June 2, 2008

Don, congratulations on a great track & field meet, the NCAA West Regionals at CSUN last weekend. What was your reaction to Saturday's crowd of more than 4,000 fans that witnessed some outstanding competition?

"I'm still on a euphoria high. We were the only mid-major university to host an NCAA Regional, and this was our second time hosting. This regional was even better than the first regional at Cal State Northridge. This was the largest track and field crowd ever at Cal State Northridge. The event, the crowd, the atmosphere just speaks volumes for the entire athletic program and the university to put together this type of event. Where else can you get 39 Division I schools in the Western United States together at one time on this campus."

More than 4,000 fans turned out for Saturday's competition. Were you surprised at such a large turnout?

"I was not surprised. If this event comes back to Southern California in the next three or four years, and we cultivate this meet even more, and the regional format remains the same, and we bid again on the meet, we'll do a few more things to make the event even better. I suspect we'll have an even bigger crowd next time."

There was certainly an excitement in the air as all the conferences in the West including the Pac-10, the Big West, came together to compete in such a great environment. How did the other coaches react to having the NCAA Regional at Cal State Northridge?

"Several major schools commented how fortunate we are to have the type of facility that we have. The track stadium itself has great character. The seating configuration makes this facility fan-friendly, and a great place to watch a track & field meet. Northridge is special."

Talk about the weather last weekend. It seemed like it was perfect weather for great track & field performances?

"It was probably the best weather conditions we have had all year. To have warm weather with a slight wind contributed to several stadium records being broken. To have several records set says something about how fast the track is."

Cal State Northridge will have a strong group of athletes (six men, three women, possibly the women's 1,600 meter relay team) who will compete at the NCAA's in two weeks at Drake University. How exciting will it be to compete at a venue that has a lot of history?

"This is the largest group of athletes that we will have ever had at the NCAA track and field championships. We'll have a good week of practice. The event is being held where they host the prestigious Drake Relays. The event is sold out. That's exciting."