Going the distance: open discussion with coach Thomas

Coach Thomas discusses the goals and expectations of the distance group for the 2017 season

December 7, 2016

BLACKSBURG – This week is closely associated with college football. Steps toward a National Championship will be taken, and competitive bowl games have been set with hopes to cap off exciting seasons.

This week also jump-starts the countdown to the beginning of the NCAA track and field season. The Virginia Tech track and field team opens its 2017 campaign in just five short weeks, hosting the Virginia Tech Invitational Jan. 13-14, at Rector Fieldhouse, in Blacksburg.

The Hokie coaching staff, led by 16-year coach Dave Cianelli, is optimistic for the new season. Throughout the next five weeks, HokieSports.com will interview each event coach to discuss the excitement, challenges and expectations that await the Tech track and field team this year.

We recently sat down with head cross country and distance coach Ben Thomas. Thomas’ squad is coming off a successful cross country season, where the women came in a program-best third place and the men finished in fourth at the 2016 ACC Cross Country Championships.

Read coach Thomas’ full transcription below or click HERE to watch the full season preview.

Talk a little about your event group. What are your goals for the upcoming season?

Coach Ben Thomas: We are really excited about the track season for both our men and our women. On the women’s side, we have several newcomers. We have probably our most talented group on paper, as far as what they ran in high school. This is the most talented group of freshmen that we ever had. That combined with some really strong returners, I think we can really contribute a great deal to the overall track team’s goal of trying to get the women back to the top of the ACC. On the men’s side, we obviously won the outdoor title last year. We returned most of the same guys, minus Tommy Curtin. That’s a big lost for us, but we know that we have a chance to win as a team. The distance group has to contribute a good amount of effort to that. We are ready to go.

What are you looking forward to the most this season? Do you foresee any benchmark performances individually or as a team?

BT: We have enough pieces in place to have some great individual performances. From the 800 meters to the 5k event, we have a chance to contribute at both the conference and national level. However, it is extremely difficult to do so during the indoor season. You have to be one of the top 16 individuals in the country, but I think we have people that up to that challenge.

This year’s distance group has a solid mix of returners and newcomers on both the sides of the field. Who are the key returners for both the men’s and women’s squad, and how does the depth of this team help with consistent performances in the long run?

BT: For the women, I see (senior) Hanna Green having a great year. She was No. 2 in the country last year in the 800 meters for the indoor season. She’s looking good. She’s overcome a few injury bugs that she had in the fall, but overall, she has been training very well. She is in her last indoor and outdoor season, so she is fired up and hoping to go after a national title. Freshmen Laurie Barton and Sarah Edwards are two really solid newcomers that can give us some strength as well. (Junior) Katie Kennedy just came off her best cross country season ever. She has really stepped up her game, and I think she definitely has a chance to help us in the longer distances this track season. All those folks can really help us in trying to get back to the top of the ACC. On the men’s side, we have a lot of experience coming back. We have (senior) Neil Gourley and (senior) Patrick Joseph. Transfer (senior) Drew Piazza has competed at a high level coming from New Hampshire. He’s been to the NCAA Indoor Championships before, so I think he will really boost our efforts in the middle distance area as well.

This year’s squad also lost several letterwinners due to graduation, Tommy Curtin for example. How does the team fill that role? Does anyone stick out to you?

BT: On the women’s side, we are pretty young, but we also returned almost everyone, so I feel like we have just enough experience and talent coming in to keep us strong. On the men’s side, Tommy Curtin is irreplaceable. You can’t replace Tommy Curtin. He is arguably the best distance runner we ever had, but we also have more pieces overall. Guys like Andrew Gaiser really stepped up in the cross country season as well as Daniel Jaskowak. They are both coming off the best fall they ever had. Hopefully, a combination of individuals can replace some of the points we miss with Tommy Curtin gone.

How are the newcomers adapting to life on campus and the overall training process? Does anyone standout to you this season?

BT: I couldn’t be happier with the women. Obviously, finishing third at the ACC Cross Country Championships was great. We did that with our No. 4 and No. 5 runners being freshmen. Actually, one of those girls didn’t even run cross country in high school last year. We did it without much experience, but all of those girls are a little more comfortable on the track. They thought of themselves more as track runners, so that will give them more of a confidence boost going into track season. On the men’s side, same thing. Unfortunately, we lost Peter Seufer to mono (mononucleosis) early in the cross country season. That kind of put a dent in what we could do as a cross country team. However, they finished well with the guys that we had. Knock on wood, everyone is in play for track right now. Everyone is healthy. Everyone is training. It should build well for the indoor and outdoor track season.

The cross country team had a successful fall with both squads finishing in the top 4 at the 2016 ACC Championships and in the top 8 at the 2016 NCAA Southeast Regional. How do you see that success carrying over into the indoor and outdoor track season?

BT: We always talk about it. The thing about distance running is that there is not an offseason. You’re competing in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring and summer. Every season builds onto the next. If you don’t have a good summer, you don’t have a good fall. Having a good fall is essential. Almost every great performance we had during the track season has happened because that person had their best fall ever. We are excited that everyone had a really good fall. They gave themselves a chance to have the success that we need to be successful as a team come track season.

The Hokies will open their 2017 indoor season at home with the Virginia Tech Invitational from Jan. 13-14, held at the Rector Fieldhouse, in Blacksburg.

For updates on Virginia Tech track & field, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Track