Flames build season onyear-round hard work

Hard work. Structureddiets. Hard work. Total dedication. Hard work Year-round, neverceasing training. Hard work. Liberty Men's Track andField

"Thosenot willing to take the work and dedication are eliminated." Bill Gillespie, head coach,statessimple fact. Gillespie wants his team to remember him forone thing:He worked them hard.

Gillespie, pre-season, said the 1986 Flameswereayoung, but strong team. They were the bestteam instrength Liberty ever had He feltthey had definite potential for national competition

Mark Winyard,tenth in Division II Nationals lastyear,was the number one returning thrower According toGillespie, he could be the best thrower in Division IIby next year Winyard, alongwith Matt Phillips,a potential national qualifierinthe javelin, appear to be the strength of the weight men.

Most of the runners were young but seasoned forcompeting against top-level athletes, he said He expected Trevor Straughn to qualify in the 1986 Nationals inthe800

HesaidDoug Holiday, who was .01 of a second from the Nationals in 1985, and Greg Vaughn, NCAA All-American, weretherunners withmost potentialon this year'steam.

Hesaid training neverceases in Track and Field Throwing techniques can be lost so quickly and runners can lose their condiitonif thehard work isnot doneconsistently.

Gillespiesummed up hispurposefor workingwith theteam by saying, "It's a disappointment that, inthe South, Track and Field is not recognizedas a powerful sport.

"In theOlympic Games,one ofthe most dominant athletic events worldwide, Track and Fieldisthekey

"Ifthe UnitedStates wants to continuetoperform atthetop level, thenwe need to beable to train athletes at thecollegiate leveland beyond

"And ifthe other atheltic teamshere (at Liberty) want to become Divison I, then the schoolis going tohave to supportthe Track and Field team sothatwe can feed the other athletic teams with athletes with even greaterpotential."