records in the 800-meter run, 1,600, and 3,200, as well as the cross country 3-mile. He was a two-time state qualifier in both sports, attracting the attention of college coaches.

Schirmer immediately made an impact at SIU, earning the first of his MVC championships in the outdoor 10,000 as a freshman. In cross country, he finished 11th at the conference meet and 25th at the NCAA regional, earning him all-regional status.

"He hadn't run a whole lot of mileage, but that competitive nature just shone forth that day," SIU cross country/distance coach Matt Sparks said. "The cross country regional meet, when he was a freshman, where he was all-regional and then conference 10k, which isn't his best event, showed he just knows how to win. That put him over the top in my mind as one of the Missouri Valley greats."

Last year, despite not much summer training, Schirmer swept all of his events, earning five more conference titles. However, at the NCAA regionals, he dropped to 30th in cross country and in his first NCAA appearance in track, finished 13th in the outdoor 5,000.

"There has been a dramatic change in his training and outlook on things this year," Sparks said. "He went to the NCAA track meet last spring and got beat, and I think that was the biggest help for him. It gave him the realization that there is another level of training and competitiveness out there that's above and beyond what goes on in the Missouri Valley Conference. He was able to dominate the Missouri Valley Conference without training a whole lot.

"He realized if he wanted to be a national-level player, he had to get out and do the summer running and eat a little better and take better care of his body."

Moving around as much as he did when he was younger, Schirmer is always looking for a place to hang his hat for more than a few days and finding people he can depend on. In a weird way, the foster child program gave him a sense of stability, and being in college has only added to that experience.

"You meet all kinds of people and the guys on my team, I think, will be my friends the rest of my life," Schirmer said. "It has been a really awesome experience and a lot more stable than my past."

Mohamed Mohamed - his teammate and roommate since he's been at SIU - summed him up like this: "He fit in real good from the beginning because he was always determined to succeed. He's an outgoing dude who always puts in his two cents, and it's been fun living with him this past three years."

Like a lot of Alger's stories, Schirmer wants the happy ending, and said he's willing to put in the work.

"My next goal is nationals and I really want All-American this year, so I spent the summer training," he said. "I'm going to try my hardest to get there."

[jpac511]

The SEC/Big Ten Challenge at Mississippi State had some great performances from our alumni

100
Timothy Faust (Ohio State, Thornton) 10.58- his best in high school was the 10.49 he ran in state finals, what a fantastic start
Brandon Stryganek (Illinois, Stevenson) 10.59- .01 off of his high school PR. Whatever U of I is doing is working and working well

200
Brandon Stryganek (Illinois, Stevenson) 21.00- high school PR was 21.23, so a huge PR
Timothy Faust (Ohio State, Thornton) 21.09- his high school PR was 21.21, so this is a huge opener and PR by over a tenth of a second
DJ Zahn (Illinois, Morton) 21.34- His high school best was 21.88

400
Garrett Payne (Wisconsin, Glenbard South) 48.20
DJ Zahn (Illinois, Morton) 49.13

800
Zebo Zebe (Illinois, Tolono Unity) 1:55.78

3000
Jordan Hebert (Illinois, York) 8:20.67- this is a PR by nine seconds, great to see
Jim Riddle (Illinois, Neuqua Valley) 8:25.96- this is his outdoor best, and a damn good opener after a great indoor season

110H
Gary Ford (Illinois, Thornridge) 14.22- had a best of 14.02 in high school, but on the college hurdles this is a damn impressive time

LJ
Gary Ford (Illinois, Thornridge) 22'10.5"- 2nd best jump of his life, and best since his junior year
Branden Tanthavong (Illinois, Granite City) 21'2"

TJ
Branden Tanthavong (Illinois, Granite City) 46'6.75"

SP
Danny Block (Wisconsin, Lake Park) 56'8.75"
Brandon Noe (Illinois, St. Thomas More) 52'0"

DT
Danny Block (Wisconsin, Lake Park) 186'10"
Alex Thompson (Wisconsin, Winnebago) 163'2"
Brandon Noe (Illinois, St. Thomas More) 161'4"
Brett Einbecker (Illinois, Waubonsie Valley) 154'11"

[BallsOfMyFeet]

Sorry it's a little late, but MIAC Indoor Conference Results:


1 Mike Hutton, Jr, St. Thomas 1:52.69 H3
2 Noah Laack-Veeder, Fr, Carleton 1:54.32 H3
3 Matt Schafer, Jr, Bethel 1:54.40 H3
4 Eric Jorgenson, So, Gustavus 1:55.21 H3
5 Reid Gilbertson, Sr, St. Olaf 1:55.34 H3
6 Timothy Erickson, So, St. Olaf 1:56.40 H3
7 Doug Thoreson, Fr, St. Thomas 1:57.05 H3
8 Alex Schroeder, Jr, St. Thomas 1:59.29 H2
9 Fritz Alt, Fr, St. Thomas 1:59.42 H2
10 Joey Frankl, So, Macalester (New Trier, '10) 1:59.59 H2

[TallnTin]

Was taking a look at the Stanford heat sheets and noticed the name Micky Cobrin in the 800 and listed as unattached. Could this be the Micky Cobrin from Stevenson HS?

[notmartinmena]

Originally Posted by TallnTin

Was taking a look at the Stanford heat sheets and noticed the name Micky Cobrin in the 800 and listed as unattached. Could this be the Micky Cobrin from Stevenson HS?

I believe so. He's been running for the Israeli national team from what I've heard.

[Coach Vandersteen]

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248...tanford-Invite

[kmatus]

Originally Posted by Coach Vandersteen

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248...tanford-Invite

Wow!

[OnePoint]

a lot of good illinois results this weekend

Stanford Invite
800m
Section 3
4. Randall Babb Notre Dame 1:52.88

Section 4
5. Mickey Cobrin unattached 1:52.55


1500m
Section 6
11. Alec Bollman Iowa State 3:54.09

Section 3
4. Jeff Thode Iowa 3:48.37

Section 2
1. Chris Derrick Stanford 3:41.17
3. Evan Jager Nike 3:41.55


5000m
Section 4
2. Andrew Larsen Minnesota 14:15.39
19. Nick Holmes Iowa 14:29.77

10000m
Section 1
3. David Jankowski Zap Fitness 28:26.90
4. Sean Houseworth Air Force WCAP 28:30.55
9. Daniel Chenoweth Wisconsin 28:46.87
28. Kevin Havel Stanford 29:53.15

10000m
Section 2
12. Martin Grady Notre Dame 29:21.87
14. Michael Schmidt Middlebury 29:23.62
29. Josh Stein Loyola 29:40.47


3000m SC
Section 1
8. Kyle Engnell Illinois 8:47.27

Section 3
6. Dustin Emerick Southern Indiana 14:04.34

[OnePoint]

Princeton Sam Howell Invite
Section 1
8 Composto, Nico Columbia 29:42.77M
14 Geoghegan, Patrick Syracuse 30:10.74