If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Sports has its unbreakable records, right?

Gretzky has a passel of them (51 goals in 39 games, 51-game point-scoring streak, three consecutive 200-point seasons, 2,857 career points....you get the idea).  Joe DiMaggio had his 56-game hitting streak. Cy Young won 511 career games. Ty Cobb hit .367 over the course of his 24-year major league career. Cal Ripken, Jr. played in 2,632 straight games. Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths. Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game in 1962 as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors. The Boston Celtics won eight straight NBA titles from 1959-66.  Eric Heiden won every men's speedskating event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

It gets the mind to wandering, as it is wont to do when one does what one does. In my case, the question becomes what are our unbreakable records?  Are there any? Given that our sports date back the 1920's, one would think so.

So, after some reflection, let's peel back the onion to see what comes up.  For your review, here's a list. Certainly not an end-all, be-all compendum as certainly there are others. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

There are many others, so just a smattering listed above. A question we had upon compiling this was which one is the most unlikely to be broken.  Ted Nelson's record in the 800m has held up more than 50 years. Brad Henry pinned his opponent in four seconds. Jason Hoppe set a NCAA record when he did not allow a run (earned or otherwise) in 55 straight innings and Butch Meyeraan was perfect when he made 20 of 20 free throws in a game vs. UW-River Falls in 1961.  In order to get past Lori Meyer's career wins mark, a coach would have to average 35.1 victories a season for 30 years.  Well, Lori's still coaching. And winning. Good luck with that.

It's great to be a Maverick!

Leap of Faith

Jim Dilling is in his third year as head coach of the
Minnesota State men's track & field program

Most people view injuries as a setback in their athletic careers. Third-year Minnesota State men’s track and field coach, Jim Dilling, on the other hand is not like most people.

Following a successful high school athletic career in Fond du Lac, Wis., Dilling ventured to southern Minnesota looking to play football for the Mavericks.

He left Mankato five years later a four-time NCAA Division II national champion in the high jump and in 2007 finished atop the field at the U.S.A Track & Field Outdoor national championships.  In doing so he represented his country at the 2007 World Championship where he posted a 16^th-place finish in Osaka, Japan.

Dilling’s journey, which eventually led to his current position leading the Maverick men’s track and field program is an interesting one.

It all started during Dilling’s freshman orientation when track and field coach and Minnesota State Hall of Fame inductee, Mark Schuck, tried to convince him to come out for track instead of football.

“Mark had tried to get me to come out when I had met him at orientation as an incoming freshman, but at the time I wasn't too interested as I doubted my ability to compete collegiately as a high jumper," said Dilling. "With a 6'6" high school personal best, I wasn't sure what progressions were possible in the event,"

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending how you want to look at it, Dilling’s life changed forever after his decision to give up football and pursue track and field after two broken collar bones which occurred during football workouts. Not only did this decision allow him to have great success as an athlete, but unknowingly, also set him up to become the school’s next men’s track and field coach.

Schuck had a feeling that Jim could be a special high jumper. He didn’t know how easy it would be to coach him.  “He’d listen to an old lady on the street if it helped him become a better high jumper,” said Schuck. “Having been a student athlete here myself, I can relate on an extremely personal level with members of my team. I understand the demands of the sport and the commitment levels necessary to be successful in the classroom. The key is proper balance with priorities and that is where being an alumni of this program holds real value, because they know that you have been there before.”

Dilling, who established an NCAA DII indoor record when he leapt 7-6 in 2006 and following his career as a world class high jumper (he finished 11^th at the 2008 Olympic Trials and spent time competing internationally), returned to Minnesota State where he served as a graduate assistant and an assistant coach on Schuck’s staff. Schuck retired following the conclusion of the 2012-13 school year and Dilling was named head coach of the program that August.

Under Dilling’s leadership the program achieved its first #1 ranking in a national poll last year. And, under his leadership, the Mavericks are beginning to attract a strong stable of high jumpers. Currently five Mavericks rank in the top 25 for Division II. No other team has more than one.

Philosophically, being successful is rewarding for Dilling, but it is not the most important thing. “Helping others learn to harness their own ability and reach their true potential is more rewarding than any accolade one can achieve on their own,” said Dilling, who at 6’ 5” towers over most people. 

“People frequently ask me if I miss competing in the sport. Not at all because to me I still am competing each and every day with myself to make these young men and women better than they were the day before.”

Schuck believes Dilling is the perfect coach for the Mavericks. “Jim has all the ingredients to be a great coach. He’s very knowledgeable, personable, and most importantly his relationship building is 
phenomenal.”

- contributed by Jesse Larson, Athletic Communications intern

Still Competing, Still Pursuing

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Minnesota State junior Chris Reed capped off the 2012-13 year
with a 13th-place finish in the shot put at the USU Track & Field
Championships.

by Nick Burns, interim Asst. Director, Minnesota State Athletic Communications

 

The 2012-13 Minnesota State athletic season will go down as one of the most successful and memorable seasons in the history of MSU athletics. Several teams made trips to the NCAA Tournament, including several athletes made their mark in individual competition.

One such individual was junior Chris Reed (Omaha, Neb.) of the Minnesota State men’s track and field team. Reed would go on to claim four All-American awards this past season, en route to a national championship in the shot put event in the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Recently, Reed competed in the 2013 USA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, where he finished in 13th place in the shot put event with a heave of 62’ 0.25” against the best completion in the country.

“It was such a high level of competition,” Reed said. “All of the best throwers from the United States were there so it was a great feeling to compete against them.”

More than 800 athletes competed at the 2013 USA Track and Field Championships, with the hope of being selected to compete at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

“Right after I won the national championship I was selected to compete at the USA Track and Field Championships,” Reed said. “It was just a great feeling to compete against and talk with guys that I have only been able to watch on TV.

“Being able to shake Adam Nelson’s hand and talk with him after he received his Olympic gold medal was really cool,” Reed said. “Overall, it was a fun experience and it also showed me that I’ve got more in me and this competition brought it out of me.”

His performance at the USA Track and Field Championships is another feather in the cap of Reed, who has had one of the most successful seasons a Maverick has ever had.

Reed began his year with an All-American honor at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships, where he finished second in the shot put. Reed, who was named the NSIC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, kept his momentum going into the outdoor schedule where he earned the USTFCCCA Central Region Field Athlete of the Year award.

During the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Reed would find himself competing in three events including the hammer throw, the discus and the shot put.

Competing in the hammer throw event, Reed set an MSU record with a throw of 194’-8” for a seventh-place finish, en route to becoming the first Maverick to secure an All-American award in the event.

He earned his second All-American honor with a seventh-place finish in the discus with a toss of 175’-5” on the second day of competition, but Reed saved his best performance for last.

On the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Reed capped off his season with a national championship in the shot put event, shattering the MSU school record with a mark of 65’-7”. He became just the fifth Maverick to win a national championship and the first since Jim Dilling won the high jump event back in 2007. He is the only Maverick to win a national championship in the shot put.

Reed is the first Maverick to claim three All-American honors in the same championship since Moo Muhammad accomplished that feat back in 1989.

Definitely not a bad season, but rather, a season that will be remembered just like MSU’s whole 2012-13 season.

Jump around

Jim Dilling won four NCAA high jump
titles during his career at Minnesota State

Jim Dilling,  a Minnesota State high jumper who captured the NCAA Division II outdoor title in 2005 and 2007 and indoor national titles in 2006 and 2007, isn't quite done yet.

A five-time All-American during his MSU career, Dilling claimed the USA national outdoor track & field high jump championship in 2007 and competed at the world championships as a member of Team USA that same year.  He's battled through injuries since then, but judging by recent results, finally appears to be healthy again.  The Fon du Lac, Wis., native was in Mankato this past week and stopped by for a chat.

What's being going on in your career since you left MSU in 2007?
JD:  Well, after the 2007 season, where I finished up at MSU and then made the USA world team, I met Cliff Rovelto (head track & field coach at Kansas State and head high jump coach for Team USA) and became friends with Jesse Williams (USC high jumper), who was training with Coach Rovelto. So I moved to Manhattan, Kan., and have been based out of there the last three-four years.  I originally went to train for the 2008 Olympic Trials and stayed.  Around that time I began to deal with some foot injury issues and some issues with my achilles tendon.  I tried to deal with that nonsurgically for about a year, but then I ruptured the bursa sac at the 2009 USA championships and had an MRI where they found a tear. I had surgery in fall of 2009 and another in March of 2010.  So, I basically sat out for 16 months and missed the 2010 USA championships. But I started training again last year, opened with my first meet this past February and had my best opening-height ever (7-4.25) at the Kansas State Wildcat Invite.  Then I placed fifth at indoor nationals and trained for outdoor nationals where I went 7-5.34 - my best result since the 2007 season.

What are you doing now?
JD:  I just got back from Europe after six weeks of competing.  Now we'll go back to Kansas to train for a couple months to train for the Pan Am Games, which take place in Mexico in October (he's a member of Team USA).  After that I'm coming back to MSU work on my master's, to help coach the Mavericks and to train for my last season.

Last season?
JD:  Well, possibly my last season.  The Olympic Trials for 2012 London are in Eugene in July. We'll give it a shot there and see how it goes.

What are your chances?
JD:  We'll see what happens that day.  You have to jump two rounds and you have to finish in the top three at the end. I've met the world standard (7-5 3/5), so that's my goal.

Here's a question.  Cuba's Javier Sotomayor set the high jump world record in 1989 when he became the first to clear 8 feet (in 1993 he upped his record to 8-0.5)  Can anyone approach that these days?
JD:  That's a good question, I don't know.  At his time, Sotomayor was Usain Bolt - someone with freakish talent and way better than anyone else in his event.  Someone who comes along once every century.  You never know, there's a few guys.  Ivan Ukhov has consistently been going 7-9, 7-10 indoors this year.

Eventually, Jim, long-term, what's in store?
JD:  We'll see. I have these short term goals now.  If you recall, I came here originally to play football and ended up high jumping, so you never know what life is going to hand you.  I'd like to take this high-jumping thing as far as I can. 

It's great to be a Maverick.  Be sure to follow us on twitter at @msumavericks.

You could have a bumper car, bumping

Jim Dilling

A couple of notes as we move forward through the dog days of August.

Former Minnesota State high jumper Jim Dilling, the 2007 USA Outdoor Track and Field national champion, has battled through injuries the past couple of years, but appears to be healthy and now ready to resume his career at the international level.  A five-time All-American and four-time national champion (two indoor, two outdoor) for the Mavericks,  Dilling finished 12th at the Viersen Internatinionales Hochsprung meet held in Germany Saturday with a 2.18 meter effort (actually tied for fifth, but finished 12th on misses).  Dilling was sixth with a leap of 2.26 (7-5 3/4) at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 26th in Eugene, Ore.

After moving up from rookie ball Kingsport of the Appalachian League, former MSU righthanded pitcher Bret Mitchell debuted for the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Class A New York-Penn League Sunday.  Mitchell, who had gone 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA and struck out 38 batters in 39.2 innings for Kingsport, went the first 4.2 innings and gave up one earned run and six hits as the Cyclones claimed a 6-4 win over the Staten Island Yankees.  Mitchell played one season for the Mavericks and helped lead MSU to league and regional championships and a spot in the NCAA Division II national tournament before getting drafted in 2010 by the New York Mets in the 12th round (362nd overall).

It's great to be a Maverick!

Got 'em right where we want 'em

John Belushi as Bluto

"Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is!"  - Bluto from Animal House.

There's been alot to celebrate during the course of the past quarter century for Minnesota State Athletics.

National championships in women's basketball in 2008-09 and men's cross country in 1988.  A total of 26 individual national championships, including four by high jumper Jim Dilling from 2004-07 and dominance in the women's pole vault led by the triumvirate of Amanda Frame, Katelin Rains and Lauren Stelten that began in 2003-04 and has totalled seven NCAA titles to date.

MSU reaffiliated its men's hockey program to Division I in the mid-1990s and in addition to a national tournament appearance in 2002-03 on a team featuring All-American forwards Shane Joseph and Grant Stevenson, the Mavericks have produced six National Hockey League performers, a Stanley Cup champion in Ryan Carter (Anaheim in 2007) and an Olympian in David Backes.  The MSU women's program boasts a Patty Kazmeier finalist in goaltender Shari Vogt and Olympians in Nina Tikkinen and Emilia Andersson.

The football team broke through to win a North Central Conference championship in 1987 and during the span of the last 25 seasons has made six NCAA postseason appearances.

Gorgeous Taylor Center opened 2000 and in addition to the aforementioned success of the women's program basketball program, the men's program has become a Division II powerhouse with its litany of league titles and NCAA appearances.  The wrestling program competes annually for a spot in the top five in the nation.  The baseball, softball, track and cross country, soccer and golf teams have captured more than 50 league titles between them over the course of this period.

So, that being said, and given the success of MSU teams during this time, surely we can point to situations where Mavericks teams have had to battle back from what would have appeared to be an unwinnable situation to win games.

Well, yes we can.  There are many, as a matter of fact, with a quartet of these situations immediately come to mind.

Feb. 2, 1991, St. Cloud, Minn. (Halenbeck Hall). The MSU men's basketball team trailed North Central Conference rival St. Cloud by ten (93-83) with 1:27 left in the game on SCSU's home court.  With the Mavericks surging, guard Bryon Lindsey scored eight points in the final 39 seconds as MSU fought back to tie the game, 97-97, at the end of regulation.  MSU eventually won in overtime, 108-106.

Oct. 2, 1993, Mankato, Minn. (Blakeslee Stadium). The Mavericks trailed #1-rated North Dakota State 21-0 in its annual Homecoming game, but MSU scored near the end of the third quarter and then twice more in the fourth to make it 21-21.  The Bison, who had never lost to the Mavericks in Mankato, scored with 1:55 left in the game, but a missed PAT left the score at 27-21.  Following the kick-off, the Mavericks lost the ball on downs, but got it back when NDSU fumbled on its next possession.  Jamie Pass hit diminutive receiver Jeff Spikner on a 23-yard strike with :22 left and Kenny Navitsky's successful kick gave the Mavericks an incredible 28-27 win in front of 6,100 rollicking fans.

Dec. 20, 2003, Mankato, Minn. (Midwest Wireless Civic Center). The eventual national champions from Denver built a 7-1 lead before a goal by defenseman Lucas Fransen midway through the second period started the ball rolling for the Mavericks. Travis Morin tallied on the power play and Shane Joseph scored two more power play goals before the end of the period to make it 7-5. Then after Adam Gerlach and Brad Thompson scored to tie it up, Joseph completed his hat trick with the game-winner with five minutes left.  The Mavericks, by the way, used three goaltenders in the game and Chris Clark, who was making his first varsity appearance, stopped all 13 shots he faced to get the win.

May 4, 2011, Sioux Falls, S.D. (Bowden Field). In its opening game of the 2011 NSIC softball tournament, #12 Minnesota State trailed #19 Winona State 7-1 heading into its last at bats.  Abby Sonner lit the fuse after her two-run homer made it 7-3.  Infielder Amanda Umhoefer's solo shot cut the deficit to three and after Melanie Upchurch and Lauryn Morris singled, Natalie Spicer's three-run homer tied the game.  Julie O'Neal then singled and came around to score after Kelly Wood's drive to right was misplayed to end the game.

As mentioned, there are several other instances in which the Mavericks found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  And as Greg Marmalard said in Animal House in reference to the fraternities at Faber College - "They're each outstanding in their own way."

See you at the ballpark this weekend with MSU hosting the 2011 NSIC baseball tournament at Franklin Rogers and the 2011 NCAA Softball Central Subregional on campus.

It's great to be a Maverick!