United Heritage Indoor Track & Field
Meet
February 2nd, 2008 @ Idaho Sports Center
Boise State University host school
DYESTATCAL FEATURED MEET FOR 2008
by Doug Speck - Editor DyeStatCal
Boise State/Jackson Indoor Track & Field facility
Meet Info
Interview - Coach
Mike Maynard Boise State University
Among Indoor meet possibilities
for Golden State prep athletes this winter is the United Heritage
Indoor Track and Field Meet in Idaho, with a Boise State University
facility in nearby Nampa at the Idaho Sports Center. It is
a super 200 meter banked Mondo, synthetic, surface that was originally
used in the Georgia Dome for USA Track and Field Championship meets.
Azusa Pacific grad Mike Maynard heads Boise State Program
Former CS Northridge Assistant Jeff McAuley on the staff now at Boise
State
after stints at Penn State and the University of South Carolina
Coach Mike Maynard of Boise
State, who along with newly hired Assistant Jeff
McAuley, has
big Golden State ties, took the time to talk to us a bit about
the facility, meet, and his program below.
DyeStatCal - Tell
us a little bit about the background to the track itself and the
facility, the Idaho Center Complex, that the track is located in.
Coach Maynard
Boise State -
In 2002, with a generous donation from Jacksons Food Stores,
Boise
State University purchased the track from the Georgia Dome, in
Atlanta
Ga. The track is a state of the art 200m banked Mondo (synthetic)
surface. While in use at the Georgia Dome many world and USA records
were set upon it. Also in 2002 Boise State also entered into an
agreement with a local city agency, Nampa, Id., which allowed the
track
to be housed in the soon to be built Idaho Sports Center building. The
facility can host all indoor events as it has an indoor throwing
area
for both shot put and the weight throw, in addition to each of
the
jumping events. The indoor facility remains set up for practice
and
competitions through mid March each year.
DSC - What
competitions have been held on the track and what is a bit of
history and background to the United Heritage High School meet that will
be held February 2nd, 2008?
Coach Maynard Boise State - Since 2002 the track
has been in located in the Idaho Sports Center,
in Nampa Idaho, Jacksons Track has been the host to the following
competitions: Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships 2
003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
(MPSF)
2004, USAT&F Masters National Championships 2004, along with
many other
top level Collegiate, Open, and HS competitions.
DSC - What do you see for the
future of the United Heritage affair for the
High School age athletes? We see that the meet is part of a weekend
that includes University/Open level athletes the day prior and earlier
in the day before the prep-age meet. Do you see the ability to lengthen
the high school portion of the meet should entries in the future warrant
that?
Coach Maynard Boise State - United Heritage, a western
insurance and securities provider, has
sponsored a successful collegiate and open competition at the Boise
State facility over the past four seasons. The collegiate portion
of the
meet takes place on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The
High
School portion of the meet takes place on Saturday afternoon and
evening. Plans for the future meets include expanding the schedule
to
include prelims along with additional events to be held on Friday
afternoon prior to the collegiate competition.
Last year 2007
witnessed the first year of the HS portion of the
competition. Over 300 athletes competed in the HS portion of the
competition, and 400 in the collegiate portion of the competition.
United Heritage is committed to helping to bring a regional championship
level competition to the HS student athletes of the western US.
Hopes
are that it will become a permanent fixture in the HS indoor season
in
the west, and add to the opportunities that exist to prepare athletes
for the national level competitions.
DSC - I have friends that we visit
in Eastern Oregon and have found Boise
fairly easy to travel to, with direct flights available from the major
California airports--tell us a little about the Boise area, the air
facility itself, distance to competition facility, hotel possiblites
near track, shuttles available, etc.
Coach Maynard Boise State - The facility is located
just 15 miles west of the Boise State
University Campus. Boise Airport provides easy access as it is
served by
all major air carriers, including many non-stops from major western
airports. Boise and Nampa have numerous hotels, many of which provide
shuttle to and from the indoor track at the Idaho Center. There
is also
a Hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites, on property approximately 200m
from the
Sports Center. A visitors guide, and additional meet information
is
available at www.broncosports.com under the Track & Field
links.
Entries for the competition are via www.directathletics.com
DSC - Boise
State has had California as a recruiting base for many years
with a number of the members of your top football team from the Golden
State. I see Nick Cunningham from Monterey and others on the track
program. What do you feel your program has to offer for Californians
willing to head out a bit from the home state in a University and
athletic program? I know you have California connections with your Azusa
Pacific degree, and see where you just hired Jeff McAuley as an
Assistant Coach, who comes from our area with excellent credentials--
Coach Maynard Boise State - Boise State has won
four WAC Championships over the past few years.
The Broncos have historically relied heavily upon California as
a
primary recruiting base. Many of the members of the Bronco
track and
field team over the years, as well as the top ranked Boise State
football teams, have hailed from the Golden State. Boise
State
University offers excellent academic and top DI level competitive
opportunities for those who wish to go away to college, while staying
close enough to home that they can visit home on weekends if they
choose. Both the head coach Mike Maynard, Azusa Pacific University,
and
Assistant Jeff McAuley, Cal State Northridge, are from California
and
still maintain close ties in the state. Campus tours can be arranged
via
the Boise State University Information office by following the
links at
www.boisestate.edu
Coach Mike Maynard
Boise State University
United Heritage Indoor Meet Info
Message
board! Message board!
