“Stepping inside coach Dennis Mitchell’s office, no visitor would believe his University of Akron track and field team was on life support just 11 years ago. On the walls are plaques honoring NCAA All-Americans, MAC individual champions and team titles. But when the coach took over in 1995, the team was sitting at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference, looking up, wondering if success was even attainable.”
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Stepping inside coach Dennis Mitchell’s office, no visitor would believe his University of Akron track and field team was on life support just 11 years ago.
On the walls are plaques honoring NCAA All-Americans, MAC individual champions and team titles.
But when the coach took over in 1995, the team was sitting at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference, looking up, wondering if success was even attainable.
It took hours of hard work in recruiting and coaching individuals, but now Akron boasts one of the nation’s elite track teams.
Some people don’t realize what we have here, Mitchell said.
The Zips’ women have won four MAC Championships in the last eight years. Both genders have combined for 62 individual MAC Champions and 31 All-American athletes.
Throwing coach Brian Forrester describes Mitchell as a workaholic.
He is extremely passionate about this sport, Forrester said.
Senior sprinter Corine Gavin-Hall credits Mitchell’s guidance away from the track and motivational skills.
He really cares about us, she said. He stays on top of everyone and makes sure we set goals for ourselves athletically and academically.
Although he shies from taking credit, Mitchell agrees he wants the best for his athletes. As he steps out onto the track for practice, his first words are, How are you today? How are you feeling? What can I help you with?
The worth of sports is not the number of people in attendance, but the quality of the performance and the athletes, Mitchell said.
Senior sprinter Howard Harris mentioned a time Mitchell motivated him after a relay race in which he performed poorly last season.
Coach told me that next week it would be better and he wouldn’t let me get down on myself, Harris said.
The next week, Harris qualified for regionals.
Mitchell also makes certain his athletes focus on academics. It shows. In 2006, 11 athletes on the track team earned Academic All-MAC Honors from the indoor and outdoor season. So far in 2007, four athletes have achieved the honor in the indoor season.
Mitchell’s life has centered around track and field. He participated in the sport at Abilene Christian University and coached it at the University of Texas and the University of North Carolina before coming to Akron.
In 2003, Mitchell also was a member of the USA track and field coaching staff for the Pan-American Junior Championships in Barbados.
Senior Mike Meditz came to UA because of Mitchell’s reputation as an elite coach of pole vaulting, but the coach had other plans for him. Mitchell saw Meditz’s speed and moved him to the 400 and 400 hurdles. Meditz is now the school record-holder in the 400 hurdles.
Coach knows the core fundamentals of each event, said Meditz. He is a real student of the (400 hurdles).
Mitchell coaches both the men’s and women’s track and field team and oversees the cross country team. His individual coaching events include pole vault, long jump, triple jump, decathlon, heptathlon and hurdles.
Coach Mitchell is all about our program, said senior thrower Randal Hafner. He stresses that we focus on individual achievements as well as what’s best for our team.
Along with the many individual awards, the team accomplishments have come frequently as well lately.
The UA women are the only MAC squad ever to win the triple crown, which consists of a cross country, indoor and outdoor track championship all in one year.
The team has found even more success this year, with both the men and women winning the All-Ohio Championships and Northeast Ohio Quad events.
If Mitchell’s expectations for the future of the Zips come true, one thing is certain.
He’ll need more wall space to hang the plaques.
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