Nevada Holiday Distance Summit
Reno, Nevada January 3-4, 2007

Hear from a super group of
College Coaches during
Winter Vacation in Nevada

     
Kirk Elias (Univ Nevada) - Gary Wilson (Univ Minnesota)
Pete Dolan (UCSB) - Louie Quintana (Arizona State)
Great speaking crew during winter break in Reno, Nevada!!

Probably lost as you were caught up in all your late October, turn into November rush of the season was the fine second place effort by the University of Nevada/Reno Women's program in the Western Athletic Conference Championships, with frosh Amanda Moreno (Escalon HS) running #2 in sixth place for the Wolfpack squad!  Coach Kirk Elias still has a bit to his fall season to go with NCAA level action, but after that he has put together a super clinic during the winter holiday period in the Reno area that features a great group of Collegiate coaches. 

Gary Wilson (University of Minnesota), Pete Dolan (UCSB), and Louie Quintana (Arizona State) all have super programs and help to make up the faculty at the January 3-4 clinic at John Ascquaga's Nugget which is one of the larger hotel/casinos in the Reno-Sparks area.  We asked Kirk some questions about the clinic below which sounds as if it would be a super experience for the state's high school coaches during the holiday period. 

1) What is the background to the clinic that you will be putting on in the Reno area in early January?

I have wanted to put on a high quality clinic where high school coaches could really get in-depth information on the middle and long distances. The idea was to schedule the clinic at a time when coaches might have a day or two on either side to make a bit of a vacation out of it and enjoy the Reno area.

I also wanted speakers who would really go in depth. I have attended too many clinics that give those attending one or two speakers on the distances, or where speakers talk in generalities. With the speakers we were able to get, high school coaches will be able to get a great deal of fresh information from coaches who approach the game with different perspectives.

2) Tell us a little background on the staff that you have chosen--

This is a great group of clinicians! At the time I am writing this, the three coming in from outside Nevada have their cross country teams ranked 6th (Gary Wilson-Mn), 7th (Pete Dolan UC-SB), and 8th (Louie Quintana-Az St) nationally in the women's poll. Pete's men are also ranked 22nd.

Between the group they have had a wealth of All Americans on the track. I think we are looking at almost 90 years of coaching experience in this group of four. I know that two of the four cut their proverbial coaching teeth at the high school level so can speak to the reality of working at that level. This is a group of coaches that know their craft and can communicate effectively.

Perhaps most importantly, a high school coach will be able to pick up ideas from collegiate coaches with distintive styles of coaching. These guys will not always agree, which will be fun. I can't wait for the roundtable discussion.

3) What is a bit of background on the area that the clinic will be held (clinic site, local attractions, etc.)?

The clinic will be held at John Ascquaga's Nugget which is one of the larger hotel/casinos in the Reno-Sparks area. As the clinic falls into a vacation period for many high school coaches, there will be many options for recreation for those that would like to spend a day or two in the area. There are several ski resorts in the mountains right above the city, for those looking for nightlife John Asquaga's Nugget and the other casinos in town have numerous shows, cabarets, and night clubs.

For the distance coaches who would like to try a bit of cross country skiing or snowshoeing, the Mt Rose meadows (30 minutes from the JA's Nugget) are a fabulous place to put in a few miles at over 8500 ft of elevation. The views of Lake Tahoe from the rim are unbelievable.

4) What is the airport and travel situation in Reno (distance from airport, etc. - shuttles available from host hotel?)

Reno is an easy city to get into as it is served by almost all major airlines. The hotel is approximately 5 miles from the airport and shuttels are available to and from the hotel to the airport.

4) Tell us a bit about how your University of Nevada Women's team did this past season?

Last track season we had an All American in the mile (Kali Baker), brought in the best distance recruiting class in school history this fall, and in cross country moved from a tie for fifth in the WAC in '05 to a close second in '06. The team feels like it is starting to build some major momentum for the future. It is an exciting time to be at Nevada!

Clinic Flyer