If anyone doubted that it was the year of the Buckeye, Brent Warner's unexpected All-American finish at the NCAA track and field championships is certifiable proof - it's a good time to be from Ohio.
Warner, a junior pole vaulter from Wadsworth, Oh., was ranked 65th in the nation after the IC4A meet, a stat that did not bode well for much postseason success. So at the regional meet, it came as no surprise that Warner's jumps were nearing an end.
But that would not have been the suitable ending for the student-athlete dubbed "Mr. Clutch" by head men's track coach Norm Ogilvie. So rather than losing concentration and giving up, Warner qualified for the national meet on his very last attempt.
His confidence remained unaltered heading into the championship meet.
"Brent figured he had nothing to lose, that was his attitude from the beginning, that he felt prepared that he felt ready," Ogilvie said. "He vaulted that way. He certainly was not scared. That being said, the day of the NCAA competition he was a little nervous.
To get him loose, Warner and Ogilvie joked around for a while before the meet began. And in the preliminary rounds at the NCAA championships, Warner cleared a personal best - not to mention school record - 16-10.75.
"After the qualifying round he was technically in a tie for first place, and the only tough part was that the opening height was the height he had just cleared [in the preliminaries]," Ogilvie said. "All you've got to do is clear the highest height you've ever cleared in your whole life."
But Warner was not terribly concerned. In fact, he was comforted with the clearance height of 16-10.75.
"I was excited because I knew I'd have to perform well, but not too worried because I knew it was well within my grasp," Warner wrote in an e-mail. "That I managed to clear it in both competitions on my first try was a big surprise though."
Warner jumped on, making three valiant attempts at 17-05 before ending his 2003 season. After that, his placement was out of his hands.
"Then we just waited to see how many others would [out jump Warner]," Ogilvie said.
And even if Warner had not placed well, Ogilvie was already impressed by Warner's performance, as he had improved his personal best jump by a whopping six inches in a few weeks time. But there was no need for looking for a silver-lining, as Warner's jump would end up being in a four-way tie for eight place, making Warner Duke's first male track and field All-American since Jesse Allen in 1999, and the first field athlete to earn the distinction since Joel Shankle won the 1956 long jump.
"As for being an All-American, it feels great," Warner wrote. "While it's always been sort of in the back of my mind as a goal for my track career, I honestly never expected it to happen - and especially not before my senior year" because of new regulations that allow more competitors to compete to qualify, rather than simply by qualifying with season best performances. Had that been the case, Ogilvie noted, Warner would not have been eligible to participate in the regional meet.
"Since I was the bottom seed going in and had qualified strictly due to the somewhat controversial regionals format, one of my goals going out was to prove that I belonged there," Warner wrote. "Obviously, I think my placement does that. There are some people who can put up the biggest numbers but then don't compete well in a big-meet situation. I'm kind of the opposite of that. I might not jump the highest, but I perform well when it counts."
Warner believes his success will serve as an impetus for his teammates.
"I've been flooded with phone calls and e-mails from teammates congratulating me these last few days. They're really happy for me, and I know it motivates them to go out and work hard so they can experience it too."
What made Warner's record finish even more special was that his qualification for the NCAA meet came in part because of new regulations that allow more competitors to compete to qualify, rather than simply by qualifying with season best performances. Had that been the case, Ogilvie noted, Warner would not have been eligible to participate in the regional meet.
"Since I was the bottom seed going in and had qualified strictly due to the somewhat controversial regionals format, one of my goals going out was to prove that I belonged there," Warner wrote. "Obviously, I think my placement does that. There are some people who can put up the biggest numbers but then don't compete well in a big-meet situation. I'm kind of the opposite of that. I might not jump the highest, but I perform well when it counts."
Warner believes his success will serve as an impetus for his teammates. "I've been flooded with phone calls and e-mails from teammates congratulating me these last few days. They're really happy for me, and I know it motivates them to go out and work hard so they can experience it too."
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