It’s not everyday someone meets a three-time, Olympic champion. When Dennis Mitchell visited Loyola to show the cross country and track team a few pointers, they embraced him with open arms.
Andy Canegitta, head cross country coach, plans to reinstate sprinters into the track team this upcoming season and enlisted the help of Mitchell, long-time friend and three-time Olympic champion sprinter, to work with the sprinters over the course of the three days Mitchell had been in New Orleans. Prior to this season, Loyola had not seen sprinters compete in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in over a decade.
Throughout his visit, Mitchell worked with the cross country and track runners from Oct. – Oct. (I’M WORKING ON GETTING THIS DATE) He said he was more than happy to have had the opportunity to work with them.
“I’ve always been familiar with the athletics at Loyola University. And when [Coach] Andy got the job here, he gave me a phone call. We decided to collaborate to help develop this program and see it reach its peak rather sooner than later,” Mitchell said.
Before leaving, Mitchell gave Canegitta a training regiment he wanted the runners to follow which, according to him, will lead to the runners’ success this season.
“As a professional coach I have developed a system of training that has progressed itself to the level of being able to put athletes on the world stage. My training methods and my style and approach to running lead me to this opportunity,” he said.
Canegitta believes the team will have a solid performance as long as his runners remain consistent with their workouts in conjunction with the training program set up by Mitchell.
His sixteen- year-long career and ten-years of coaching experience will be essential to training his sprinters, Canegitta said.
Mitchell’s accolades include seven world championships, an NCAA championship, 11 All-American titles and 14 national championship titles throughout his high school, collegiate and professional track and field career.
“When I took this position sprints were not the main focus. I was trying to develop cross country. I tried to get a sprint man with prior knowledge so I could train the sprinters I currently have so we would be able to educate and train them the proper way,” Canegitta said.
“Dennis has been very successful with his athletes. He pretty much made the process of me learning how to train my sprinters. The margin of error has been cut down to zero,” he said.
Mitchell has left New Orleans to continue coaching in Florida, but hopes that the team will have a successful season.
“I’d like to wish Andy the best of luck with this program. He’s a good guy, him and all of the individuals that I had the chance to work with. They are very motivated kids and I want to wish them the best of luck. I would like to thank this university for giving me the opportunity to come here and help out in any way that I can,” he said.
The sprinters will compete in their first meet of the season at the LSU Twilight Invitational on Jan. 22, 2010 in Baton Rouge, LA.
Carlyn Worthy can be reached at [email protected]
