Ex-General Buckwalter reflects back on ‘experience’ at nationals

  • brian questel
  • June 22, 2011
  • 378
                        
060611 buckwalter promo: WHS grad Jake Buckwalter member of Tiffin University relay team that competed in Div. II Track nationals Ex-General Buckwalter reflects back on ‘experience’ at nationals By Brian Questel Jake Buckwalter could always run and run well. A member of a pair of school record-setting and state qualifying relay teams in high school, the Wooster High grad is still running well and taken his performance to a bigger stage. As a member of the Tiffin University track and field team this past spring, Buckwalter advanced to the NCAA Division II National Track and Field Championships, which were held at California State-Stanislaus at the end of May. Tiffin qualified its 4x100 sprint relay team to compete among the nation’s elite. The end result wasn’t what Buckwalter and his teammates were hoping for, as a baton exchange outside the zone resulted in their disqualification, but dreams for 2012 are alive as the four members of the team that competed in California return intact. Buckwalter, who spent his first college semester at Liberty, transferred to Tiffin and hasn’t regretted the return to Ohio. Buckwalter, who will be a senior at Tiffin this coming school year, is majoring in middle-school math and science and hopes to teach. While focused on his education, he has remained a vital part of the Tiffin track team. “I visited Tiffin at the break (of his freshman year) and talked to the track and soccer coaches … and I liked it,” said Buckwalter, reflecting on his decision to transfer. “I played soccer one year and I didn’t get a whole lot of playing time,” said. “I didn’t feel like showing up for (soccer) training and missing track, so I only played soccer my sophomore year. You can play both, but to be competitive in both is another thing.” The Dragons were certainly competitive this spring with its short-sprint relay, but they were literally down to their last chance to make nationals with a provisional time. Going to one of the “Last Chance” meets located regionally around the country, Tiffin made a huge improvement. “What happened was we qualified at a last chance meet after conference,” said Buckwalter. “We needed that. After conference, we had run a 41.07, which was sitting 18th in the nation. We had to run a better time because a lot of teams were around 40.6. Luckily we ran under that (40.54) and we were sitting eighth (nationally) after the last-chance meet.” The only downside was that the Dragons went to nationals with a relay change, which may have proved costly in the long run. “The guy who had been our anchor had to work, so we switched out our anchor leg,” said Buckwalter, who runs the 100 (10.80) and 200 (21.54) as well for Tiffin. “As far as times, I had the second-fastest time with 10.80 and our anchor ran a 10.67 at conference. Another guy has gone 10.82 and another went 10.87 at conference. I’m second in the 100; in the 200 I’m third or fourth as we have a 21.7 and couple 22 flats. We have one guy in front and for the other three it depends on the day who runs faster.” Nationals proved “an experience” for Buckwalter. “You can’t ask for much more than getting to nationals and setting some PRs,” he said. “You look around and you’re running against teams that have four guys that can really run. One team qualified four guys who ran the 100 in 10.1, 10.2 and then had two 10.38 guys. There were three teams under 40 seconds, so that was kind of intimidating. I’ve felt that before at state running with some of the big guys … but it was a new experience for college.” Knowing they had to run at their best pushed the Dragons and may have contributed to the team’s DQ. “We made the exchange outside the zone,” said Buckwalter, who tried to shoulder the responsibility. “I didn’t come in quite as fast and our anchor, who had actually never run (anchor), left a little early. That left a bitter taste. It was our last race, and to not even get a time was pretty disappointing walking off the track. It was not fun for the last race of the year. “Four guys went out to run, and when one takes off just a little early and someone’s not running well, that ruins the chances for the team. That 4x1 is hit or miss – you have to take chances to run a good time. You’ve gotta have speed, but if you don’t hit your handoffs perfectly, you’re not going to run good times. You have to work as much on your handoffs as speed.” There is hope for redemption, though. “The relay team that went out (to nationals) is back next year,” said Buckwalter. “Hopefully we can get back out there. … That would be great to do it again.”


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load