What does it take to coordinate the largest collegiate track and field event in Wisconsin? Communication, organization, and an experienced team of troubleshooters who know their stuff is a good start. Oh, and people to sell concessions, maybe someone to run the events might help. Hey, where are these people going to sleep? As UW-Platteville's Athletic Department knows, hosting the 2005 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships March 4-5 will be no easy task.
Athletic Director Mark Molesworth has been through this before. This is the third conference track and field meet hosted by UW-Platteville during his eight-year tenure, which helps greatly in preparation.
"We already have a template from last time," Molesworth explains.
Things aren't that simple, of course. More than 700 student-athletes will converge on Williams Fieldhouse for the two-day championships. Meet organizers planned the event to solve any problems from previous years, but there are questions to be addressed specific to this year's meet; For instance, where do hundreds of athletes go when they're not running, jumping or throwing? With no way of knowing how many entrants each school will bring until the Wednesday before the meet, it's difficult to determine how much space will be needed. When UW-Platteville last hosted the WIAC Track & Field Championships in 1999, the basketball court in Williams Fieldhouse was scheduled to be replaced, and hundreds of athletes sporting spikes weren't a problem. This time, Williams Fieldhouse isn't available, and meet organizers have been forced to get creative.
Pioneer Head Track and Field Coach Jim Nickasch plans to put teams in the racquetball courts and wrestling gym, and to bring in additional bleachers for spectators.
Another challenge is to structure the meet so that events flow from one to the next, and that all available space is utilized. The conference meet is unique in that it's the only meet during which the heptathlon and pentathlon events take place, creating yet another squeeze for space.
"It's almost like running three meets at once," Nickasch said. "The men are finishing [the heptathlon], the women are starting the multi-event, and meanwhile the main event is also going on."
Nickasch plans to run two high jump pits simultaneously, one for the men and another for the women. Once the throwing events are over in the morning, the second pit will be set up so the women can begin high jumping while the men are still going. This change will hopefully hasten the multi-events, but removes precious room from the track infield. In theory, the multi-events will be completed and out of the way of Saturday's activities.
Another change meet organizers made is to distribute awards as the meet is in progress. Molesworth says the hope is to shorten the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the meet and allow schools traveling extensive distances to leave earlier than usual. The challenge with this is to make sure athletes remain aware of where they're supposed to be and when.
Months of planning will come together March 4. On that day, communication will be a major factor in ensuring the meet's success. Organizers will each have radios enabling constant communication and the prevention of problems. Molesworth says the radios will be a great help. As the "details guy" for the meet, his responsibility will be to float around wherever needed, making sure everything from the concessions stand to the events to the athletes' behavior is in line. Molesworth isn't concerned.
"If you have the right people, everything takes care of itself," he said.
The right people are in place. Although this is his first time planning a WIAC conference meet, Nickasch is certainly prepared for the task. He has coordinated some pretty large events, including the Learn-by-Doing Track and Field Camp for high school students at UW-Madison, an event hosting 500-600 athletes. Nickasch thinks the numbers for this meet will be similar to those of the Learn-by-Doing camp. He certainly isn't alone in the task, either. An entire team including Molesworth, Nickasch, Assistant Track Coach and Head Cross Country Coach Tom Antczak, Assistant Track Coach Dan Schwamberger, Facilities Director Curt Fatzinger and Sports Information Director Paul Erickson have been meeting since November bringing everything together for this event. Contacting officials, meet assistants, obtaining the sound system, even arranging lodging for alumni assisting with the meet, are among the tasks with which this team's dealt.
Oh, that's right, lodging. Where will everyone stay? Of Platteville's four hotels, one is booked solid the weekend of the meet, and another is almost full. Meet organizers hope to utilize all available space, including the Living and Learning Center at the Pioneer Farm. Aside from athletes and support staff, Fatzinger estimates 1,000-2,000 spectators for the event.
Fatzinger says overall, this is a massive event, but his job is easy because he's constantly working with his staff to set up and take down different events. What's even better is that everyone works together in a timely fashion, making things easy for organizers. Even the Pioneers men's and women's track teams have pitched in, designing T-shirts and catching details. The WIAC Championship Track and Field Meet may only last two days, but it's an event months in the making. On March 4-5, everything will come together thanks to the hard work of many individuals at UW-Platteville.
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