We are excited to welcome Jennifer Michel as our guest speaker on Tuesday, July 28 at 5:00pm.  Here is the link and some interesting info about Coach Michel.

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/czq-oukp-qxy

Phone Numbers

(‪US)‪+1 747-202-5470

PIN: ‪498 766 362#

Jennifer Michel is entering her 14th season as head men’s and women’s cross country coach at Western Colorado University in 2020. She will also begin her 14th season as an assistant coach of the Mountaineer track & field team after she took over for legendary coach Duane Vandenbusche in 2007. Dr. Vandenbusche* who was a seven-time NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year and coach three former athletes that went onto compete in the Olympics. Ms. Michel has filled some very deep (running) shoes quite admirably.  In her first year, Jennifer won National Coach of the year in Division II. As a first year head coach she led the Western’s men to a second-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships. The women finished sixth. Following the season, Michel earned a spot in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” segment based upon her historic achievements.

As of 2020, Michel has coached 50 Mountaineers to 193 All-American honors between cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field.

A testament to the quality of these All-Americans, Michel has coached nine individuals to a combined 18 National Championships. Standing tall amongst these individuals is Alicja Konieczek who recorded her ninth National Championship in 2019, along with holding the NCAA DII All-Time Record in the steeplechase. Prior to those efforts, Konieczek became the first female Mountaineer to win four National Championships in the same year as she took the Mile and 3k indoors and the Steeplechase and 5k outdoors in 2017.

On the track, Michel has coached national champions David Goodman to the steeplechase title in 2011, Ryan Haebe (2012 Steeplechase), Tyler Pennel (2012 10k), Gabe Proctor (2013 10k & 5k), Vegard Olstad (2013 1500), and Alicja Konieczek (2017 Indoor Mile/3,000m and Outdoor Steeplechase/5,000m). National runners-up coached by Michel include Lauren Kleppin in the 10,000-meter run (2011 and 2012), Tyler Pennel in the 5,000-meter run (2009, 2011-12), Hillory Davis (2011 Steeplechase), Glen Watts (2010 Steeplechase), and Lisa Thomas (2009 Steeplechase). What is it about steeplechase dominance and Gunnison County, Colorado?

In addition, 12 of her distance runners have gone on to capture 16 Academic All-America nods including 7 first team selections and a The U.S.Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Men’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year.

A two-time National Coach of the Year, Michel is also a four-time RMAC Coach of the Year, and earned both the men’s and women’s honors in 2011. In a strong year for Michel and the Mountaineers, she also was named USTFCCCA Central Region Women’s Coach of the Year in 2011. During the 2017 outdoor track and field season, Michel was named USTFCCCA Central Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year before being named USTFCCCA Women’s National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 for outdoor track. During the historic 2018 indoor campaign, Michel was named USTFCCCA Women’s National Assistant Coach of the Year.

In a historic effort, Michel coached the 2011 Mountaineer men to the fourth-lowest team score in NCAA DII history en route to her first national championship. Simultaneously, she coached her first individual National Champion in cross country as Ryan Haebe broke the tape ahead of teammate Tyler Pennel, highlighting a 1,2,5,7,12 finish for the men. The top-ranked women were upset by a mere four points in 2011, finishing in second place for the second year in a row. The Mountaineers also swept the RMAC titles in 2011 with the women claiming their second-straight conference title for just the second time in program history.

As an athlete, Michel earned eight All-American honors in track and field and cross country. In track and field, Michel won Division II titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 3,000-meter run and indoor mile, and held the national championship steeplechase record until 2008. She was a six-time RMAC champion.

Michel earned RMAC All-Century honors in women’s track and field as part of the conference centennial celebration in 2008-09. She was also a member of the NCAA 25th Anniversary Team for Women’s Track and Field and was the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Runner of the Year.

After her collegiate career, she finished fifth at the US Track and Field Championships in the steeplechase in 2002. She entered the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame in October 2010 for her national championship career as a Western student-athlete.

Michel, a prep product out of Wheat Ridge, Colo., is a 2001 graduate of Western with a degree in History and Secondary Education. She went on to receive her master’s degree in Sports Management.

* Dr. Vandenbushe has been teaching history at Western since 1962 and is the longest serving active professor at any public higher education institution in the state. He was just named the Colorado State Historian this month.

Here is the meeting link for today’s XC meeting at 5:00pm:

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/vtm-efhp-akn

Phone Numbers

(‪US)‪+1 352-608-0152

PIN: ‪861 822 936#

See you soon!

Today’s speakers are two of the most esteemed alumni of the East Cross Country Program—Harrison competed at State all four years and is a four time DPS City champion and was 13^th at the Footlocker National Championship.  Cerake was a city champion, state champion, NXR champion, and was 4^th at Nike Cross Nationals, and has represented the US twice in international competition.  Both were recruited athletes who went to top programs and have had to deal with injuries post-high school.

Here is the link for the meeting, Tuesday, July 21 at 5:00pm:

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/czq-oukp-qxy

Phone Numbers

(‪US)‪+1 747-202-5470

PIN: ‪498 766 362#

In other news

All runners who attend the East XC Google Meets and log workouts on Final Surge are eligible for a prize on Wednesday!  To get this prize, run by and look for Kohuth at the statue/disabled fountain at 17th and the Esplanade in City Park from 9:15 to 10:00am on Wednesday, July 22.

Keep up the great work of logging your runs and using Final Surge!  If you don’t have a Final Surge account, you can get one by doing the following:

Click on Final Surge to keep track of your time or miles and to share with your coaches.

or click here on your phone:

After you join Final Surge, email Coach Kohuth at steven_kohuth@dpsk12.org so he can add you to the team.

Video Links

How are your Core X and Lunge Matrix workouts going?  Let us know what you think of these at this week’s Thursday meeting.

 Core X by Jay Johnson Add this to your routine 3 x per week and work up to 5 x per week.

Continue doing the Lunge Matrix before your runs.

See you this evening on Google Meets!

We will be offering voluntary summer practice on a limited basis in July.

Dates:  July 20 – July 31, 2020

Practice days:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

Time:  8:00 – 9:00am

Sign up by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 15, 2020: Student Registration for Step 2

Be sure to review the DPS informational sheet before you arrive at practice.

If you aren’t comfortable with in-person practice, you may continue to train virtually with the team via our Final Surge app and our Tuesday and Thursday google meets.  There is absolutely no pressure to attend in-person practice.

To join the app, click below and email Coach Kohuth at steven_kohuth@dpsk12.org so he can add you on to our team in the Final Surge app.

Click here to join via computer:  https://www.finalsurge.com

Click here on your phone:

More information on voluntary summer practice from DPS:

Dear Scholar-Athletes and Families,

Based on the updated guidance from Governor Polis and CDPHE, DPS has made a decision to allow in-person, voluntary off-season athletics conditioning for high school students.  This is the second step in a multi-step process of returning to competitive play. During this second step, there will be no indoor access and very limited equipment use, as well as strict health checks and sanitation procedures for all participants.

We have made this decision with the continued goal of protecting the safety, health, and wellness of our students, staff and families. We recognize that the Denver community has been greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic, and believe that this is a positive first step in bringing our athletes back together. Step two will run July 20, 2020-July 31, 2020. DPS leaders will then determine how to best continue our athletics programming based on current health and safety guidelines and input from fellow school districts.

Please review the informational information through the following link: Session 2 informational sheet, outlining the details of participant engagement, health checks and sanitation procedures required during this time.  Should you choose to participate, your guardian will need to complete the required Student Registration for Step 2, which includes the district waiver by end of day on Wednesday, July 15.

*Students that participated/registered for Phase 1/Step 1, must re-register for Phase 2/Step 2.

Additional information regarding student and coach waivers, daily documentation, conditioning schedules, and site drop-off procedures will follow prior to Step 2 Activities beginning on Monday July 20, 2020.  If you have any questions, please reach out to your specific Athletic Director or coach.

Here is the link for today’s meeting (Tuesday, July 14 at 5:00pm) with guest speaker J’ne Day-Lucore.  See you soon!!

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/czq-oukp-qxy

Phone Numbers

(‪US)‪+1 747-202-5470

PIN: ‪498 766 362#

Hey Runners!

This Tuesday’s guest speaker will be J’ne Day-Lucore, an incredibly accomplished runner and triathlete.  Here is the link for the meeting:

Meeting ID

meet.google.com/czq-oukp-qxy

Phone Numbers

(‪US)‪+1 747-202-5470

PIN: ‪498 766 362#

Read on to find out more about this Colorado Hall of Fame runner and mathlete.

J’ne Day-Lucore competed in college track and cross-country before moving to Colorado in 1983 to get her MS in mathematics. She retired in 2017 after a 33-year career as an engineer and executive manager in the aerospace industry. As a retiree, she enjoys coaching and spending all day running, swimming, cycling and practicing yoga with her athletes and friends.

J’ne was introduced to the Colorado racing community in 1985 when she won a couple of local races and was invited to join the Reebok Racing Team. These teammates became her best friends and training partners for the next 35-years. Her passion has always been running uphill where she won and held course records in the Pikes Peak Ascent (four-time winner), Mount Evans Hill Climb (three-time winner) and Mount Washington Road Race (three-time winner and Hall of Fame member). She completed her 28^thPikes Peak Ascent with an age group win in 2018. An unfortunate bike accident in August 2019 and the pandemic cancellation in 2020 has her looking forward to racing her 29th Ascent in 2021. Her most difficult and greatest accomplishment was the Ascent race in 2016 when she helped guide the first blind athlete, Luanne Burke to the finish line.

J’ne added cycling and swimming to her running routine to stay healthy and started racing as an age-group triathlon in 2006. She races in many local Colorado triathlons each year and has had three age group podium finishes at full Ironman races since turning 50. She donated a kidney in September 2018 and resumed triathlon training six weeks later. She enjoyed a full year of triathlon racing in 2019 and has taken advantage of the pandemic year to recover from the broken femur repair. She’s looking forward to the 2021 season when she will age up to 60-64 age group.

J’ne volunteers as a coach for Girls on the Run (GOTR) and is an active board member and volunteer coach with the Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club (RMTC). She coordinates and leads weekly group track workouts, tempo runs, trail and snowshoe runs as well as being a volunteer ride and run leader for RMTC. Her primary goal every season is to expand her network of running and triathlon friends to share her passion for running and racing.

Certifications:

USAT Level 1 Coach

Yoga Teacher

Cycle Instructor

Background:

• Career: Executive Director, Program Management, Raytheon (1984- retired 30 June 2017)
• Degrees: BA – Secondary Math Education, Coaching – 1983, MS – Applied Math – 1992
• Collegiate athlete – cross country, track middle distance – national qualifier 1500M
• Sponsored athlete – Reebok team, 1985-1995, Runners Roost team: 1995-2016
• Family – Married 31 years, 3 adult daughters

Running accomplishments:

• Colorado Running Hall of Fame Inductee – Apr 2019
• Pikes Peak Ascent – 4-time winner, course record holder, 28-time finisher
• Mount Evans Hill Climb – 3-time winner, course record holder
• Mount Washington- 3-time winner, course record holder, 2013 Hall of Fame inductee
• PRs: 5K 16:55, 10K 33:50, Half marathon 1:11:30, Marathon 2:40:45

Triathlon accomplishments:Age Group podium finisher, Sprint, Olympic, 70.3, 140.6

• 2011 Ironman Coeur d’Alene – First Ironman at age 50 – 13:18
• 2012 Ironman Wisconsin – 5^thAG; 12:19
• 2014 Ironman Boulder – 4^thAG; 12:15 (8 seconds from Kona qualification)
• 2017: AG Podium finisher at St George 70.3, Coeur d’Alene 70.3, IM Canada Whistler 140.6
• 2019: AG Podium finisher at Santa Rosa 70.3 and several local Olympic distance races
• 2015-2019: AG Podium finisher in all 18 local sprint/ Olympic races

Here is the link for the Core X Workout that we talked about at today’s meeting:  Core X by Jay Johnson

Add this to your routine 3 x per week and work up to 5 x per week.

Continue doing the Lunge Matrix, Lunge Matrix , before your runs.