Dix and Sikes Make U.S. World Championships Team

Solinsky struggles and home-state sprinter Dixon finishes sixth

June 23, 2007

By Brett Hess

Special to CSTV.com


	Brett Hess Brett Hess covers Cross Country for CSTV.com E-mail here!

INDIANAPOLIS - Walter Dix came to the United States Track Championships with one goal in mind: make the U.S. World team in the 100-meters.

Mission accomplished.

Dix, the Florida State national champion in the 100 and 200-meter runs, finished third Friday in the 100. For a man who is obsessed with records and establishing his place in history, his time (10.09) wasn't anything to write home about. But Dix put his spin on it.

"I'm tired," Dix said. "I knew I couldn't win here. I just wanted to make the team. That gets me another crack at the record."

Dix is certainly a big picture kind of guy. He'd just as soon run slow now if it meant running fast later on when the stakes are higher. And the stakes will be really high in Osaka, Japan at the World Championships this August and September.

"I think I can win there," Dix said. "I get to train like a pro this summer.

"No school. Just get up, head to the track, go home and take a nap, and then get up and head back to the track. Just like the pros."

Now before you think this means Dix is turning pro, hold on a minute. He certainly won't turn pro before the World Championships; he'd lose his shot at another record. And Dix is all about records. He set the collegiate 200-meter record this spring with a 19.69. But his 100-meter best this season was a 9.93. The collegiate record is 9.92.

Dix explains how he can get the record in Osaka.

"I just ran eight races (prelims and finals in the 100, 200 and 4x400 relay) in Sacramento," Dix said of the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. "And before that I had the conference meet and the regionals. I'm beat up. But give me all summer to get ready....."

Florida State sprint coach Ken Harnden agrees.

"Walter's had a long college season," Harnden said. "He's done a lot of racing. This summer we can train specifically for one race. I think Walter will improve dramatically."

The only thing keeping Dix from the 100-meter collegiate record is his start. And Friday evening it was the reason he didn't run faster, let alone win.

"He had his worst start of the entire season," Harnden said. "Walter's been doing well in practice, but it just didn't happen today. From 30 meters on, no one is better than Walter."

When asked if Dix's best event is actually the 200, Harnden took exception.

"Walter's best event is 100," Harnden said. "It is at this meet anyway. His best event is whatever he's running. Yes, he has a little trouble starting in the 100. But I think when Walter is all done, he'll be the greatest ever at doing both the 100 and 200."

On the women's side, one of the darlings at the recent NCAA championships was Wake Forest'sMichelle Sikes. The graduating senior won the 5,000-meter run in a championship meet record of 15 minutes, 16 seconds. Friday evening, Sikes' great season continued with a third-place finish (15:09).

"I ran a great race," said the always ebullient Sikes. "I felt really good and just kept at it."

Now Sikes gets to become a world traveler of sorts. Sikes was already planning to leave the country for Europe later this summer, but she'll be needed in Japan first.

"I'm real excited to be going to the World Championships," Sikes said. "It will be a great experience."

As a Rhodes Scholar, Sikes is planning a move to Oxford, England. And that brings up an obvious question. What's an Olympic-caliber athlete doing in England during an Olympic year? When asked if she had to go to England as a Rhodes Scholar, Sikes answered quickly:

"No. I GET to go to England. It's a tremendous honor," Sikes said.

But don't most runners move to Colorado for altitude training or some other exotic locale?

"Roger Bannister broke 4 minutes in the mile and he was a medical student at Oxford," Sikes said.

Point well taken.

Sikes said competing Friday night was a dream come true.

"I was running against my heroes," Sikes said, mentioning winner Shalane Flanagan and runner-up Jennifer Rhines.

"When I was in high school I had a poster on my wall of Rhines running down a country road," Sikes said.

Another recent college graduate and 5,000-meter NCAA champ, Chris Solinsky of Wisconsin, didn't fare too well in the men's race Friday. Solinsky was unable to keep contact with the lead pack late in the race and finished seventh in 13:39.

"I didn't run very smart," Solinsky said. "I made some mistakes and it cost me."

Solinsky, win or lose, is always gracious. As he stood with his parents under the scoreboard an hour after his race, he explained the rookie mistakes in his professional debut.

"I ran in lane two way too much and when I made moves, I went too quickly," Solinsky said. "I should have built into my moves. But it's a learning experience."

Home-state favorite Leroy Dixon fared well in his trip back to Indiana. The South Bend native placed sixth in the 100-meter finals and although he didn't earn that coveted spot on the World Championship team, he was happy.

"It was great being back here," Dixon said. "This is home. I had a lot of support."

Dixon was running on the same track in which he won three state high school titles for South Bend LaSalle and it brought back great memories.

"Yes, it was a lot of fun," said Dixon, who went on to run at South Carolina. "I had a little extra motivation."

Dixon resumes his quest for a spot on the World Championship team Saturday in the 200-meter preliminaries.