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NTN Profile: Bismarck Boys TCPublished by
Top Athletes: Brandon Barnes (distances), Alex Neumiller (jumps), Jake Miller (sprints), Nick Nelson (throws), Channing Mann (sprints), Kevin Poitra (jumps), Mitch Bailey (throws) and Jared Connell (hurdles). Team Strengths: Playing the role of the underdog, on the national stage, should come as no surprise from a team from North Dakota. Often overlooked, Bismarck has a chance to come in and surprise some critics, as the low pre-meet media expectations could lead to some big PRs. This squad is strong and experienced, with middle-distance standout Brandon Barnes leading the way. Barnes, along with teammates Alex Neumiller, Jake Miller and Mitch Bailey, will be looked on to score some big points and place well among the other eleven competitors in their respective fields. Key to Success: The key for this team is to score some big points in their strongest events. Barnes has a chance to win the boys 800m event, and place well in the other distance event. Meanwhile, Neumiller has already jumped over the 23-foot barrier in the long jump this season, meaning another PR could place him top two or three in the event. In addition, Bailey and Nick Nelson will need to score some big points in the throws to keep this team challenging for a top six finish. Bismarck has the pieces; it’s just a matter of getting a few PRs to push themselves up the ranks. Q&A with Coach Dave Zittleman NTN: A lot of people don't know a whole lot about the Bismarck program, but your squad simply dominated the competition in North Dakota. Can you tell us a little bit about the program's history of success? Dave Zittleman (DZ): Bismarck High has had a great tradition in boys Track & Field dating back the 1920’s. This past spring the boys won Bismarck High Schools 30th state championship and 7th consecutive dating back to 2004. We have well-rounded athletes that compete in many different sports throughout the year. This past year the Demons also won state titles in cross country, football, basketball and wrestling. We have athletes that love to compete all year long. Our team generally starts the season with 120 boys and we generally end up with about 100 boys at the end of the year. This past spring we had 43 athletes qualify for the State Track meet. We have been blessed with some very gifted athletes. NTN: Your team enters July 2 as a big underdog, ranked 12 out of 12. What are the team's expectations heading into Nike Track Nationals and are you embracing the underdog role? DZ: The athletes are excited for the great opportunity to compete at the Nike Team Nationals. In 2008, we qualified for the NXN meet and it was a great experience for the boys. We ended 14th out of 22 schools. Like any other meet we want the boys to compete to the best of their abilities and work towards setting a PR. More than anything else they are looking forward to competing against some of the best athletes in the country! Great competition brings out the best in our athletes. NTN: Brandon Barnes had a standout year on the track, and turned in some amazing performances in the 800m dash. What is Brandon like as a leader of this team? What do you attribute to his growth as an athlete? DZ: Brandon has been a great team leader for us in cross-country and track & field. He has worked hard to get to his current level and our younger kids have embraced what he has done. This past spring he led a great group of middle distance runners for the Demons. We had 12 athletes run 2:02.8 or faster in the 800m. This past weekend our 4 x 800m relay finished 3rd in the NB National High School Championships in Greensboro, NC with a time of 7:36.62. They ran 10 seconds faster than their previous school record of 7:46.08 and Barnes anchored in 1:48.86. His hard work in the off-season has taken him to an elite level in the 800m. NTN: What have you had your team doing over the past few weeks in order to prepare for NTN? DZ: We have had practice 5-6 days per week. Some athletes have attended summer camps and other competitions, but for the most part it has been business as usual with practice.
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