Ex-Wolverine Sullivan Looks to Peak at Sydney Olympics
9/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Olympics
Volunteer U-M Coach Remains Grounded on His Way to Olympics
by Rich Marion, U-M Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
It is not rare for a former collegiate standout in any sport to return to his alma mater in some form of coaching capacity, which made it far from unusual when former Michigan track and cross country All-American Kevin Sullivan joined the Michigan men's cross country staff prior to the 1999 season.
What makes Sullivan's situation unique is that in his second season on the staff, he has been forced to miss the first month of the season as he prepares to compete in the 1,500-meter run for his native Canada at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. What's even more rare is that when talking to Sullivan, one would never know he was ranked among the top 10 1,500-meter runners in the world, with a legitimate shot at an Olympic medal.
"If you did not know who he was, you would not find out from him what he has accomplished in track and field because he is not a guy who is going to self-promote himself or boast about his records," states Michigan cross country and track and field head coach Ron Warhurst, who remains Sullivan's coach following his collegiate career. "Believe it or not, one of things he is worried about is how he is going to meet our cross country team at a meet in Maine on October 7 right after the Olympics, because he wants to be there for the guys on the team."
It is this attitude during the course of his Michigan track and field career -- a career in which he earned four NCAA national championships (including the 1,500-meter run in 1995), 10 All-American citations and 12 Big Ten Conference championships -- that makes Warhurst feel he has the makings of a great coach as well.
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Olympics Schedule for Men's 1,500-Meter Run
Preliminaries
Monday, Sept. 25, 10:40 a.m. Sydney time
(Sunday, Sept. 24, 7:40 p.m. EDT)
Semifinals
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 5:30 p.m. Sydney time
(Wednesday, Sept. 27, 3:30 a.m. EDT)
Final
Friday, Sept. 29, 8:00 p.m. Sydney time
(Friday, Sept. 29, 5:00 a.m. EDT)
TV coverage on CBC (live) and NBC network (tape-delayed)
• • •
"Kevin led by example all the time and was a great captain at Michigan. People tended to be in awe of him until they got to know him and realized he was just a genuinely good person," explained Warhurst. "The way he carried himself as an athlete and the way carries himself as a coach now tells me that he would be a great coach. He has his degree in engineering, but I think he has it in him to be a coach because he is so meticulous in everything he does."
Although Warhurst has aided in Sullivan's development as a runner from a technical standpoint, it is another facet of their relationship that Sullivan, who owns the Michigan 1,500-meter record (3:35.19), cites when talking about his coach. "Ron has been a great motivator and supporter, but he has also been great as just an everyday friend because I know I can come in Ron's office and talk to him about anything," said Sullivan. "He also has a very open mind as a coach, which allows us to both throw ideas out there and work from there. It is that quality that has made our coach-athlete relationship excellent."
While their relationship now includes a coach-to-coach aspect, not much has changed and that is just fine with Sullivan. "Coaching with Ron is a lot like it was when I was an athlete in the sense that there is a lot of give and take," stated Sullivan. "I love the fact he allows me a small hand in what our team does in its everyday workouts. Overall, I enjoy coaching and it was a great experience that I look forward to doing again this year."
Before Sullivan can continue his coaching career at the school he loves, he has a date in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 24 that needs to be taken care of first. "I don't look at myself as a legitimate medal contender. I guess the goal and focus for me right now is to get to the Olympic finals and then let the chips fall where they may," explained Sullivan.
While garnering an Olympic medal is not Sullivan's focus, he admits it would be a nice exclamation point to a great career. "Yeah, winning a medal would be a culmination of a lot of years of work. It would make up for a lot of the injuries I have had over the years," states Sullivan. "However, winning a medal is not a do-or-die thing for me. As long as I leave that track in Sydney knowing I gave 100 percent and competed to the best of my abilities, that will mean everything to me."
Regardless of the fact that the Olympics are halfway around the globe, Sullivan can't help but think back to his days at Michigan, which helped shape him into one of the top 10 milers on the planet. "I had a great group of guys to train with while I was in college and that enhanced my development. But that is always going to be the case at Michigan, because Ron has put together one of the best distance programs in the nation over the past quarter of a century," said Sullivan. "You know when you come to Michigan you will be training with the best."
Training with the best is a theme not lost on Warhurst as he attempts to lure the top high school distance runners in the nation to Ann Arbor. "Kids now, if they come to Michigan they will have the opportunity to work, learn and train with one of the top five or so milers in the world right now. They know Kevin will be here as a cross country coach at Michigan for the next four years while he trains and that is a big lure for kids," remarked Warhurst.
"It gave me a tremendous feeling when Kevin decided to settle down here in Ann Arbor with his wife and train with me after his college career was over. There may be a perception out there that the weather in Michigan does not allow you to train a world-class track athlete, but here is Kevin, one of the best milers on the planet, training in Ann Arbor."
While Warhurst's focus has centered on his cross country program this fall -- a program that has won two of the last three Big Ten championships and enjoyed several top-10 NCAA finishes under his guidance -- the coach's thoughts can't help but turn to Sydney, Australia, from time to time. "I know Kevin does not get caught up in thinking about winning a medal, but he has been on the verge of breaking through on the international scene for some time now," explained Warhurst. "The chief reason he is breaking through right now is that he has been healthy for about 18 straight months for the first time in a long time. He did not make the finals of the 1,500-meter run at the World Championships last summer and ever since then, something just clicked in him."
Clicking in is an understatement when you consider that Sullivan ran a personal-best 3:31.71 at a meet in Rome on June 30, yet felt he still had much room for improvement. "We are looking for me to peak in late September and I recently ran a 3:31, but I did not feel I was in shape to run a 3:31," said Sullivan. "I was looking at running just a 3:32 or 3:33 at that meet so I feel there is a lot of room for improvement."
Just how much improvement is needed for Sullivan to bring a medal back home to Ann Arbor will be answered next week when he goes head-to-head against the best in the world. The 1,500-meter preliminaries begin at 7:40 p.m. EDT on Sunday (Sept. 24) with five heats. The semifinals are Wednesday, Sept. 27 (3:30 a.m. EDT), while the final will take place on Friday, Sept. 29 (5 a.m. EDT).
Whatever happens at the Olympics, Warhurst will be right there with his prize pupil because, as Warhurst puts it, "My mind is in his mind and his mind is in my mind."
Sullivan's Sydney Results
9/25/00 - 4th in Heat 2 (3:40.80), advances to semifinals
9/27/00 - 2nd in Semifinal 1 (3:39.66)
9/29/00 - 5th in Final (3:35.50)
