Idaho's Donovan Kilmartin continues
to reach new heights, distances, speeds, and points

By Don Rich, PennTrackXC
from interviews by Don Rich and Matt (Jersey Guy) Soja at NSIC March 14-16

photos by Don Rich

To be invited to a USATF Decathlon Olympic Development program is an honor for any athlete. To be invited as one of the top 15 potential US decathletes is even more impressive. But to be invited as a high school junior is remarkable. That's exactly where multi-event star Donovan Kilmartin and his Team Idaho club coach Mark Murdock found themselves in December of 2001.

"We both learned a lot," said Murdock. "I was really impressed that Donovan reacted to the program so well. He knew where he fit, and more importantly, accepted where he was at the time."

Clearly though, Kilmartin is continuing his move toward becoming an Olympian some day. As a junior at the 2002 National Scholastic Indoor Championships, he came within a mere 42 points of the Junior record of 3962 with his 3920 effort. All while being sick during the competition. He and his coach felt he was in shape to go after the national prep record set by Bishop Feehan (Atlboro, MA) senior Brian Kelley in 1990.

Then came 2003. "My theme for this year is redemption," Kilmartin said matter of factly. "I want to pole vault 18'0, long jump 25'0, high jump 7'3, run 13.6 in the junior-height 110m hurdles, and break 8000 points in the junior implement decathlon."

He's off to a good start. Until Saturday March 15, the national mark WAS 4,011. That's the day Kilmartin blazed past it to a new mark of 4,303.

"We knew he was on schedule," Murdock continued, "when at a home meet (Domino's Pizza All Comers) on February 7 in Boise just a week before Simplot. He went 8.21 in the 60 hurdles (39-inch), long jumped 24-00.50, high jumped 7-01.50, and 40 minutes later ran the 800 in 2:05.97. Now that was impressive."

At Simplot, he continued to show his versatility with a 7-0 HJ, 17-1 PV US#1 at the time, a PR 8.01 60H US#2 at the time, and a 50.8 400m split.

Then came NSIC. "He came to win every event, and that's exactly what he did." For a time it looked like Brooklyn NY's Darius Gray would take away that goal in the 1000, the final event. But over the last two laps, Kilmartin steadily moved up on Gray's shoulder, and surged past, powering the final 75 meters to the win. Just after the event, Kilmartin walked to the side of the track and shouted to someone in the stands, "only 2:46, I'm so out of shape!" Asked about the comment a short time later, Kilmartin said, "I wanted to run about 2:40-ish, but was too tired. Also I was hoping for a 50-footer in the Shot, but I made up for those points with a PR in the Long Jump (and a US#1 that would have won the open event on Friday). My best so far was 24-0.5, so I was very happy to improve on that by 7 inches."

He also didn't reach his point goal for the meet. "I planned with my coach to score about 4311 points, so I came up just short, but I'm happy."

The stats say it all.

Season PR's: 24-07.75 LJ, 8.01 60h, 7-01.50 HJ, 45-06.25 SP, 2.46.60 1000m

Last year during outdoor, Kilmartin scored 7440 points in the decathlon with junior (not HS) implements.
Also at the 2003 NSIC he was 2nd in the High Jump on Friday, March 15, clearing 6-11. But he no-heighted in the Pole Vault on Sunday, after coming in at 16-0 when all other competitors were finished..

Kilmartin will get his first chance at meeting the Olympic Trials marks (B standard 7600 | A standard 7900) in April at the Mt. SAC Relays. The Trials are scheduled for July 2004 in Sacramento, CA. Early this summer he will compete in the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships (formerly Junior Nationals) June 19-21 at Stanford University, and later at the Junior Pam Am Games, July 17-19 in Barbados.

Murdock has been coaching Kilmartin since Donovan was nine years old. "He wanted to throw the shot put and be a sprinter." But it wasn't long before Murdock, (who has been with Club Idaho for 13-14 years) knew that Kilmartin was someone special. "It became more evident every year in every way, and I realized that I had a lot to learn to match him. I didn't want to drop the ball." So Murdock and coach Tim Severa, who oversees the running aspect of training, worked to become the coaches that Kilmartin needed to improve.

But according to Murdock, "it is the tremendous love and support of his parents, Jim and Carol, which is responsible for his growth as an athlete and person. They have taken us (coaches Murdock and Severa) in as members of the family. It's been really special."

Murdock credits Donovan's mental toughness for the success. "He never skips a workout. And he works every second of every workout." Kilmartin's training includes strength work four days a week for 1.5 to 2 hours each day. He does workouts in the evening. And he does something for training seven days a week, including yoga. He also competes for his high school team, state champions the last three years, doing workouts with the team. During that time he has won ten individual state championships, including High Jump (3 times), Long Jump (3 times), Pole Vault (2 times) and 110 Hurdles (2 times). As a freshman, he was beaten in the 110 Hurdles, and sprained his ankle during warm-ups for the Pole Vault, and did not compete. He'd like to make it two events four years running, and two events three years running, for 14 titles.

Murdock also credits the USATF experience in 2001 with helping to get everyone who worked with Donovan on the same page. "And we learned that we were doing a lot of the right things, which was very encouraging."

The 38-time All-American at all levels (two times on a world team) owns a 4.0 GPA and is bound for the University of Texas. "He'll be in good hands. It's time for us to turn him over to a college program so he can continue to improve."

Murdock, a multi-event competitor himself in college, will miss his star. "But so will the team. He has been a boon for the club, hanging around after practice to help the younger kids learn."

"It's been a fun ride," said his mother.

Watching the record fall on March 15 was something special too. And hopefully, just a beginning.

National Scholastic Indoor Championships