Gliders begin summer session
June 18, 2008
By J.B. Wogan
Matthew Frerker jogged alongside the slew of elementary school runners streaming past him.
“Smooth exchange!” He yelled, as the children handed off batons in mid-sprint.
“Okay, that was good, but let’s do it again,” he said, calling them back before they strayed too far.
Frerker is an assistant coach with the Issaquah Gliders, a parks and recreation club focused on encouraging local youth to hone their stride on a track or cross country course.
The Gliders’ summer session began June 9, with practices for elementary, middle-school and junior-high students running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A graduate from Skyline High School, Frerker now runs the 5K and 10K events for the University of Portland’s track team.
“I’ve been doing [gliders] since the summer after seventh grade,” said Frerker, a batch of blue relay batons in his hands. “It really helped me advance as a runner, I think.”
Frerker is one of several local runners who works as an assistant for the Gliders. He and his colleagues work on explaining running lingo, improving posture and technique and educating youths on how to exercise in a healthy way.
Other assistants from the area include Eastlake graduates Jessica Pixler and Dan Sloat, Skyline graduate Megan O’Connell, Issaquah graduate Sean Migotsky and Liberty graduate Becky Dodt.
O’Connell, who just finished her freshman year at Western Washington University, runs the 400-meter dash for her school.
“I like it. I love little kids. They’re so much fun,” said O’Connell, who grew up in Eugene, Ore. and did not participate in the Gliders program.
O’Connell’s parents were runners, and they encouraged her to share their passion. She started running in elementary school. Like members of the Gliders program, she competed in the Hershey’s Track and Field meets, regional events held across North America.
“I never did clubs or anything. I wish I would have,” she said.
Thursday, June 12 constituted Kyle Matthews’ first day with the Gliders. Matthews, 10, attends Endeavour
Elementary School. He said he joined because his older brother Drew was a runner.
“I just probably have it from my brother’s genes,” Kyle said.
Drew Matthews, 14, ran for Beaver Lake Middle School’s track team this year. His events are the 400 dash, the 800 run and the 800 relay.
“It’s just fun to run with people you know. And I love running. I love to compete with other runners from around the country,” Drew said.
To prepare for his sprinting events, Drew said he would practice with the Gliders three times each week, with a fourth run on his own.
About 10 members from the Gliders will attend a Hershey’s state track meet at Olympia High School’s Ingersoll Stadium June 28, according to Gliders coach Joanne Hartman.
Another 10 or so would travel to Chief Sealth High School to compete in statewide junior Olympics competition, she said. The top six in each event will advance to a regional meet later in the summer.
In addition to the those meets, the Gliders participate in dual meets with other parks and recreation running clubs every Thursday for the rest of June and early July, according to Hartman.
The Snoqualmie Valley Track Club will come to Issaquah High School for the first dual meet with the Gliders 5:30 p.m. June 19.
The Gliders will also have dual meets against running clubs from the Renton and Auburn. On the final Thursday, July 17, all four running clubs will compete in a combined meet, the last one of the summer session.
Hartman said the gloomy weather in May hampered her spring session.
“Even though it was drizzly, we never had an all-out downpour. But I think it’s put everyone in an inside mood,” she said, adding that she looked forward to better practices in the summer.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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