Wally!!

[jsglow]

Interesting discussion.  I've enjoyed both volleyball and soccer in person so I guess that makes me well rounded.  Blue and Gold is working hard to close the gap. Perhaps Wall's success will prompt folks to appreciate the need.  Does anyone know how the addition of lacrosse has impacted the budget?

[Coleman]

Okay, really sorry to hijack this thread talking about track on a basketball message board, but one thing to keep in mind is that the coach can decide what type of athletes the scholarships go to.  Since Coach Allen had such few scholarships, he put most of the money into distance runners.  Even the great sprinter in the late 70's, early 80's, John Rydeski, started out as a walk-on.  Since there was no conference back then, having a well-rounded program with athletes in all the events wasn't that important since there was no conference meet to try and score as many points as possible.  Since joining a conference in the late 1980's, the coaches have tried to develop a more well-rounded program, giving scholarships to not only distance runners, but also throwers, sprinters and jumpers.  If you look at the Big East indoor and outdoor results last year, many points were scored by non-distance runners and I believe they even took 1st and 2nd in the high jump at the indoor meet.  I think Wally might have a chance to win this year.  

No worries about hijacking, this is very interesting, and relevant to Wally, who is relevant to MU basketball, so close enough. Thanks for your insights.

It really is a shame though if Wally has to play basketball in order to keep his full ride. If he wants to play, that is great, but I wish MU was able to give a full ride to an Olympic caliber track athlete just on the merits of his track abilities.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Very surprised our men's team has 8 scholies.  I know in the old Big East we had the poorest funded team.  The 8 scholies must be spread over CC, indoor and outdoor track.  Coach Allen would have won the national title with funding like that in the 80's.

Speaking of Coach Allen.  Sorry to see he passed last month.  In the 90's we would bump into him from time to time at Valley Fields when working soccer games, or hosting the CUSA Championships.  Did not know him, but seemed like a nice man.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/ex-mu-coach-jim-allen-dies-b99408317z1-285730191.html

[Brewtown Andy]

Interesting discussion.  I've enjoyed both volleyball and soccer in person so I guess that makes me well rounded.  Blue and Gold is working hard to close the gap. Perhaps Wall's success will prompt folks to appreciate the need.  Does anyone know how the addition of lacrosse has impacted the budget?

According to the Blue & Gold fund website, the $4.3 million raised last year allows MU to fund 99 of the 135 scholarships that the NCAA allows MU to offer.

Men's lacrosse is allowed 12.6 scholarships, women's lacrosse is allowed 12.  Even if lacrosse wasn't around, MU still wouldn't have enough money to fund all of the allowed scholarships.

[Tugg Speedman]

According to the Blue & Gold fund website, the $4.3 million raised last year allows MU to fund 99 of the 135 scholarships that the NCAA allows MU to offer.

Men's lacrosse is allowed 12.6 scholarships, women's lacrosse is allowed 12.  Even if lacrosse wasn't around, MU still wouldn't have enough money to fund all of the allowed scholarships.

Sorry, the $600k I mention I heard Homer say during the X game.  That was the challenge period over the holidays only.

[MU1980]

Speaking of Coach Allen.  Sorry to see he passed last month.  In the 90's we would bump into him from time to time at Valley Fields when working soccer games, or hosting the CUSA Championships.  Did not know him, but seemed like a nice man.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/goldeneagles/ex-mu-coach-jim-allen-dies-b99408317z1-285730191.html

Coach Allen was a very good man and loved Marquette deeply.  He and his brother Bob are the only two brothers in the Marquette hall of fame.  He coached for 11 years and during that time he was also a full time NML agent.  Coaching at the D1 level is a full time job, but somehow he managed to do both.  Eventually though it was too tough trying to do two full time jobs and that is why his coaching career wasn't longer.  After leaving coaching he still continued to support Marquette athletics and he worked extremely hard helping to raise money for valley fields, of which much of the money was donated by track alumni. 

[GGGG]

One thing going unsaid here is that he must be practicing with the basketball team everyday too.  For him to PR in the high jump while simultaneously practicing in another sport is pretty incredible.

[MU1980]

Somebody posted the video of his 7' 5 3/4" jump, but here is a video of all of his jumps from 6'9" all the way to his final height, plus a little more of his celebration after making the jump.  The crowd was definitely in to it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFeVEswREQk

[Tugg Speedman]

I honestly don't know the answer to this, but how old are the elite jumpers? Maybe Wally feels he can pursue high jump for the next 10-15 years but feels his window for basketball, especially with his brother, is only 2-3 years. If that's the case, I completely understand him wanting to pursue both.

Do what you love now, and if it costs him 2016, maybe he feels he can still compete in 2020, 2024, and beyond.

His jump height yesterday would have put him on the USA Olympic team in 2012 (3 make it) to put that in perspective, if not being the winner of the trials.

http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/U-S--Olympic-Team-Trials-TF/Results.aspx

The above statements are true, but a little bit of additional color is in order (this applies only to Track)

A country can send three participants per event (four if one is the current world champion **).  A country can decide how to pick them.  Some are picked by committee (Kenya often, but not always, does this with its distance runners), others are decided in a competition (appropriately called the "Olympic Trials")

In the United States we have an Olympic Trials.  So to make the Olympics you have to do three things:

1) Qualify for your Olympic trials ***
2) Finish in the top three.  That means nothing else matters before ... you have to finish in the top three in the Trials to be held July 1 - 10 2016 in Eugene Oregon period.
3) Hit the Olympic "A" standard ***

Their is a tremendous amount of randomness and variability to make an Olympic team.  You have to be preforming well in an Olympic year (to qualify), perform well at the trials, not be sick or injured, and maybe even hope one or two opponents are not performing well.  So, if the opportunity arises, you don't say "their will always be fours years from now."  You seize it.


*** = The world championship are every two years, the year before and after the Olympics.  The next outdoor track championships are August 20-31, 2015 in Beijing.  The winner of each event gets a bye into the Olympics provided they are chosen or qualify for their respective country's team.  Some current world champions actually do not.


*** = The Olympic qualifying standards have net been set. The window is May 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016.  You must hit this standard in this time window or you cannot go to the Olympics, even if you make your team via the trials (top three).  While the standards are not set, they are often the same or very close the to the standards to qualify for the World outdoor championship.  Wally's jump did qualify him for that, but he'll have to do it again after May 1 if the Olympics is a goal.

The standards are designed to keep wealthy guys looking for the ultimate adventure vacation ... give a poor country a boatload of cash and have them pick you for their Olympic team.  Then you get to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies, live in the Olympic village for 17 days and, hopefully, get lucky with a Brazilian beach volleyball player.

[Tugg Speedman]

Somebody posted the video of his 7' 5 3/4" jump, but here is a video of all of his jumps from 6'9" all the way to his final height, plus a little more of his celebration after making the jump.  The crowd was definitely in to it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFeVEswREQk

This is great, thanks for pointing it out.

I love the part when the cameraman says "are you freaking kidding me, this is his first meet?!?"

[JakeBarnes]

The above statements are true, but a little bit of additional color is in order (this applies only to Track)

A country can send three participants per event (four if one is the current world champion **).  A country can decide how to pick them.  Some are picked by committee (Kenya often, but not always, does this with its distance runners), others are decided in a competition (appropriately called the "Olympic Trials")

In the United States we have an Olympic Trials.  So to make the Olympics you have to do three things:

1) Qualify for your Olympic trials ***
2) Finish in the top three.  That means nothing else matters before ... you have to finish in the top three in the Trials to be held July 1 - 10 2016 in Eugene Oregon period.
3) Hit the Olympic "A" standard ***

Their is a tremendous amount of randomness and variability to make an Olympic team.  You have to be preforming well in an Olympic year (to qualify), perform well at the trials, not be sick or injured, and maybe even hope one or two opponents are not performing well.  So, if the opportunity arises, you don't say "their will always be fours years from now."  You seize it.


*** = The world championship are every two years, the year before and after the Olympics.  The next outdoor track championships are August 20-31, 2015 in Beijing.  The winner of each event gets a bye into the Olympics provided they are chosen or qualify for their respective country's team.  Some current world champions actually do not.


*** = The Olympic qualifying standards have net been set. The window is May 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016.  You must hit this standard in this time window or you cannot go to the Olympics, even if you make your team via the trials (top three).  While the standards are not set, they are often the same or very close the to the standards to qualify for the World outdoor championship.  Wally's jump did qualify him for that, but he'll have to do it again after May 1 if the Olympics is a goal.

The standards are designed to keep wealthy guys looking for the ultimate adventure vacation ... give a poor country a boatload of cash and have them pick you for their Olympic team.  Then you get to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies, live in the Olympic village for 17 days and, hopefully, get lucky with a Brazilian beach volleyball player.

#brazillianvbplayersformubb #teamwally

[FartyEightHours]

Wow!!

[WarriorPride68]

Kid can jump....kid also averaged 1 PPG in two college basketball seasons.

Will be cool having the bros together, but Olympics trump playing DePaul & Creighton

[Tugg Speedman]

@MUTFXC
Wally's mark of 2.28 / 7-5.75 meets the qualifying standard for world outdoors and is currently the #3 in the world!

[GGGG]

And he's standing on the "motion W" too!!!

[breadtree]

You can thank he drain of womens sports and Title IX.

I suppose you direct all of your athletic dept donations to the men's track team?

[LloydsLegs]

sheesh he is smoove and in the groove; what a relaxed and perfectly repeated form

[brewcity77]

Thanks for the insight, Heisenberg.

[TedBaxter]

I suppose you direct all of your athletic dept donations to the men's track team?

I don't give any money to Marquette or any other school and was blowing off steam after watching the Packers.

[MU82]

Kid can jump....kid also averaged 1 PPG in two college basketball seasons.

Will be cool having the bros together, but Olympics trump playing DePaul & Creighton

I believe Wally is fully capable of deciding what trumps what, but I'm sure his mind is at ease knowing he has Scoopers available to tell him what he should do.

[Tugg Speedman]

Ellenson Named BIG EAST Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Ellenson is the top-ranked high jumper in the NCAA and No. 3 in the world this season

http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/012015aaa.html

NEW YORK – Marquette University men’s high jumper Wally Ellenson was named the BIG EAST Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday after a record-setting performance on Saturday at the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center in the Wisconsin Open.

Ellenson, who was competing in his first meet as a member of the Golden Eagles’ track and field squad, shattered the Marquette high jump record. On his third attempt, the Rice Lake, Wisconsin, native jumped 2.28 meters (7 feet, 5.75 inches) to blow away the competition away by over five inches.

His second attempt of 7 feet, 1 inch broke the all-time Marquette record and his next attempt solidified Ellenson as the highest jumper in MU history.

The junior’s mark, which is a personal best for the two-time NCAA First Team All-American, ranks No. 1 in the country and No. 3 in the world. By virtue of his height, Ellenson automatically qualifies for the 2015 IAAF World Outdoor Championships.

The Marquette University men’s and women’s track and field teams return to action on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Klotsche Center in the John Tierney Triangular at 5 p.m. The Golden Eagles will face the host Panthers and the University of Illinois-Chicago.

[MU1980]

Just so everyone knows, Wally will not be jumping at the track meet tonight at UW-Milwaukee.  It looks like the only other indoor meets he will be competing in are the Big East and NCAA nationals. 

I just didn't want anyone driving over to UW-M thinking he would be jumping.  Outdoors he will be jumping in more meets since the basketball season will be over.  Hopefully I will get a chance to see him jump sometime.  Jumping almost 7'6" is very impressive and would be fun to see in person. 

[Tugg Speedman]

Since we are on the subject of MU high jumping, let's give some love to MU's sophomore jumper Oumaru Abdulahi.

http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/c-track/mtt/oumaru_abdulahi_853486.html

He is from Mooseheart Il (and Sierra Leone).  Last year cleared 6'10.75" to set a MU freshman record.  

While Wally is the heavy favorite to win the Big East indoor track title, Abdulahi is the defending BE indoor champion.  MU could go #1 and #2 in the high jump at the conference meet.

All of a sudden, as Buzz would say, MU is a really really good high jumping school.  But I don't mean this in a negative way.

____

Side story about Mooseheart ...

Judge's ruling allows Mooseheart players to compete, for now

Dec. 5, 2012 1:47 p.m. CST
http://www.kcchronicle.com/2012/12/04/judges-ruling-allows-mooseheart-players-to-compete-for-now/atdy1if/

GENEVA – A Kane County judge granted a restraining order Tuesday that allows three Mooseheart boys basketball players from South Sudan to continue competing until the Illinois High School Association's board of directors considers the matter Monday.

Judge David Akemann made his afternoon ruling after attorneys representing the IHSA and Mooseheart argued their cases at a morning hearing.

Mooseheart had three games scheduled between the ruling and Monday, including Tuesday's home game against Westminster Christian and today's game at Hinckley-Big Rock, a school that reacted to allegations Tuesday that it helped set the IHSA's eligibility investigation in motion.

IHSA executive director Marty Hickman declared the players ineligible Thursday after an investigation, contending Mooseheart inappropriately brought the students to campus for athletic reasons through the African Hoop Opportunities Providing an Education program.

"We are pleased with Judge Akemann's ruling today," Mooseheart executive director Scott Hart said in a statement after the ruling. " ... We greatly value our membership in the IHSA and look forward to our opportunity to present the IHSA Board of Directors with all the facts. Mooseheart has never brought any children to campus for athletic purposes."

Mooseheart originally was assured juniors Akim Nyang, Makur Puou and Mangisto Deng fulfilled their IHSA transfer eligibility requirements by sitting out last season, and the towering trio – Nyang stands 7-foot-1 tall, Puou is 6-10 and Deng is 6-7 – played in the Red Ramblers' first four games this season.

Mooseheart now must hope the IHSA's board of directors sees the trio's arrival in a different light than Hickman during an appea Monday at IHSA headquarters in Bloomington.

"We care about these boys and love them," Hart said. "We'd do that whether they're playing basketball or not, but it is an opportunity to get in front of the full board and tell our story. We'll lay it out on the table, and take what comes our way."

Attorney David Bressler argued at the hearing that the IHSA's investigation already has allowed for ample Mooseheart input.

"The IHSA followed its handbook and its rules, and we hope the judge does the same," Bressler said before the ruling.

Mooseheart, a residential campus that offers refuge to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, has "20 to 30 foreign-born students" on campus, Hart said, including students from Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Mexico and Canada. Hart said in 2011, A-HOPE reached out to Mooseheart about placing the students, not the other way around.

"If Mooseheart was an all-white school and suddenly four African boys showed up and created some type of dream team, I'd say something smells fishy there, but when you look at Mooseheart's population, we're a very diverse population," Hart said.

A fourth South Sudanese transfer student, Wal Khat, participated for the school's cross country team in the fall, winning a state medal that Hickman's ruling would negate.

Hart spoke passionately about the boys' war-torn background, saying their arrival spared them a life of being forced to be "child soldiers" and scrounging for food and water.

"To have the opportunity to come here to America, it's like they won the Powerball lottery, for them to be able to come over and get an education," Hart said.

Hinckley-Big Rock, a formidable Class 1A basketball program that could face a tougher postseason path if the transfers are allowed to keep playing, released a statement Tuesday that indicated H-BR athletic director and boys basketball coach Bill Sambrookes contacted the IHSA eight months before the season started to raise concerns about A-HOPE.

"It was never the intent of the Hinckley-Big Rock School District to attack the student athletes or Mooseheart," the school's statement read. "Our only intent was in gathering information about the A-HOPE program and the basis for participation in IHSA-sanctioned events and activities."

A-HOPE's website describes the organization as a nonprofit that provides "deserving student-athletes a seamless process of obtaining a student visa, transportation to the United States" and access to "an outstanding education."

The Mooseheart trio most recently played in last week's home opener against Leland-Earlville, a 60-45 Ramblers win after which coach Ron Ahrens raved about the way the South Sudanese players have acclimated at Mooseheart, on and off the court.

The boys have said they hope to use their basketball prowess as a way to bolster their chances to attend college in the United States.

“Them being on the floor is extremely important to them, and it’s extremely important for us to have them on the floor because that helps them develop a lot of things that we believe in, good sportsmanship, handling adversity, all that kind of stuff,” Ahrens said. “It’s been great. They’re easy to coach.”


--------------------

Sunday special
Boys track: Mooseheart's Oumaru Abdulahi puts past behind him, figures he might as well jump
May 12, 2012|By Colleen Kane | Chicago Tribune reporter

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-12/sports/ct-spt-0513-prep-b-track-spotlight-20120512_1_boys-track-gary-urwiler-jump

Perched in the bleachers, Oumaru Abdulahi gazed at the quaint football field and red track at Mooseheart's stadium. It was clear he had found his place within a better place.

"When I was younger I was that kid that people were like, 'Oh man, that kid is going to have troubles when he grows up,'" Abdulahi said. "But people here, they said, 'He can do well. I see a leader in him. I'm going to push him to be the leader he can be.' I appreciate that."

Ten years ago, before the success on the football field and a state high jump title, it wasn't so easy for the 8-year-old to grasp the realities that prompted Gassimu Abdulahi to send some of his children to live at the west suburban school for kids in need.

Gassimu was raising five children on his own after Oumaru's mother died of hepatitis when Oumaru was a little more than a year old. The father had moved his family from war in Sierra Leone to war in Liberia to a bad neighborhood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where it encountered new struggles.

"We were in the midst of drug selling, people being killed," Gassimu said. "We see sometimes them putting the crime scene tape around the houses. We came from war, and it was traumatizing for my kids to see these things. I wanted them to be good kids. I don't want them to be like kids around my neighborhood."

Gassimu learned of Mooseheart, a residential childcare facility for children of all ages. Oumaru followed his older brother, Karidu, to the school with the promise he would be able to play in a park with other children, a luxury considering he was used to spending his afternoons shut in his home while his father worked or went to school.

The outgoing Oumaru often found himself in trouble at his new school. Karidu, a former wrestler who is five years Oumaru's senior, began taking his younger brother to work out with him, and Oumaru channeled his energies into athletics.

Oumaru is a starting running back for the football team and a point guard for the basketball team, but his biggest talent lies in the high jump, an event his roommate encouraged him to try after noticing his jumping ability on the basketball court.

He cleared 6 feet, 2 inches in eighth grade and finished third in Class 1A as a freshman. Last season, as a sophomore, he jumped 6-8 to win the 1A state title, Mooseheart's first boys track state champion since 1958.

"It's an outlet for kids who struggle to find their niche or their place," said Gary Urwiler, Mooseheart's football coach and superintendent of education. "It works well when you're gifted like Oumaru. … Athletics have shaped him and given him additional opportunities that not a lot of us get to experience."

Oumaru suffered several shoulder injuries during the last few years, but they didn't keep him out for long.

Urwiler recalled waking up the morning after Oumaru went to the emergency room for a dislocated shoulder. He walked across the street to find Oumaru on his front porch, lifting weights.

"I'm like, 'Stop it man, just stop,' " Urwiler said with a smile. "So I don't know how much it set him back. He is just driven. Not a lot of things are going to hold him down. If he hurts his shoulder he'll say, 'I can still work my legs, let's go.'"

Oumaru had shoulder surgery after this football season. He missed basketball season, but the 5-8 junior was in good enough shape to clear 6-10 in his first meet this track season and is hoping for 7 feet during next week's sectional or at the state track meet.

He has plans to compete in track at the next level, but his real concern is focusing on his intended major of acting, a seemingly good fit for the enthusiastic young man who befriended and took photos with his competitors at the 2011 state meet, according to track coach Curt Schlinkmann. He is considering Indiana, UCLA, DePaul, Iowa and North Carolina for the next stop on a journey he is glad his father had the foresight to start for him.

Gassimu, now a nursing assistant living in Raleigh, N.C., said he's proud of the sports feats of his son, whom he sees on vacations from school.

"My dad always tells me, 'A fool falls down and stays down on the ground, but a wise man gets back up,' " Oumaru said. "I have made many mistakes. I'm not perfect. But to get back up and correct my mistakes, and to be self-motivated, that's the proudest thing I've done."

[muwarrior69]

Kid can jump....kid also averaged 1 PPG in two college basketball seasons.

Will be cool having the bros together, but Olympics trump playing DePaul & Creighton

If he can rebound I don't care how many points he scores.... and his basketball scholarship is allowing him to jump with athletes that have sponsors paying for their training.

[77ncaachamps]

"to blow away the competition away by over five inches."

yep. thats pretty darn significant in high jumping.

talk about raising the bar for his competition.