Even More Talk On The Gazette Relays

Even with a preview article in The Daily Mail and a pretty extensive run-down in the previous post, I still didn't include all the material I collected about the Gazette/Friends of Coal Relays.

Below are some extraneous quotes I wanted to share for there was no other room to use them.

David Bailey, Winfield girls track coach 
-on significance of running Gazette Relays in preparation of state meet, which is at Laidley Field like Gazettes
“They have the same schedule. I think that’s the big thing there. The kids get used to the schedule, the same as the state meet. That’s big.”

-on team's youth
“I don’t have a lot of seniors, but the seniors I do have are starting to show great leadership, starting to step up and help the young kids, so now you’re starting to see the fruits of what they’ve been doing, and I think that’s a big difference right there. They’re really producing.”

-on biggest takeaway in racing at Gazettes
“My kids are just doing a great job and I’m excited about the Gazette Relays for them. It will make a difference.”

-on his team's No. 5 ranking in the state, according to www.runwv.com
“I blow that off, to be honest with you. It’s great motivation for my kids, but...
“At least they know where they stand and know what they have to do, so when they set those goals out there it makes a big difference for them, it really does. It gives them something to go for.”

Jason Henley, Hurricane distance coach
-on team's approach to training with just a few weeks left in the season
“We are the point now with the distance runners we’re starting to back off mileage a little bit, with the sprinters and the jumpers and the field event people, we’re starting to pretty much fine tune across the board and just get ready to be able to lay it down when it matters. We always talk about peaking when it counts, and that’s the goal for these last three weeks.”

-on team's balance
“We’re pulling points from everywhere. When you look at where our points came from in that meet Friday night (at the Winfield Classic), it was all across.”

-on Gazette Relays field of competition
“You’re taking your best of the best and putting it up against everyone else’s best of the best.”

John Bonecutter, Poca track coach
-on significance of Gazettes
“The Gazette helps you gauge where you’re at. It’s kind of the preview of the state meet, because most of the teams from all around the state, even the teams up north like Fairmont Senior, East Fairmont, North Marion, Berkeley Springs, teams that you’re not going to see up north, they normally come to Gazettes, so you normally get to see everybody that you’re going to see at states, with the exception of a few, but for the most part you’re going to see everybody at Gazettes that you’re going to see at states.”

Jared Smith, Capital cross country coach
-on Gazettes
“It’s always been a prestigious meet, a lot of fast people and this gives a chance, for the kids, going into the postseason to see where they’re at with their abilities.”

-on what he told his runner Marshall Sharp about Gazette Relays
“I said we’re going to go out there and show the state of West Virginia what we’re all about.”

-on team's hard work
“Their hard work will pay off in the end. I don’t care what they do at the beginning of the season. I care about what they do that the end, because that’s where it matters the most.”