Building Brevard College Track & Field through Consistency, Hard Work and Family
This edition of #NadoCulture features the 2019-20 Brevard College Track & Field team. Stay tuned to bctornados.com through the Spring of 2020 for #NadoCulture features on all the Spring sports at Brevard College.
BREVARD, N.C. – Similar to every program across college athletics, the Brevard College Track & Field team's 2020 competitive season ended with the cancellation of this year's remaining schedule due to the impact from the COVID-19 virus. The BC Track & Field team continues to build its program on a culture established under the direction of Head Coach Darryll Patrick along with Assistant Coach Jordan Tager and Volunteer Assistant Coach Chad Newton.
Building a Program
Upon Coach Patrick's arrival in January, 2019, his goal has been to strengthen the distance program then move on to other events to ultimately build a complete track and field team. Patrick is pleased with his progress in year two of the process since he began as the Brevard College head coach.
"I couldn't be more pleased with where we are in the process right now," said Patrick. "Our strong suit is our sprint group as evidenced by our results at our first meet but also the year prior. I was pleased with how many throwers ended up coming out this year. We are pretty balanced now with sprinters and throwers in terms of numbers. In turn, we are putting ourselves in position to score points in next year's conference meet. In terms of recruiting, we brought in several distance runners for next year to make us very well rounded covering the distance events, the sprints, the jumps and the throws. Ultimately, we want to be able to score points on every event not just specifically one area."
Patrick, along with his coaching staff of Tager and Newton, are prepared to do what it takes to build the BC into a championship-level program.
"We are building the program at Brevard College and are willing to put in the work," said Tager. "We are ready to build this thing to where it needs to be."
To reach the program's goals, a culture based on consistency, hard work and a family atmosphere is the formula that the coaching staff has been implementing at Brevard.
Consistency, Accountability
Coach Patrick is constantly emphasizing to the Track & Field student-athletes the importance of consistency in training, practices, and ultimately at the meets for competition.
"I stress consistency, day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month," said Patrick. "We spend months training before we even step foot at our first meet. It can be hard for the athlete who becomes antsy to get out there and perform. Most other sports, you have maybe a couple weeks of conditioning and next thing you know you already competing."
"It is critical to be consistent and focused on the end goals," emphasized Patrick. "Of course, we want to see success early on, but at the end of the day we are more concerned with the end of the season. We want to make sure that we finish strong and improve throughout the year. Our main goal is for conference success and to obtain some national qualifiers. In turn, our focus is to prepare for those peak performances."
Coach Tager adds the idea of accountability as an important complement to the notion of consistency.
"We have a philosophy of accountability," said Tager. "We make sure that all our athletes know from day one what is expected of them, how practices are going to be, and what our training philosophies are. It is then their responsibility to be accountable."
Hard Work
Coupled with the notions of consistency and accountability is a willingness to work hard to achieve the program's goals.
"Coach Patrick and I are trying to find student-athletes that are dedicated and passionate about the sport, but most importantly are willing to put in the work to get better," said Tager.
The BC student-athletes agree that hard work is required to reach both individual and team goals.
"Each of us has to put in the work ourselves to get to where we want to be," said sprinter Caitlyn Cloud-Morton. "Coach can't do it for us. He can't force us to be on our 'A' game, we have to do it ourselves."
"We all have different experience levels and different skill sets," said thrower Gabriel Covington. "Some of us may be better at certain events, so keeping that middle ground with each other is important. No matter how hard some circumstances may be, we are all there to always push each other. We all love each other and try to push each other the best way we know how."
Family
That love referred to by Covington is a reflection of a family atmosphere that makes for a conducive environment in a winning culture.
"The student-athletes are away from their homes for four years and we try to provide them all with that family away from home," said Patrick. "We try to bring in that togetherness where each day we are able to collectively share our passion and love for the sport together."
"We are all about a family, uniting as a whole while also cheering each other on individually," stated Cloud-Morton. "We come together in our trainings and we push each other to our ultimate limits so we can succeed in our races. We are always there and available for one another."
Covington cites team meals at the Myers Dining Hall on campus as one of several examples of the Tornados' team bonding.
"To stick together, we eat dinner together after practice which has become a bit of a tradition for us," said Covington. "Some may think this is a small thing, but for us it really helps create the family culture and for everyone to be united with each other."
Character Away from the Track
Away from the track, the coaching staff also brings upon expectations for the student-athletes whether in the classroom of in the community.
"We impress upon our student-athletes to treat each other with respect, care for one another and obviously be good students," said Patrick. "Our goal as a team is to always have above a 3.0 GPA as a group."
"Coach and I really preach daily that they are a direct representation of the college and a direct representation of us," added Tager. "That goes whether they are on social media, out in the community, in class or on the track. How they act really dictates who we are as a team. We want to put forward the best showing of ourselves in every capacity."
Exemplary Student-Athletes
Several examples of exemplary student-athletes who are performing both on and off the field are found throughout the Brevard College roster.
Sophomore distance runner Gavin Morgan (Hayesville, N.C./Hayesville HS) has seen considerable success in cross country and long distance, while maintaining academic excellence as well. At the 2019 ECAC Men's Cross Country Championships, Morgan finished in second place to mark his highest individual finish of his collegiate career thus far.
"Gavin is a great student with a high GPA and loves hitting the books hard," said Patrick. "His work ethic is tremendous as he is willing to do whatever it takes to be a better runner and student."
Junior thrower Gabriel Covington (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte HS) is an Exercise Science major with a minor in Business who has taken upon a leadership role with the Tornados as a team captain. A member of Student Government, the Campus Activities Board and a SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) representative, Covington is seeking a career in physical therapy.
"Gabriel has a great work ethic and is willing to work very hard," said Patrick. "He will spend the extra time on his own to work on his technique or the extra time needed in the weight room. Most importantly, he is a very strong student."
"Gabriel is a very humble with wisdom well beyond his years," said Tager. "He works to pour his entire self into the shot put and the discus to be his absolute best."
On the women's side, captain Caitlyn Cloud-Morton (Lithonia, Ga./Stilwell School of the Arts) will be returning for a senior season athletically. Majoring in Music with a minor in Psychology, she is an accomplished instrumentalist as a flute player. Moreover, she is very active on campus as a member of IWIL (Institute for Women in Leadership) and as the founder of the Diverse Women of Brevard College club. Cloud-Morton has served as a campus tour guide, a work-study supervisor, and off-campus has put in considerable hours assisting at The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County.
"Caitlyn shows up every day and works hard with an outstanding attitude," said Patrick. "She communicates well and is very accountable in her role as a student-athlete. An excellent student as well, she definitely embodies what we are trying to be as a the team."
"Caitlyn is an excellent leader who also excels in the classroom," added Tager. "She is always punctual and always ready to learn. She is an excellent leader who is very effective at reining everybody back into focus during workouts and at practice."
Cloud-Morton effectively manages a very ambitious workload with her studies in music along with her long resume of service positions.
"Majoring in music is a lot of work," said Cloud-Morton. "But it isn't about being busy. It is about building your resume for when you get out in the real world and focusing on what the bigger picture is."
Her music experience has provided her additional benefits.
"My experience playing the flute has taught me so much about discipline and how to socialize with other people," stated Cloud-Morton. "It has also taught me how to be a leader in the community. I get to meet people from all over the world who speak this language of music. I have figured out a way to communicate with people through music and how to apply it to my day-to-day life and in my communications with teammates as well."
Inspiring Coaching Staff
Student-athletes such as Covington and Cloud-Morton have the benefit of a coaching staff from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom bring unique strengths and styles.
Darryll Patrick, the Head Coach of the Tornados, came to Brevard after six seasons as the Assistant Coach at Berea College where he was also a standout student-athlete.
"Darryll is one of the most dedicated coaches I have ever been around," said Tager. "He has been willing to put in the thousands of hours from his house and from the office. Moreover, he truly cares about each of the individuals on the team. He cares about their personal stories, cares about them as students, and cares about them after they get a degree. I think that says a lot about his character and a lot about the program we are trying to build."
"Coach Patrick is a great guy with a great attitude who loves the sport of Track & Field," stated Covington. "He has a very positive attitude toward learning and wants to make sure we as student-athletes have the necessary tools to win."
"Coach Patrick is also someone that you can go to about anything and he makes sure you know that," added Cloud-Morton. "You can go to him and talk to him about anything. He is a very comforting person with a laid-back energy."
Assistant Coach Jordan Tager is a 2014 alumnus of Brevard College who works full-time as a Social Studies teacher at Valley Springs Middle School in Asheville, North Carolina. Tager commutes to BC each day following the middle school's dismissal to coach the Tornados.
"Jordan is very passionate being an alum who wants to see the program grow and succeed," said Patrick. "He sacrifices a lot for the team and is very eager to help this program grow."
"He is such a genuine person who cares about what he does and puts a lot of energy into the sport," said Cloud-Morton. "You can see his passion in his coaching."
The third member of the coaching staff is veteran distance-running expert Chad Newton, a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier for the Marathon in the 1990s.
"Chad has a tremendous background," said Patrick. "I love having him on board to share his knowledge and wisdom."
"Chad is a legend who is one of the greatest running minds in the entire state," added Tager. "He also understands Brevard like no one I have ever met before. The way he knows the trails and the way he knows the way we train is invaluable."
Strong Football Partnership; Dual-Sport Athletes
Much of the BC Track & Field team's success is due to an influx of strong dual-sport athletes with representation from soccer and basketball, but especially from the sport of football.
"One big plus about Division III, is that a student-athlete can easily have that option of competing in multiple sports," said Patrick. "The coaches from the other sports have been great to work with. All the coaches as an athletic department work together very well and we all understand the importance of the student-athletes being able to get out there and enjoy their passions."
"For the football players, we definitely keep them well conditioned while they are on the track team," added Patrick. "They are able to keep their competitiveness going through the Spring and keep that fire inside them burning."
"I love to coach sprinters that come from a football mentality because they know what grit and hard work is all about," said Tager. "Many of them are looking to become faster on the football field so that motivates them to work harder on the track. All in all, it is a nice, natural pairing between the two sports."
On Campus Facility Available to Community
The Tornado student-athletes also benefit from an outstanding on-campus facility – the Frank Patton Track - which is also utilized by public schools in Transylvania County as well as the local community.
"Obviously having a track right here on campus is a huge bonus," said Patrick. "We love to be able to share the track with the community and while they have access to the track, they get to see what we are all about as a track team. We also share the facility with the local middle school and high school teams and can share our mutual love of the sport with the younger athletes. That whole community side of it all is very unique."
"It is a beautiful track with views looking at the mountains and looking at campus that are absolutely gorgeous," said Tager. "With everyone having the track to share, I think it is good from the community, the high school and middle school programs, and obviously great for us as well."
The student-athletes particularly enjoy the benefits of the on-campus location in addition to the track itself.
"It makes it easy to access having the track basically in our own backyard," said Covington. "The campus facilities staff keeps our throwing pits looking beautiful and everything is well manicured. It's all that we could ask for and more."
"It is awesome to live on campus and be able to have everything at your fingertips and less than a five-minute walk away," added Cloud-Morton. "It is so convenient that we have it right there rather than to have to take a bus to a facility."
Ultimate Running Location
While the Frank Patton Track allows for an ideal on-campus training location, the surrounding Pisgah National Forest is one of the nation's most sought after training grounds for distance running.
"It's really the main reason I came to Brevard as a student-athlete," said Tager, the BC alumnus. "I wanted a small college with a liberal arts education that I knew would help me as a student. But I fell in love with the forest. The fact that we have Pisgah National Forest to our disposal with over 500,000 acres of public land and less than ten minutes from campus is unbelievable. It is a runners' paradise with so many trails so accessible. We can also drive 40 minutes and be up to 6,000 feet to do some altitude training. In terms of the east coast, you can't beat it anywhere because of the access we have."
Legacy of Distance Excellence in Ideal Location
While building the program at Brevard College, the coaching staff also cites the phenomenal legacy of Cross Country and distance running success in previous years under Hall of Fame coaches Norm Witek and Dave Rinker. The successful formula used by Witek and Rinker are providing a blueprint for the current staff.
"Obviously, we had a lot of success over many years starting with and even before Coach Witek and then with Coach Rinker," said Patrick. "I have talked to them several times to try to learn what really made them so successful."
"Coach Patrick and I we want to build a program close to the culture, the success and the excitement of what Coach Witek and Coach Rinker did in the '70s and '80s," added Tager. "Coach Witek and Coach Rinker have proven that it can be done here."
First and Only Meet of 2020; Canceled Remainder of Season
With the building of the program under the current coaching staff underway, this year's team only competition turned out to be the Braves Track Classic hosted by UNC Pembroke on March 6.
The meet was highlighted by Brevard's relay team of Jerel Dewalt, Jakob Morris, Jamerial Parks, and Mitchell Yoder which claimed a win in the 4x100 meter relay.
That event proved to be the last event of the season with the remaining 2020 spring scheduled canceled due to the impact from the COVID-19 virus.
"The premature end of the season was heartbreaking for all of us," said Covington. "We didn't necessarily take it lightly, but you have to realize and understand that this is just life. Everything isn't going to go your way 100% of the time. Sometimes we do have obstacles and road blocks, but it is about how you get through those things."
"The message behind a lot of it is that we shouldn't take anything for granted," said Patrick. "We are staying positive. I am telling the team that it is a bump in the road but hopefully it will make us stronger next year."
Message to Senior Quentin Jackson
The team's lone senior Quentin Jackson had his final collegiate Track & Field season cut short due to the canceled season. However, the dual-sport athlete plans to return to the football field this upcoming and then graduate in December with a degree in Business and Organizational Leadership. Coaches and fellow student-athletes praised Jackson for what he brought to the BC Track and Field program.
"Q has been amazing since the moment that I met him and then started coaching him," said Patrick. "I am super sad to see him go but I know he has another semester and will have the chance to play one more season in his other passion of football. From day one, he was very coachable and easy to work with. I am going to miss what he brought to the program a lot. He was a joy to have as a member of this team."
"Q is an extremely dedicated hard worker," expounded Tager. "He knows what his goals are and knows what he wants. He is willing to put himself out there to give himself a shot to achieve those goals. He was fun to coach because he would take that intensity from the football field and apply it into his workouts and his 100- and 200-meter races."
"I really appreciate everything that Quentin provided for me over the past three years at Brevard," said Cloud-Morton. "He is a bright light and is actually reason that I joined the Track team. I really appreciate him for that and I am very grateful for everything that he has taught me on my Brevard College journey."
Staying in Touch
With the 2020 competitive track season canceled and classes moved online for the remainder of the semester, the Tornados have stayed connected as a team via technology.
"We continue to monitor the student-athletes and make sure they are doing OK with their online classes," said Patrick. "They have a group messaging that is being utilized all the time and they are helping each other out however they can."
"We have a group chat and have been checking in on everybody making sure that everybody is OK," said Cloud-Morton. "I know that these are very stressful times and we need to stick together."
"We have been speaking together, checking in and seeing how online classes are going," said Covington. "As a big brother figure to many of my teammates, I am trying to be there for them."
Excitement for both XC and T&F in 2020-21
Meanwhile, the future looks bright for the Tornados in 2020-21 in the sports of both Cross Country and Track & Field.
"I am extremely excited about next season," said Patrick. "With the recruiting class we have so far, we are going to be strong on the distance side. With that, we are sure to have some growing pains being a young team and developing along the way. All in all, I am super excited about where the program is going and in the next two or three years it will grow even more. We are looking to continue to build that consistency and in turn continuing on that success."
Message to Future Tornados
All along, the coaching staff continues to be on the hunt for future Tornados to join the culture of the Brevard College Track & Field and Cross Country teams. The coaches and student-athletes have several messages for the next generation of Tornados.
"Brevard College is made for Track & Field and Cross Country," said Patrick. "With the trails and the people we have here, it is unlike any other place. As your coaching staff, we will try to teach you about life through both Track & Field and Cross Country. You are going to have trials and tribulations. There will be ups and downs. It is a long, grinding season from August through May, but you will learn a lot about life. All the while, we will have fun. If you want to be on a team that likes to have fun while working hard, then this is the place."
"Brevard College is instilled with an amazing community in terms of professors and academic support, there is really nothing else like it," stated Tager. "As the coaching staff, we will care for you. We want you to be the best student-athlete that you can become and we are willing to do whatever it takes to help you accomplish that."
The student-athletes are quick to also point out the institutional support and the family atmosphere at Brevard College.
"If you are looking for a family atmosphere and people that actually care for you, then Brevard College is the place," said Covington. "Whether it is inside or outside of sports, there are people here ready to gear you toward a successful internship or job. They will set you up very well for success in the future. At Brevard College, you have people in your corner day or night to call or email whenever you need them and they will get right back to you. The family atmosphere and the people who actually care about you is why I love Brevard."
"You will never be alone at Brevard College," concluded Cloud-Morton. "You will always have somebody there for you. If you come here, we will most definitely make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible in every situation."
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, or like 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow "brevardcollege" on Flickr for the latest photos from all Brevard College events.
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