NWU 4×4 7PEAT – Part 4: Ted Bulling
Jul 20, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
“The relationships we form is the reason why we do what we do.” In the final episode of the Nebraska Wesleyan 4×4 7PEAT series, we sit down with the man that created it all, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, Ted Bulling. Coach Bulling has been coaching at Nebraska Wesleyan for 40 years and has shaped it into the program that it is today. With over 800 All Americans, 139 National champions, and 65 Top 10 Team finishes across Track and Cross Country, Ted has made a legacy not only at Nebraska Wesleyan, but in Division III. However, our conversations never turned to the numbers. We focused on the type of person Ted is and the coach he wanted to be when he started 40 years ago. Ted began his career as a school teacher and wanted to have an impact on his students’ lives. The impact on student-athletes’ lives made that transition when he got into coaching. He admits he is a competitive person and loves getting them to perform, but actively helping his student-athletes become better people is his main coaching goal. Through our conversation, it’s clear Ted cares for every single student-athlete in his program. Ted provided his perspective on his career and the 7PEAT. He said he always respects his alumni as to not rank anyone/moment, but this 7PEAT was special to him. You’ll learn why as you listen but it goes back to one common theme of Ted: building positive relationships. We hope you enjoy the series finale with Coach Bulling. This was a blast to put together and share with everyone. As mentioned in the beginning of the show, we’re going to take a quick break to prepare for the Cross Country season. Stay tuned. A big thanks to Lincoln Running Co. for sponsoring today’s episode! Support their local running store and get your order for 15% off. Visit https://shop.lincrunningcompany.com/ – find what you want, call them at 402-474-4557. Mention D3 Glory Days and save 15%. As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. If you would like to help support the podcast, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs and will go towards a new website soon. If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava. Quotes: On his impact from his coaching mentor, John Homon: “With John’s influence, I could see how much impact a person can have on the life of a student-athlete.” On getting into coaching: “You have to get into (coaching) for the right reasons. As much as I love helping young women and men to run faster, throw farther, jump farther/higher, if that’s the only reason to get into coaching (competitiveness), I would advise against it. It’s gotta be more than that. Working with the young people makes it worth while.” On having an impact on other: “To have any an influence, possibly, even if it’s a little bit on their (student-athlete) life, that’s what its truly all about. I needed it to be more than the competitiveness for it to be my life’s work.” On why the fourth title meant a lot: “The fourth one proved to me we could do it without that same foursome. It meant a little more because it was more about the program. It wasn’t just a one time deal. And I thought: Okay, can we keep doing this now?” On making sure the rest of his team got attention: “I wanted to make sure that it (the 4×4) wasn’t the focus of the program. We had over 100 kids that needed and deserved the focus from myself and our coaching staff. I would go out of my way to not pay attention to make sure my time and attention would go around” On building relationships: “The relationships we form is the reason why we do do what we do.” On going into the final of Title #7 “I didn’t need to say anything more. They knew what they needed to do”
NWU 4×4 7PEAT – Part 3: Aspen Rolfes and Anna Frazier
Jul 13, 2021
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“They showed me that they wanted me. To be able to go to a school where I would be viewed as an asset to the team, I thought was really cool.” In Part 3 of the series, we speak with Aspen Rolfes and Anna Frazier to learn how the streak continued. As you’ve learned in the previous two episodes, there were two big spots to fill with Abby and Katie graduating. These two women took different paths to be on the relay but had a major impact on the team. The recruiting process is the lifeblood of any program. One strong class can make the difference for a team’s culture. In this case, landing Aspen was instrumental in continuing The Streak. Coach McKenzie and the Twins alluded to how important it was to land Aspen. Aspen had different opportunities across all divisions but ultimately chose NWU for the people. The support the coaches and athletes showed Aspen was the tipping point for her to choose Nebraska Wesleyan as her home. She had an instant impact as she earned her spot on the relay in her first season. Anna’s route to the relay was a bit different. As a classmate of the Twins (in high school and college), Anna eventually became a 400 runner. Her volleyball background led her to try different field events, and the idea was born to try the heptathlon. When Katie and Abby graduated, Anna sat down with Ted to express her desire to be on the relay. She left the multis to help the team and it proved to be the right decision. A big thanks to Lincoln Running Co. for sponsoring today’s episode! Support their local running store and get your order for 15% off. Visit https://shop.lincrunningcompany.com/ – find what you want, call them at 402-474-4557. Mention D3 Glory Days and save 15%. We also appreciate the support from Anytime Fitness. Nebraska Runners, be sure to check out there locations in Beatrice, Hickman, and Lincoln! As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. If you would like to help support the podcast, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs and will go towards a new website soon. If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.
NWU 4×4 7PEAT – Part 2: Elizabeth and Kaylee Jones
Jul 06, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
“I didn’t want to think of it as we always had to win. I didn’t want to take away the fun from this experience we were having with our friends.” We continue with the Nebraska Wesleyan 4×4 7PEAT with the backbone of the relay group. Referred throughout the series as the twins, Elizabeth and Kaylee Jones had the unique experience of bridging the gap between both groups to help bring NWU 7 straight 4×4 titles. A career that almost didn’t happen, Elizabeth and Kaylee were a package duo when it came to the college search process. Their conversations with Ted, the women on the team, and the clear balance of academics and athletics were key in their decision to go to NWU instead of the big state school. As you’ll hear throughout this episode, the twins were competitive but above all else, thoroughly enjoyed this experience with their teammates. Elizabeth and Kaylee were the role models and leaders to their teammates for their work ethic and dedication. They understood the importance of being great teammates and worked hard for their teammates. They were an influential duo of the team and reaped the benefits of their hard work by combining for 23 All American honors. A big thanks to Lincoln Running Co. for sponsoring today’s episode! Support their local running store and get your order for 15% off. Visit https://shop.lincrunningcompany.com/ – find what you want, call them at 402-474-4557. Mention D3 Glory Days and save 15%. As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening.
If you would like to help support the podcast, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs and will go towards a new website soon.
If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store.
NWU 4X4 7PEAT – Part 1: Coach Derrick McKenzie, Katie Krick and Abby Hunke
Jun 29, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
“That’s one thing that made our women really special was that they never made the moment bigger than what it was”
The Nebraska Wesleyan’s 4×4 went on an historic streak of 7 straight 4×4 wins. Spanning from Outdoors in 2016 to Outdoors in 2019, NWU was on the top spot of the podium. Building a streak like that is difficult, doing it with 6 different women takes a special program. Through this series, we speak with the women and coaches that made this streak happen.
In part 1, we speak with Derrick McKenzie, the assistant sprints coach that came back to his Alma Mater in 2016 – right as the streak began. Coach McKenzie lays the foundation of the Nebraska Wesleyan track team, gives us an inside look of the makeup of the team, and helps us better understand how this all happened.
After Coach McKenzie, we’re joined by Katie Krick and Abby Hunke. Two integral members of this 4×4 team. They were on the team before the streak happened and were juniors when it began. They walk us through as to what the team the team was like before this streak happened and how their leadership was key in all of this. We learn about Abby’s injury her senior year and how the trust from Ted made all the difference. As the leader of the team, Katie filled us in on what it meant to be the anchor not on the relay but as the emotional anchor as well.
This is going to be fun. This 4 part series will be released each Tuesday, so make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!
As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening.
If you would like to help support the podcast, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs and will go towards a new website soon.
If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store.
And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava. A big thanks to Lincoln Running Co. for sponsoring today’s episode! Support their local running store and get your order for 15% off. Visit https://shop.lincrunningcompany.com/ – find what you want, call them at 402-474-4557. Mention D3 Glory Days and save 15%.
Episode 46 – Marcus Newsom
Jun 15, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
“I took a break (from responding to 300 texts) and I looked over at the trophy and put my hand on it and I just weeped. I just cried. And it was just an overflowing of joy” As you will learn in this episode, Coach Newsom is filled with passion. He’s won 8 national titles with his women’s program before this year’s title. However, he set out on a goal to win a National Title with both programs and he finally achieved it. The emotions of finally accomplishing his goal took over and he embraced this moment alone with the trophy. We are guilty of saying this before, but this may be our favorite conversation yet. This week on the program, we’re sitting down with the head coach of the 2021 National Champion Wartburg Track and Field program, Marcus Newsom. Over the last twenty-five years, coach Newsom has led over 500 All-Americans, en route to winning some sixty conference championships, and nine national championships between the men’s and women’s program. We begin this episode by recapping Newsom’s national meet experience, where he won his first national championship on the men’s side. From there we backtrack to a discussion of where he came from, influential figures in his life, and the origins of his coaching career. Coach Newsom also serves as the Diversity Issues Coordinator at Wartburg, and we have a discussion on the importance of a diverse program in a not diverse environment. Like us, you may be wondering what else a coach could possibly achieve, tune in to find out Newsom’s last remaining goal in coaching. Article we referenced when talking to Coach Newsom: https://knight-wire.com/2020/11/10/a-proud-black-man-newsoms-past-influences-his-coaching-legacy/
As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening.
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On the Men’s team being ready to win a national title: “They believed in that dream that our men’s program would win a national title. When you get four classes that believe in that dream, they were willing to do the things that they needed to do, make the sacrifices they needed to make in order for that to happen.” On the team’s point total at Nationals: “Where the points came from, we expected to get those points.” On speaking to his 4×4 before the race: “Going over to those guys, they looked at me and they had a look in their eyes that told me they knew what needed to be done. I knew they didn’t need a message from me so I gave them all a hug and walked away.” On being a coach: “I would say over the course of the number of years that I’ve been blessed to be in this position as a coach, because I think coaching is truly a privilege, this is not my right. This is a privilege to be able to be a part of young people’s lives, and I don’t take that for granted at all. We get a chance to do something that a lot of people don’t as a coach, we get a chance to truly be able to see the overall development of young men and young women.” On his important relationship with his mother: “I told our team that I wish my mother could be here (at the national meet) because I owe this to her. She taught me what it was like to believe in my dreams outside of what my front doors showed me.” On what he’s looking for in recruits: “We tell our team you gotta dream big here and you cannot limit your dreams and you can not allow someone else to dictate what the outcome of your dream is going to be” On taking in the moment after winning his first title with the men: “I took a break (from responding to 300 texts) and I looked over at the trophy and put my hand on it and I just weeped. I just cried. And it was just an overflowing of joy” On his support system, his mom: “Even though we grew up in a very hostile, dangerous, tough environment, I had a mom that was always there and was always there to listen, always there to discipline, always there to guide me and direct me, but always there to support me and my sister and be our biggest fans.” On his coaching style: “One of the things I tell the team is that, I’m not going to always tell you what you want to hear. I’m going to tell you what you need to hear.”
Episode 45 – JP Vaught and Bailey Forsyth
Jun 08, 2021
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“You can’t get by running slow in D3.” A called back race and an illegal wind separated us from seeing the Men’s 200m and Women’s 100m record get broken at the Outdoor Championships this year. Good news? Both JP Vaught and Bailey Forsyth will be back next year to go after those records. This episode features the fastest Man and Woman in D3 right now. Both JP and Bailey won the 100m/200m double at Nationals and almost took some records with it. Some heavy winds left JP just outside the Top 10 lists, but that won’t last long. In a breakout year, Bailey is now the 7th Fastest Woman in the 100 and 4th Fastest in the 200m. Both JP and Bailey took different paths to finding their current college, Centre and Pacific Lutheran. JP won a few state titles in high school, had a few D1 offers, but a pulled muscle in his back junior year, dried up those D1 offers. Coach Owens and Hagans of Centre stayed in contact with him and showed him that he can be special at Centre. Bailey wasn’t sure if she even wanted to continue running in college. With HS PBs of 12.61 and 25.76, her focus turned to academics in case she wasn’t able to find a place to run. Coach Frye made Bailey realize the opportunities she could have while running at Pacific Lutheran and that was enough to get her out for the team. Both runners are time focused individuals with goals of breaking records next year that brings a new perspective to this distance focused Podcast. As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Follow along with us on social media – we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. If you’re inclined to support the show financially, leave us a tip on Venmo or check out the Merch Store. Quotes
JP on finding the right fit in a college: “Don’t worry about the division, how big it is, or what other people would think about it. Worry about the coaching, the academics, and worry about if you can see yourself there. Talk to the coaches and see if people are running better than when they came in.” Bailey on her breakout year: “It was kinda wild. I ran a good time then I ran another good time. After I broke 12, I thought huh something is happening here” Bailey on coming back for a 5th year: “You know what, I’m never going to get to do this again. Why not take this extra year of eligibility and do it. This season was crazy but now I know I’m good and I know I can do it. Let’s see how fast I can be and how low these times can go.”
Episode 44 – Emily Pomainville
Jun 02, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
“It was a long discovery for me to realize what my priorities were in terms of running. I never strove for being the best or running a fast time, it was all about having fun. Eventually I came to the conclusion that running fast would be fun.” Emily stepped foot on the campus of SUNY Geneseo hoping to blend in. She wanted to be a part of a big team where the spotlight wouldn’t be shining on her. She wanted to enjoy her days as a college student while being on the team. That all changed when the pandemic hit. After she went back home, her priorities began to shift toward becoming a better runner. As her dad said, “you’re always one summer away from being a completely different athlete.” Emily took her dad’s quote into practice and came into this year as a changed runner. She went from wanting to make sure she was having fun each run to believing she could make the National meet. As the season went on, she kept chopping off time and that was fun to her. Eventually she got to the point where she and her coach, Dan Moore, came up with a race plan to break the D3 1500m record. While she had aspirations of doing well in the National Meet 1500/800 double, the plan called for a strike on the record in the prelim. As she got out hard, she knew the plan was working as each split was exactly what her coach planned out. 4:13.69 – a new D3 National Record. A time she couldn’t have dreamed of heading into this year. On top of the D3 Record, Emily walks away with the #4 All Time performance in the 800m. Emily hopes to lower her time again at this weekend’s Music City Track Carnival. As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Follow along with us on social media – we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. If you’re inclined to support the show financially, leave us a tip on Venmo or check out the Merch Store.
Episode 43 – Nationals Recap Show
May 30, 2021
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Stu sits down with former guests, Annie Rodenfels and Jordan Carpenter to recap the National Meet. We cover off on the highlights, upsets, team battle, and much more! Such an awesome weekend. Thanks for following along. Stay tuned for more episodes this week! Congrats to Jordan for winning the Prediction show Here is the rest of the Top 5: NWU Track Team Andrew Cummer Ryan Mitchell Henry Streib Here is the Twitter Thread mentioned: https://twitter.com/samwise_thebard/status/1398050141362393090 You can see the results of the National Meet here: https://tf.deltatiming.com/ncaa/2021-ncaa-d3-outdoor-championships As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Follow along with us on social media – we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. If you’re inclined to support the show financially, leave us a tip on Venmo or check out the Merch Store.
Episode 42 – D3 Outdoor Championships Day 2 Recap
May 28, 2021
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A quick recap of what we’ve seen so far from the first 2 days and what to look forward to on the final day. We’ve seen some amazing races so far, highlighted by a National Record in the Women’s 1500 by Emily Pomainville. We’re looking forward to her battle with Esther Seeland in the Women’s 800. You can find information about the National Meet here: https://tf.deltatiming.com/ncaa/2021-ncaa-d3-outdoor-championships As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Follow along with us on social media – we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. If you’re inclined to support the show financially, leave us a tip on Venmo or check out the Merch Store.
Episode 41 – 2021 Outdoor Championships Preview Show
May 26, 2021
Show notesApple – Spotify – Google
Bonus Episode! Stu sits down with former guests, Annie Rodenfels and Jordan Carpenter to discuss the upcoming National Meet. We cover our predictions, what to look for in the meet, as well as an athlete and coaches perspective. We’ll see how our picks play out! Think you can predict the outcome of Nationals? Join our prediction contest! The winner will sit down with us to have a recap show and your choice of free merch. You can find information about the National Meet here: https://tf.deltatiming.com/ncaa/2021-ncaa-d3-outdoor-championships As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Follow along with us on social media – we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. If you’re inclined to support the show financially, leave us a tip on Venmo or check out the Merch Store.
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