DES MOINES, Iowa — Central Iowa was not always in the plans for LaRon Bennett, the first-year hurdles and sprints coach for the Drake University track and field team. However, when Bennett was looking to reinvent his career and take a larger step into coaching he seems to have found the perfect fit.
Bennett was a standout in the 400-meter hurdles at the University of Georgia and a three-time All-American in the event from 2003 to 2005. After his time at Georgia he continued his track career at a professional level while staying involved in the community. He was a finalist at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004 and 2008 and reached the semifinals in 2012.
While continuing his professional career, Bennett found a new passion for coaching the sport he is so successful at by volunteering as a sprints and hurdles coach at Georgia as well as a local high school, North Oconee. He was hired at Drake last fall to replace a vacancy in a hurdles specialist.
"We are so fortunate to have Coach Bennett working with our hurdlers," Drake head track and field coach Natasha Kaiser-Brown said. "His knowledge of the event combined with his current international experience has made him a tremendous asset."
He has implemented a new training program for the Drake sprinters this year, which has paid great dividends early on. The program challenges athletes physically as well as mentally, preparing them for big races at every opportunity.
The program pushes athletes past their comfort zone physically, while setting a new standard psychologically.
"I look at it as a profession-type system," Bennett said. "The drills, the workouts are similar to what you'll see with any program, but it's how I coach it. I give them scenarios for big meets, 'examples.' I found out through experience that giving them that type of situation causes them to feel a certain type of pressure."
They envision a meet as a practice, with people all around and the highest level of intensity possible. Bennett was pleased with how well the student-athletes at Drake embraced the training.
The athletes saw Bennett as a tool and resource to help them reach a high level. Senior hurdler Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa, Iowa) saw it from the beginning.
"LaRon helped spark motivation in all of us," Yeager said. "He does not allow anyone to just go through the motions, he is right there saying things to you to make you try harder."
While workouts got underway in the Knapp Center Bennett was outside shoveling snow off of the track so that the athletes would have the ability to train outside before their upcoming meet; another example of Bennett's commitment to student-athlete success.
That training and commitment has paid off, with each athlete running a personal best this season and a few standouts competing at a very high level.
"I was not surprised that they did as well as they did because they did as well as they had in practice," Bennett said "I was definitely very proud of them."
Seniors Marissa Smith (Ajax, Ontario) and Yeager both had career times during the indoor season. Smith was at the top of the MVC performance list all season, consistently running at 60-meter hurdles in the 8.51-8.55 range. Her best time came at the MVC Indoor Championships preliminary round, clocking the third best qualifying time in 8.49.
The biggest success story of the season was Yeager, who had never qualified for the finals of the 60-meter hurdles at the MVC Indoor Championships. Yeager continually improved on her career best throughout the season and eventually led the MVC Qualifying list with a time of 8.41 and won the MVC title in 8.43.
Bennett marks this as his proudest moment so far in his time at Drake.
"She had it as one of her goals in the beginning. I knew it was going to be a bittersweet moment but when Sarah crossed the line I was really happy," Bennett said.
Yeager paid back the gratitude, acknowledging she wouldn't have achieved such goals without Bennett as a coach.
"LaRon has been a key factor in helping me get my confidence back," Yeager said. "He is great at instilling drive and pushing you to your limits. He has challenged me to be a better runner and hurdler."
While his primary focus is on his student-athletes, Bennett will occasionally turn the focus back to his athletic career occasionally and plans to give the Olympics one last shot by attempting to qualify for the 2016 games in Brazil.
"I call it my final chapter, four years from now – in Rio [De Janeiro] – that will be my last attempt." Bennett said.
This time around he has a new training program and a new coach, Kaiser-Brown, an Olympic medalist herself.
"She's been very successful in having me lay on the ground for a long period of time after workouts," Bennett joked of the intensity of the training program.
