Head coach Kathleen Raske of the Sacramento State track and field team was honored as the women’s Big Sky Conference indoor track Coach of the Year.
The women’s indoor team won the Big Sky championship Feb. 27, which marked the sixth time a track and field team won a Big Sky title under Raske. The men won the indoor titles in 2007 and 2008 while the women won the indoor and outdoor titles in 2008 and the indoor title in 2009.
It was also the ninth time Raske had been named coach of the year in her conference (three times at Central Michigan University and six times as a Hornet).
She has also sent several athletes to the NCAA national championships, including Ronald Brookins, Renisha Robinson and Lea Wallace. Wallace was the first Hornet to score at the NCAA finals, finishing in eighth place on Saturday.
Raske’s dedication as a coach has improved the track and field program significantly. The coach of the year award is commonly awarded to the coach who brings his or her team to a championship victory.
Assistant coach Jeff Magley said Raske’s connection with the team has grown strong over the duration of the season.
“She is extremely passionate about her athletes and about the sport of track and field,” Magley said. “She’s a very caring and passionate person when it comes to her athletes and I think she portrays that with everyone that comes across her. She has a strong connection with her athletes academically, athletically and personally.”
Sophomore undeclared major and track athlete Blair Wallingford said Raske’s interaction with the student-athletes positively impacts their performance on the track.
“When she coaches you, you want to listen what she has to say,” Wallingford said. “In the airport she’ll say, ‘You can do it, you’re going to have a good weekend I feel it.’ Just her saying stuff like that really helps. It makes us feel like we’ve already done a good job. You’re going to want to try harder and do better for her.”
Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said he is proud of the hard work Raske has put into the program since her arrival.
“She’s done a marvelous job of taking a program that was struggling and she has really created a dominant track program within the Big Sky Conference,” Wanless said. “So we’re very pleased and excited with what she’s done for the track and field program.”
Magley said even though the award was expected to go to Raske, it was still well deserved.
“There’s kind of an unwritten policy that the team that wins the conference championship, their head coach is awarded coach of the year. So it’s certainly an honor for her,” he said. “I think once our team performed at that level, that was kind of expected that she would be coach of the year.”
Wanless said Raske’s determination to help the students on and off the field has caused her to be successful.
“She’s a great teacher is how I would describe her,” he said. “She knows the sport, being that she was a very successful athlete herself. She’s been recognized and honored to be a part of a USA track and field national team so she’s well respected by her peers and student athletes. She’s the whole package. She has the ability to get kids to achieve goals that they sometimes can’t do on their own but through proper coaching they get it done.”
Magley said Raske has a bond with her athletes on more than just a surface level.
“She does a really great job of just having a personal relationship with the athletes as much as possible beyond the track,” he said. “She has a very caring heart and she cares way beyond what just happens on the track. So she has a great interaction with the student athlete.”
With her outstanding coaching qualities, sophomore business major Sam Schur said Raske’s award was not a surprise.
“She really knows what she’s talking about,” Schur said. “Especially in the hurdles and the high jump, she helps us out. If you don’t feel good that day she’ll tell us to take a few off, ‘cause she’ll make sure we feel good on the days that count. I wasn’t surprised when she won the award.”
Wanless said Raske’s strong devotion to the program has helped with the improvement of the track and field program.
“The thing that has always impressed me most with her has been her commitment to excellence. She is very driven to be successful. She has worked hard and recruits student-athletes to fit who we are here at Sacramento State,” he said.
Raske said her goal is to be competitive in conference.
“First goal is always to be dominant in the Big Sky and win,” she said. “The second goal is to send as many athletes to the national championships as possible, then to get those athletes that go on to score at the nationals and be top eight in their events.”
Wanless said Raske helps the students to be role models.
“They do very well academically, and obviously they do very well athletically. We think that those are two ingredients that have to match each other in order to represent what our university is all about,” Wanless said.
Ashely O'Con can be reached at aocon@statehornet.com
Be the first to comment on this article!