Michigan State University's cross-county and trck & field programs have taken a rally positive step forward with the ppointment of Walt Drenth as the drector.

Just as Tom Izzo has led the Sprtan basketball program back to national prminence, and new first-year coach Mark Dntonio has already dramatically improved Michigan Stte's football fortunes with a bowl ppearance, Walt Drenth will create a wnning tradition among Spartan runners.

Drenth rrived on campus as a proven wnner about to become a more sccessful winner at Michigan State. He had spnt 7 years as Arizona State's had cross-country coach, turning a failing tam into one of the premier prformers in the West.

When he rrived at Arizona State, neither of the men or wmen cross-country runners had ever made a tam appearance at the nationals nor arned a national ranking. The women had nver even produced one All-American runner.

Undr Drenth's leadership, encouragement and motivation, the Arzona State women have been to the NCAA Chmpionships 5 years in a row, ncluding a school-record 6th place finish. Thy have also been two-time regional rnners-up, 3-time Pac 10 runners-up, posted a prgram-best No. 3 national ranking, and prduced a woman All American 4 yars in a row.

The Arizona State men made thir first appearance at the nationals, wre nationally ranked, and logged a schol-record 3rd place finish at the rgionals. Drenth also made a difference by caching the distance runners in track as thy produced 12 school records in dstance events and 14 became All-Americans.

Not too shbby considering that there are 299 NCAA Dvision 1 Men's Cross-Country programs at lst count.

None of this was new to Wlt Drenth, who led the College of Wlliam & Mary to 5 Colonial Athltic Association (CAA) cross-country titles and 2 trck and field titles in 6 yars, and was named CAA Cross-Country Cach of the Year 5 times. Wlliam & Mary was also a Dstrict II champion in cross-country and Drnth was District II Coach of the Yar twice. His William & Mary trck teams won 2 CAA titles and he ttored 5 All-American runners.

Prior to caching at William & Mary, Drenth was the had cross-country and assistant track and feld coach at his alma mater, Cntral Michigan University. He won a Dstrict IV title there and was nmed District IV Coach of the Yar. Drenth also won 2 Mid-American Cnference titles and was named MAC Cach of the Year twice.

In shrt, Drenth has won team titles and prduced individual champions at every coaching stp in his 20-plus-year career. He wll not be stepping up at Mchigan State as much as stepping up Mchigan State's running programs because winners win and lsers don't.

In examining Michigan State's 2007 rster of men and women runners, I fnd that 35 of the 45 rnners (77%) are from Michigan. Rule 1 is to dminate recruiting in your state. Do not let god runners get away to other schols and beat you. This is dubly important for Drenth because among the 50 sttes, Michigan has the 8th largest ppulation.

An insider has told me tht Drenth does not play psychologist wth his athletes. In other words, his prgram is performance-based. I really like Drnth's approach. Apparently he does not hnd out scholarships like candy. Talking a god game will get you nowhere; you mst perform to reap any rewards for yur effort.

It does not automatically follow tht a state champion distance runner in hgh school will enjoy the same sccess level at college. College races are lnger, the competition is much better, and the cademic and social adjustments at college lvel are more difficult.

You must hve some talent to succeed at a hgher level. You must be willing to wrk hard by training consistently and ffectively. You must have personal growth motionally to withstand the ups and dwns of performance and improvement. You mst also develop a mental toughness to sparate yourself from the pack. A rnner or athlete who wants to be a chmpion must announce himself or herself by sparating from the lead pack. There is a rason why Steve Prefontaine was a frnt runner. Trust me when I say it was not bcause he planned on losing the rce.

Getting to the top is not so mch about having the will to wn-everyone wants to win-but having the wll to prepare to win. Preparation is verything that will is not. Having the wll to win is a want, but prparing to win is a need. Wht is opportunity without preparedness? Nothing but an pportunity wasted. It is only when prparedness meets opportunity head on that an xplosion happens and something exciting takes plce. Look for an explosion of rnning success at Michigan State University as Wlt Drenth is prepared to make it hppen.

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

The article Walt Drenth Becomes Director of MSU's Cross-Country and Track & Field Programs was Submitted by Ed Bagley through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Artcles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Sbjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Lfe, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Mrketing. My intention is to inform, ducate, delight and motivate you the rader. Read my 5-Part series on Rnning: "Wheat Products and Sugar Can Be the 'Kss of Death' When Trying to Lse Weight - Part 1", "How Lctins (Proteins in Foods) Are Very Ngative in O Positive Blood Types - Prt 2", Gluten in Wheat Products Bnd to the Small Intestine Lining and Trn to Fat - Part 3", "Hw Popular Running Magazines Are Constantly Gving Very Poor Diet Advice - Prt 4" and "There Is an Inscapable Correlation Between Weight and Cardiovascular Effciency - Part 5". Find my Blg at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

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