Event: Woody Wilson Classic
Where: Toomey Field
When: Saturday 9 a.m. (field); 10:45 a.m. (track)
Who to watch: Coming into his senior season, things were looking good for distance runner K.C. Cody.
He led the team last year in the 10,000m, and was No. 2 at 3,000m and 5,000m. This fall, he became the first Aggie to earn All-Big West Conference cross country honors by finishing eighth at the conference championships.
Then he got hurt.
Now, things are finally rounding back into shape. On Monday, Cody was finally able to get back on the track – the first time distance coach Drew Wartenburg ever saw him there. On Saturday, he will open up his season with the 5,000m, which will begin at 4:40 p.m. And he has no idea what to expect.
“I may not even race if my Achilles acts up,” Cody said. “I may not complete the race if my Achilles acts up. I may not complete the race by design – run 3,000m hard as opposed to the full 5,000m. I may complete the race and totally shamble.“
Of course, there is one other possible outcome:
“I may complete the race,” he said, “and qualify for conference.“
To find out, Aggie fans will have to show up and see for themselves.
Did you know? If you’ve ever gotten onto a bike or an elliptical at the ARC that was surrounded by a puddle of sweat, odds are you just missed an injured distance runner.
While many others may take time off when hurt, the Aggie distance crew just trains harder. This is such a part of their culture that they even have a Facebook group dedicated to their achievements: the Stationary Hall of Fame.
Preview: For the UC Davis seniors, this will be their last home meet of their careers. And it is going to be big.
“We have 20 or so schools signed up, mostly from Northern California, and a lot of unattached athletes,” said coach Jon Vochatzer. “It’s a really big meet in Northern California and plays a really big role for our seniors.“
Former Aggie greats have been known to return to town just for this event, with a notable example being Jeff Billing. The school record-holder in the long jump has won that event the last two years. He won the 100m last year and 200m the year before.
“It’s kind of a highlight for a lot of alumni and folks in the community,” said Vochatzer. “It’ll be a fun, well-contested meet.“
–Alex Wolf-Root
