Page 8, The News Argus, May, 1982
Mm
Birth Of Two Stars
^ ^ U ' V,
Freshman: Ken Do)vdle
By Ralph McKnight
Sports Editor
So who is Ken dowdle and Vanessa
Smith?
Well by the time Ken finished high
school he was one of the best distance
runners in the country. “He matured
that fast,” stated his high school coach
Richard Prince of Myers High School.
The Charlotte native was the number
one runner on the Cross-Country
team. He placed 21st out of 65 in the
CIAA championship and in the NAIA
district he placed fourth in the 15oo
meter.
Vanessa Smith, a Twin-City native is
a three-time CIAA High Jump
champion. During her freshman year,
Vanessa won the outstanding women’s
trophy at the J.C. Smith relays.
Vanessa ran track for R.J. Reynolds
High School and she attends “State”
on a bsketball and track scholarship.
EDITOR: What type of diet should a
distance runner obtain.
KEN: A distance runner should watch
greasy foods, and cut out drinking
cokes. They should eat lots of food that
has carbohydrates and starches* Each
runner’s weight will be different
because of their height. I’m 6’3” and I
weigh 155 pounds. My coach stated “I
have the ,body frame for running
distance races.”
"I wish more students would
support the track team for we
are like any other sports team on
campus. ”
EDITOR: Explain the feeling you have
when running.
KEN: When, I’m running I have a
relaxing, free spirited mind and my
body is calm, I make sure that I’m not
overdoing it.
EDITOR: Why did you choose
Winston-Salem State University?
KEN: ‘It was the only school I could
get into after I had narrowed my picks
down to three. They\were UNC Chapel
Hill, University of Florida and N.C.
State University. I made my final
choice to attend UNC then troobk
began.
EDITOSi What\type of trouble were
you experiencing?
KENi (The Track Cut). UNC had\two
of theiri eight scholarships cut ba± and
one of the two was mine. So after that,^
WSSU was the only school I could^
into at such a late date.
EDITOR: How do you feel about the
support the students display during
tr^ meets?
KEN: “I wish more students would
support the track team for we are like
any other sports team on campus. We
would like the support next year, for it
will make us feel like we are appreciat
ed for what we do and besides, most
people do not realize the excitement
that’s involved in track and
cross-country.”
EDITOR: In what, ways does your
coach, Virgil Simpson, help you to
^ prepare for track meets?
KEN: “Coach helps me out a lot so
that I’m on tope of the better runners
in the conference. Coach Simpson also
keeps me up to date on my improve
ments in training. In practice he makes
sure that I clock the best time of my
abilities on my daily workout. Coach
makes sure I know my mistakes in my
past meets as well as my
improvements.”
EDITOR: What is your advice for
future track and cross-country
runners?
KEN: “My advice includes a daily
work out even on on weekends. Make
sure that you have a good coach who
knows your abilities with a daily
work-out plan. If your coach does not
have a work-out plan, make one out for
yourself. Make sure that you sprint
three days a week and distance runs
two days a week.”
EDITOR: Vanessa, how do you pre
pare for track meets?
VANESSA: “I practice at least 2 1/2
hours every other day because of late
classes. When I have late classes I
practice 11/2 hours. I start with my
warm ups, then I run three 330, four
220, four 110 and then if time permits I
VANESSA: I’m not really sure
if women should compete
against men. It would shoot
down their (EGO)!
run a couple of laps to warm up.”
EDITOR: What track star has inspired
you?
VANESSA: “Wilma Rudolph because
of the great achievements she has
made and the great example she set
for women track runners.”
EDITOR: What, is your advice for
future track runners?
VANESSA: “My advice for all future
track runners, is to push hard at your
best events trying to improve a little
each day and at the same time keep
your grades up by applying your time
wisely among practice and classes.”
EDITOR: What are some of your
accomplishmnets through track?
Junior: Vanessa Smith
VANESSA: “Through my years ot
track I have had a state record in the
high jump and I have been the winner
of this event for the last three years in
the CIAA. 1 have won the most
outstanding women’s trophy my fresh
man year at J.C. Smith Relays.”
EDITOR: Do you feel that a woman’s
role is any different from a man’s?
VANESSA: “A woman’s role as a
track runner is really no different than
a man’s. It is to perform to their best
and to help the team as a whole and to
improve his or her standards.”
EDITOR: What are your plans for the
future?
VANESSA: “My plans for the future
are to complete my educations here at
State, because I feel it has the best
Business Administration Comprehen*
sive majoring system to offer.”
EDITOR: Do you think men and
women should compete in events
against each other? Explain.
VANESSA: “I’m not really sure if
women should compete against men. I
feel that men would be somewhat
against such a thing especially if a
woman came close to winning. It
would shoot down their (EGO). Men
might say, no, their. (EGO) would not
be damaged, but just let it happen. 1
think it is great like it is and we respect
each other for the accomplishments
we’ve made.”
KEN: When I’m running I have
a relaxing, free spirited mind
and my body is calm.
“A woman’s role as a track run
ner is really no different from a
man’s...”