Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Talk about all other Rhody teams, from Baseball to Indoor Track.
rhodywins
Marc Upshaw
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Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rhodywins »

Despite being a track team without a track to practice on the men's team again won the A10 championships. With fewer scholarships then most teams in the championships Coach Copeland led the team to his 21st A10 title. Also many points were scored by home state athletes.
Maybe some of you football backers can look at this team before you start blaming the lack of facilities for the team that couldn't even snap the ball in their spring scrimmage. Instead you want a stadium built without a track in it. Wake up and back the top Rhody team to get a least a track to practice on.
While I am at it- how come the PR dept. of the athletic dept. can't even get a mention of this honor in the Journal. I really don't believe the Journal would refuse information provided them when a State team wins a conference championship.
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ramster
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by ramster »

Rhode Island's Casey Burley was named the Men's Field Performer of the Year after earning gold in the long jump with a jump of 7.48 meters. He also took silver in the triple jump.
John Copeland was named men's Coach of the year.

http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticle.d ... =211588315
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Hal Kopp
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by Hal Kopp »

Rhodywins-agreed.
I cannot recall ever hearing any FB supporter criticizing track?
The fact that there are alot of RI kids on the team,all that much more reason to build the facility.
I think the new track is part of the architect/engineering review approved by the governor?
I doubt you could build a new track without a new football field? Get the the funding?
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

URI Athletic and Recreation Facilities Advanced Planning – The Governor recommends $250,000 in University and College Funds to plan for removal or rehabilitation of aged and decayed facilities including the Slade Outdoor Track and Field, the Natatorium, and the grandstands at Meade Stadium. An architectural and engineering firm would be engaged in FY 2017.
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rhodywins
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rhodywins »

Thanks for the info on the plan for a new track.
It is interesting seeing a piece in the Sunday Boston Globe about the UMASS women rowing team winning the A10 title. Where is our PR department getting something in the Journal about a Rhody team winning a championship. Maybe Bill Koch will see our comments and write something on John.
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OBRAM
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by OBRAM »

Yes, track at URI does not have an outdoor track (which is unbelievable for a State u.), but URI does have one of the best Indoor Tracks (Mackle Field house). No facilities for URI football are even remotely one of the best.
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rhodywins
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rhodywins »

I do not wish to fight with the football backers and am not against the sport but do feel we should move down a division and use some of the savings from a lowering of scholarship funds that could be spread to other sports while still enjoying a Saturday fb game.
I do remember fb backers that mentioned how a track should not be included in a new fb complex because their seats would be to far from the field,
Mackle is definitely one of the top indoor tracks in New England but we still are in need of a new outdoor area like almost every RI high school has.
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RF1
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RF1 »

rhodywins wrote:I do not wish to fight with the football backers and am not against the sport but do feel we should move down a division and use some of the savings from a lowering of scholarship funds that could be spread to other sports while still enjoying a Saturday fb game.
I do remember fb backers that mentioned how a track should not be included in a new fb complex because their seats would be to far from the field,
Mackle is definitely one of the top indoor tracks in New England but we still are in need of a new outdoor area like almost every RI high school has.

While I applaud the success of the track team, I do not understand your desire to to diminish another program. Why can't the track program on its own be better funded?

Furthermore, how many thousands come out for the track meets in Kingston? Does the track program have a large booster club that supports the program and raises substantial funds for it? Football does.

I am all for giving additional support to the track program. I am however not in favor of taking support away from other under funded programs.
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

RF1 wrote:
rhodywins wrote:I do not wish to fight with the football backers and am not against the sport but do feel we should move down a division and use some of the savings from a lowering of scholarship funds that could be spread to other sports while still enjoying a Saturday fb game.
I do remember fb backers that mentioned how a track should not be included in a new fb complex because their seats would be to far from the field,
Mackle is definitely one of the top indoor tracks in New England but we still are in need of a new outdoor area like almost every RI high school has.

While I applaud the success of the track team, I do not understand your desire to to diminish another program. Why can't the track program on its own be better funded?

Furthermore, how many thousands come out for the track meets in Kingston? Does the track program have a large booster club that supports the program and raises substantial funds for it? Football does.

I am all for giving additional support to the track program. I am however not in favor of taking support away from other under funded programs.
This post makes zero sense to me. Is the football program under funded or does it have a large booster club that supports it and raises substantial funds? If it's the latter, where is the proof? Why is Meade Stadium still dilapidated?
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RF1
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RF1 »

RhowdyRam02 wrote:
RF1 wrote:
rhodywins wrote:I do not wish to fight with the football backers and am not against the sport but do feel we should move down a division and use some of the savings from a lowering of scholarship funds that could be spread to other sports while still enjoying a Saturday fb game.
I do remember fb backers that mentioned how a track should not be included in a new fb complex because their seats would be to far from the field,
Mackle is definitely one of the top indoor tracks in New England but we still are in need of a new outdoor area like almost every RI high school has.

While I applaud the success of the track team, I do not understand your desire to to diminish another program. Why can't the track program on its own be better funded?

Furthermore, how many thousands come out for the track meets in Kingston? Does the track program have a large booster club that supports the program and raises substantial funds for it? Football does.

I am all for giving additional support to the track program. I am however not in favor of taking support away from other under funded programs.
This post makes zero sense to me. Is the football program under funded or does it have a large booster club that supports it and raises substantial funds? If it's the latter, where is the proof? Why is Meade Stadium still dilapidated?

The football program is undeniably underfunded when compared to CAA peers. It does however have one of the two largest booster clubs for athletics at URI and its members help raise significant funds to help with operating expenses. The booster club is one of the primary reasosn that URI still has a football program. The booster however do not have the resources for large infrastructure capital expenditures on their own. Men's basketball didn't either as only 1/3 of the Ryan Center cost was raised by gifts. The remainder was picked up by the state and URI (student fees). I would think a major renovation of Meade might be possible if it got financing similar to the Ryan Center. The state and the URI administration however do not currently seem to have any interest.
Last edited by RF1 6 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

I was being a little deliberately obtuse earlier. I'm just tired of how great the football booster club is when you can't see any positive contributions from them.

I understand they can't fund a Meade refurbishment by themselves, but where is the effort to get the ball rolling politically? For a year and a half it's been in the state budget to look into removing or rehabilitating the East grandstands, so you can't say the state and URI administration don't care. But there's never been any public push by the booster club to get things rolling. They've never tried to engage other football fans at games to form a movement, that would take away from their tailgating time. Say what you will about the politicians in this state, but if you have 3-5 thousand people throughout the state telling their state reps that this project is a priority, especially some that probably donate to these politicians, it will find its way into the budget. The PawSox and the Pawtucket mayor want to go to the state by the end of the General Assembly session to get money for a new ballpark, does the booster club have anyone's ear to get Meade Stadium funding included in any deal as part of a comprehensive Rhode Island stadium funding bill?

The booster club is great at having an annual golf tournament and tailgating 5 times a year, they just don't seem to be doing a great job at boosting our program to a higher level. The only thing they've "successfully" advocated for was keeping us from moving to the NEC, which has been a spectacular failure.
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

By the way, you say it has one of the two largest booster clubs at URI. I'm assuming basketball is one. Is it troubling to anyone else that the baseball boosters have done a significantly better job at helping their program then the bigger football booster club? If the baseball program can get field turf, a hitting barn, stands, and other things built, why can't the football boosters donate field turf and lights to the practice facility, Meade, or both?
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OBRAM
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by OBRAM »

I think it would be accurate to say that URI baseball has done more , by itself, without University support , to be a success, than any other URI sport. That is not to diminish crew, tennis, or sailing. It is great that they have a field turf field that was donated, and I would think most other baseball facilities were privately funded also. I would have like to see URI football practice field be field turf, as it gets so much use. However, football, like basketball, needs either a tens of million dollar donor, or University support. We know how basketball facilities were funded at URI.
Only 1/3 of ryan Center was from Private money. Football has not received the facility support that is needs like URI basketball.
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Hal Kopp
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by Hal Kopp »

OK Rhowdy,here we go again. I donate to hoops,baseball and FB infrastructure. And fund raise.
What are the costs of the baseball project vs. FB upgrades-syn. turf,lights and new west stands both?
Leave new track out of it for now. I will send a donation.
But wouldn't it make sense to tie the new track into the FB funding?
Sometimes athletic facilities are all visitors to campus see?
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

Look at the post right above yours, where obram complains about the practice field and wonders why it's not turf. This is a frequent complaint. Well why hasn't the mighty football booster club done anything to fix it? Surely if the baseball boosters could outfit the baseball field with field turf the football boosters should be able to do the same with the practice fields if their condition is really that bad and not just another excuse people use to explain our record over the past decade and a half
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rambone 78
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Just exactly how much does the FB booster club contribute to the program?

If I had to guess, not a lot.

Baseball has had a couple of large donations recently.....one was for a million for the field turf at Beck......football?

I had heard that 2 million would cover lights and field turf at Meade.....and Dooley told me in person at one of the coach's shows 2 years ago, that this would be done last year.....didn't happen.
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zporiri
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by zporiri »

Congrats to the men's track team. My brother was on the team from 2011-2015 and was an A-10 champ in the 200m. He chose URI over other schools that offered him a scholarship because of the opportunity to compete at a high level and win every year. Congrats to another conference championship!
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rambone 78
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Men's track and field and baseball are 2 examples of URI programs that regularly overachieve, considering how few scholarships they offer compared to schools they compete against.
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by OBRAM »

Well, football lost the West Stands, part of practice field, football field house when Ryan Center was built.
I think donations paid for 1/2 or more of new West Stands. I am not sure 100%, but I think the old Football Field house had ,within 10 years of being torn down, was fix over with a big fund raising effort, only to be destroyed.
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RhowdyRam02
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

I seem to remember the football team not doing well before the Ryan Center was built. And are you trying to say that the facilities on the West side were better then than what they are now with chairback seats, bleachers, indoor bathrooms, and concession and souvenir stands?
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by OBRAM »

Record was better before the Ryan Center was built. Just look at mid 1990's. What I am saying is, donors have invested money into football, it is not just donor helping baseball. Also saying, it is unfortunate that you remove facilities from football (field house, and Practice field area) and don't replace them with or replace them with lower quality replacements. Also, I know some people like the Ryan Center next to football stadium, Meade Field is one of lowest points on campus and I think it flooded twice in last 13 years.

Brown has two full length football fields with stands , lights , fieldturf for football, and Byrant I believe have an indoor practice area. In 50 years since I followed URI football, they build East Stands(now almost falling down), replaced West Stands(only because of donors and Ryan Center removed old stands) and cut the practice field and removed the field house. I think the Mendenhall Glacier moves faster than URI Football Facility enhancements.
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rambone 78
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Re: Men's Track wins a-10 title again

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Football is an afterthought at URI. Actions [or actually inactions] speak louder than Thorr's hollow words on the subject.

I think Bjorn is doing a good job as AD in many areas, but football is dragging him down.
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