Oracle Online

This is Reder’s fourth year as a member of the Hamline track and field staff and his first year as men’s head coach. “Coach Schmaedeke had this job last year. We just felt it was the best use of our resources to restructure this way,” Reder said.
Schmaedeke is now track and field Coordinator; he is also the head men’s and women’s cross country coach.

The women’s team also has a new coach. Shawn Johnson-Hipp is back coaching the team after taking sabbatical in 2000 to coach her sons’ track teams. Johnson-Hipp was Hamline’s first fulltime track coach in 1983. She said she kept teaching but missed coaching at the college level.

“We have a nice situation coaching-wise this year,” said Johnson-Hipp. She said Schmaedeke takes care of a lot of extra stuff as coordinator which allows the coaches to focus on their particular event strengths.

The women’s program has a strong returning group this year, according to Johnson-Hipp. “Five returnees have all-conference performances under their belts, and two took home honorable mention awards,” said Johnson-Hipp.

The track season is the longest sport season at Hamline. They have structured practice seven months a year and compete for five. “Indoor is training for outdoor,” said Reder. “You find that the athletes that want to be good realize it’s the dedication of training and that’s the focus,” Reder said.

“It’s fair to say that most track people are training all year long,” said junior runner Brandon Gleason. “After J-term starts, it’s straight through ‘til May. Gleason just finished six months of cross country, took five days off, and began training for indoor track.

“It’s like a family. A lot of us live together. We eat and hang out together,” he said. Every member of the cross country team competes in track.

The main difference between indoor and outdoor track is the length of the races. “Indoor is generally shorter,” said Johnson-Hipp. In indoor, there is a 50-and 55-meter race instead of the 100-meter, 110-meter, and the 10k. Outdoor has a hammer throw, but indoor only has weight throws.
“Indoor is really the warm up for the outdoor,” she said. “The outdoor season is a very short season so it’s important that we do indoor.” “Our main goal is always to be the best team we can be in the second weekend in May,” said Gleason.

According to Gleason, some specific events and athletes to watch for this season are All-American Travis Bristow and Krissy Auter in the 5k, Drew Jones in the weight throw, Jake Kruger in the poll vault, Tami Klenke in the long jump, and the men’s and women’s 4x400 team. Dana Luiken is last year’s pentathlon conference champ, Melissa Francis won all conference in the outdoor steeple chase, and Amanda Jones is all conference in the weight throw.