Below is the tale of events at the NCAA’s in 2000, told by Coach Gary Towne.
[Jenny Spoon (Sr) from West Valley High in Cottonwood, CA. (Mt Hood JC),
(Azusa Pacific) (Chico State) Yes she's been everywhere... Qualified for Nationals in 3 different events this season and would compete (though reluctantly) in the 1500, 3,000, and 5,000.]
Thursday: Competition started on Thurs. and continued on Friday and Saturday. Competing on Thurs. would be Jenny in the 1500 trials. Conditions were hot and muggy all day and we were unsure of how this would affect the performances for the distance kids but of course everyone had to deal with it so we moved on to figuring out race plans for each. Jenny would be up first with her trial race in the women's 1500m. Having broke our school record at the conference championships a few weeks previous with her 4:34 effort the plan was to be as controlled and efficient as possible, saving energy but keeping in the top 5 throughout the entire race. This worked to perfection as Spoon recorded a 4:34 for this trial effort, looking around during the final 100 making sure to keep her automatic qualifying spot to Saturday’s final while saving energy for the 3k final which would be the next evening. It's crazy to think of cruising in with a 4:34 but this was indeed the case as Spoon qualified with ease, just off her school record by .3 seconds. Look out everyone, the final should be fun!!!
Friday: Next up was the amazing Jenny Spoon in the finals of the 3,000m. Ranked 7th going into the race and having broken the school record two weeks earlier (9:53) at our conference championships running negative splits I let Spoon know that a faster time would come if she put herself out at a faster pace for the first 1600m. Running through the 1600 in 5:10 in 3rd or 4th place the plan was coming together perfectly. The next two laps slowed for Spoon as she appeared to be in some sort of pain (later she would tell me that she experienced some stomach problems in laps 5 and 6). Several runners made their way by as Spoon dropped to around 7th place. Coming back to life though in the final 800m (2:35ish) the Senior Wildcat earned her first All American Certificate with a PR and SCHOOL RECORD time of 9:46.46 which would be good for 4th place overall. The day after a 4:34 effort in the 1500m!!! Now it was time for a good cool down and attention turned towards the next day's 1500m final and lastly the 5,000 race that loomed at meet's end.
Saturday: Preparing to take the line for her 3rd race in 3 days Jenny Spoon toed the line for the 1500m final. Having the 6th best qualifying time (4:34.52) Spoon would attack the front runners in hopes of earning a top 5 spot and perhaps a new PR??? The pace was fast and furious from the start. 68 seconds for the 400m. 2:21 was the 800m split!!! Ouch!!! Passing Conference Champion Donna Mills with 400m to go and pulling ahead of Davis' Katie Berkes in the same move Spoon moved into third place running away from 4th, 5th, and 6th runners. With 100m to go 4th place finisher (55 second 1/4 runner) Melissa Smith of Grand Valley State (with 4:26 credentials) was zeroing in on Spoon. In a mad sprint to the finish the two would finish in a photo effort that had the Chico contingent thinking that Spoon had been out sprinted by the Great Lakes regional athlete of the year. Jenny's time.....4:32.72 stands as our new school record and a huge PR for the tired but very happy Spoon. As they announced the awards winners the announcers voice rang... "and in fourth place....from Grand Valley State..." YES!!!! We couldn't believe it. She had beaten the Giant (with 55 second speed!!!). Spoon stood proudly just as surprised the vocal Chico contingent, on the 3rd tier of the Awards Podium. Awesome!!! Now it was time to prepare for the 5,000m final in which she was ranked 10th going in.
Taking the weekend one race and one day at a time we met and discussed a conservative strategy for the 5,000m event. The weather was especially humid on this final day and would certainly play as a factor in the final outcome. The plan was to run from 10th to 12th positions trying to move up as the race would begin to string out (as they always do). With an opening 1600m at 5:20 the women's pack held to tradition in not messing around and running honest fast early pace. With 10-11 girls ahead at the
1600 all at sub 17 minute pace I knew the final 3200m would be a death march for some. This it was as the entire field paid the price (including a tiring Spoon) who clutched to the 11th position still ahead of conference champ and fresh Heather Gibson of UC Davis. Running behind Araceli Martinez of Dominguez Hills (conference foe) who had earned her 3rd All America honors two nights earlier in the 10k Spoon looked to be content to finish in the top 12. Knowing that time was running out as only 4 laps remained I urged Spoon to take a chance and to pass Martinez who was tiring badly as well. With nothing to lose Spoon made the move around Martinez and moved ever so closer to the 10th place girl. With 3 laps remaining one of the 3 that stood between Spoon and a third All American award dropped out of the race. (3200m split, 11:05ish). Catching an ailing Adams State runner Mellissa Bouren (9th at NCAA's XC this Fall) Jenny was now 60 meters behind the 8th place runner Sarah Davey of North Florida with 600m remaining.
Being spurred on by a group of spoon wielding crazies from Chico and Davis (yes some 10 soup spoons were acquired somewhere along the way during the trip and were used as noise makers to spur on the tiring Chico Athlete). Jenny caught and passed the very tired Davey of N. Florida. The final 200m of 38 seconds secured Spoon's 3rd All American certificate of the weekend!!! WOW!!!! I really can't express how exciting this race was.
Only those who were present and who saw all three days of action could possibly understand what Jennifer accomplished on the track. I'm still in amazed!!! The weary and ailing Spoon (sore hamstring) barely made the awards presentation after hearing her name called over the microphone from the trainer’s table. Slowly she hobbled to the awards stand for her third picture with 7 of the nation's top distance runners. After the smoke had cleared I realized that Spoon had just missed her own school record for the 5,000m at 17:29 on a hot muggy night!!!
An amazing triple that I will never ever forget. Spoon's season and NCAA meet were "perfect". She improved at each race each time she ran it (not counting trials races and doubles). Check out the progress below:
