Simplot Interviews with Johnny Dutch and Wayne Davis

While many people were celebrating Valentine's Day on Wednesday, February 14th, I was traveling with Johnny Dutch and Wayne Davis to the Simplot Games in Idaho. The trip was an adventure, to say the least, highlighted by delayed flights, lost luggage, and much time spent on planes, busses, and shuttle vans. But the meet itself was a great experience, as Dutch and Davis finished first and fifth, respectively, in the 60m hurdles.We were also glad to see other athletes from our home state of North Carolina pull off stunning performances. And watching Bianca Knight blow the doors off the old 200m indoor national record was as memorable a moment as I've ever had the good fortune to witness. After the meet, while relaxing in the hotel room with Dutch and Davis, I asked each of them a few questions about the meet and their perspective on how their season is progressing up to this point. The interview with Dutch is directly below. Scroll down for the interview with Davis.

Dutch (middle) defeats Brendan Ames (left) and Terry
Prentice (right) in the 2007 Simplot Games 60m hurdle final.

Johnny Dutch Interview

Question: How did you feel about your race at the Simplot Games today?
Dutch: It wasn’t my best. I don’t feel as satisfied as I felt when I broke the 55 record (at the North Carolina State meet two weeks ago). It was a pretty average race.

Question: But you did beat Terry Prentice, one of the best high school hurdlers in the nation. Can you derive any satisfaction from that?
Dutch: Yeah, it’s a relief knowing I faced one of the top contenders and came out with a victory. But I know he’s gonna work hard to come back and beat me when we meet again.

Question: Can you describe the race itself?
Dutch: I didn’t focus as well as I should have. I was a little too hyped for this meet. Even though I know I was gaining a lead at the third hurdle, I was too focused on defeating my opponents instead of running my own race and I hit the last hurdle real bad. You know, a lot of people were hyping the meet because of the battle between me and Terry, and I let myself get caught up in that too much.

Question: This was your first race over the 60 meter distance this year. Do you see any difference between the 55 and the 60 hurdles?
Dutch: Not really. In both of them, if you make a mistake, it’s hard to recover from it because the distance is so short. So they’re really the same. You have to be really quick to regain your composure.

Question: With the Nike Indoor Nationals coming up in three weeks, do you still think you can break the national record in the 60 hurdles?
Dutch: Yeah, I think so. Based on what my coach was telling me after the final, I was on my way to being close to it. So, if the conditions are right, and I get a good start, it can happen. That last hurdle today really messed me up. If it wasn’t for the fact that I have so much experience hurdling, I would’ve fallen. I need to do more workouts with the hurdles closer in so I feel more crowded. I need to get used to that feeling.

Question: In what way has competing here at Simplot helped prepare you for Nike?
Dutch: Racing top hurdlers before a national championship meet does get you into that position – that race mode that you should be in when it’s time to compete.

Question: In your overall approach to competing, where does the indoor season fit in?
Dutch: For me, the indoor season prepares me for outdoors by helping me with the beginning of the race, because that’s not the strongest part of my race. It makes me work on my first five hurdles; outdoors, I usually start my race at the fifth hurdle. But indoors, I have to start my race when the gun goes off.

Question: Are the 400m hurdles still in the picture for outdoors?
Dutch: Oh yeah, no doubt. Last year I planned on running it at the Penn Relays, but I didn’t get a chance to. I wanna go to that meet and run a fast time, and maybe run some 400 hurdle races in some college meets. Based on that, we can see what we need to improve on to break the national record. I have a lot going for me because being denied last year makes me determined to redeem myself. (Note: at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June 2006, Dutch won the 400 hurdles in 50.97, but was later disqualified for hooking). Plus, it’s a great feeling to achieve success. It keeps you motivated.

Question: Do you plan on running both events throughout the summer of ’07?
Dutch: No, in the 400 hurdles, I want to peak at the Junior Nationals in Indianapolis. Maybe run against the pros there, in the big-boys’ nationals and run my personal best. Even if I get beat, they’ll push me to my best time. The rest of the season, I’ll focus on the 110’s. I’ve never had the chance to do that, and I would like to at the Pan-Am Juniors and the Junior Olympic Nationals.

Question: Any further words of wisdom from the dome of Johnny Dutch?
Dutch: Yeah, I got something: Don’t lose focus because when you do, it’s hard to get back in the game.

Dutch on his way to victory in his preliminary heat at the 2007 ......... In the finals, Dutch dashes for the finish line after crashing the last hurdle.
Simplot Games.

Wayne Davis Interview

Question: How did you feel about your finals race at Simplot?
Davis: I felt like I could’ve done better. I could’ve done much better. But that’s how I always feel after a race. I need to do more hurdle work in practice, and stop focusing just on my sprinting speed. I’ve gotta get my hurdling together.

Question: How did the race feel?
Davis: It felt fast in the beginning, but the start wasn’t as explosive as I expected it to be. Then I kind of messed up toward the end. I went over the fourth and fifth hurdles too high, and that threw me off my rhythm. Overall, I didn’t feel like I had the time I needed to warm up. There were two hurdle heats in the morning and I was in the second one, so I didn’t get much time to warm up over the hurdles.

Question: You ended up finishing fifth overall, and you were the only sophomore to place. Were you pleased in that sense?
Davis: Hell no. I think Simplot should add another round instead of having an A final and a B final. If they had a rubber track, they could do it that way. (Note: The Simplot Games features a wooden track. Because spikes can scrape it up pretty bad, athletes were not allowed to wear spikes in the prelims, but only in the finals. The times in the prelims were therefore much slower than the times in the finals. Also, the top 18 finishers from the prelims on Friday qualified for the finals on Saturday. The top six qualifiers ran in the featured final in the afternoon, while the next twelve ran in two heats early in the morning). I don’t feel like I had enough competition in my (final) race. All the best hurdlers were in the A final. So I really don’t know where I am. I felt like I could’ve run faster if I’d been in the fast heat. I really just felt like I was in practice.

Question: With the Nike Indoor Nationals coming up in March, what are you looking to do there?
Davis: I want to win. Everybody wants to win. Just because I’m a sophomore doesn’t make me any different. I also want to go after Johnny Dutch’s sophomore record of 7.90.

Question: What type of workouts have you been doing in your training up to this point of the season?
Davis: Mostly sprint work, trying to increase my turnover and power. I’ve been lifting weights, which has created a dramatic improvement in my performance. Plus I try to eat healthy because I know if I don’t, then all the hard work I did goes down the drain. I feel like I have more strength, and that I’ve gotten faster, but new problems arise because I have to quicken my hurdling to catch up with my speed. My coach says it’s a good problem to have. He says I’m like Terrence Trammell, because I’m a hurdler with a sprinter’s mindset.

Question: Looking beyond the indoor season, what are your goals for 2007?
Davis: Nothing in particular. I’m just going for whatever I can do. 13.7, 13.5 (in the 110’s). I don’t know what I can do yet. In summer track I definitely want to get the intermediate age group record of 13.83.

Question: What’s it like having Johnny Dutch as a teammate on your club team?
Davis: It helps me. I can take tips from him just by watching him. I used to look up to him a lot, but now that I’m running beside him I feel like I’m one of the guys, and I realize that I have a future in this sport.

Question: You surprised a lot of people earlier this winter with your second-place finish at the North Carolina indoor state meet, where you set a sophomore record in the 55 meter hurdles with your time of 7.32. What did that race do for your confidence?
Davis: That was my first indoor meet of the year. I missed the Eastern Challenge (in January) because my quads were sore. I really expected better of myself at states, but a lot of those guys I beat there beat me last year, so I was happy I beat them. But beating the other guys isn’t my focus. The focus is to get better myself.

Question: At 5’9”, you’re one of the smallest hurdlers at every meet you go to. What’s that like for you?
Davis: I think it’s funny. Guys see me warming up and they’re thinking, “What’s that little guy gonna do? He thinks he’s all cute in that speed suit.” At some meets last summer people heard the times I had run, but they didn’t know who I was. So they’re going around asking everybody, “Are you Wayne Davis? Are you Wayne Davis?” They expect to see some big guy. But when I tell them I’m Wayne Davis, they look at me like, “Huh? You?” But when I beat them to the first hurdle they know I’m telling the truth. I don’t think there’s been a race yet where I’ve gotten beaten to the first hurdle. Once I get my hurdling right and learn to catch up to my speed, look out.

Question: Any last thoughts?
Davis: I have three basic rules on the track: first, I must be having fun at all times; second, I want to be respected for what I do; and third, I have to know what I really want, and go for it.

Davis wins the B final of the 60m hurdles at the 2007 Simplot Games.

© 2007 Steve McGill