Frostburg
101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD 21532
Head Coach:Â Shane Brookshire
301-687-3243
sbrookshire@frostburg.edu
https://frostburgsports.com/sports/mens-track-and-field
https://frostburgsports.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/coaches/2019-20?path=mtrack
Chasing the Standard: Â How long have you been at Frostburg, and what are some highlights of your program?
Coach Brookshire:  I started at Frostburg State in August 2019 and so far the programs have seen some early success during the transition to NCAA Division II. In Cross Country, the men placed 5th in the Mountain East after being ranked T-7th and Braxton Clark earned the school’s first MEC All-Conference honor with his 20th place finish. During the Indoor Track season, John Kerns broke his own school record in the weight throw as well as achieving a NCAA DII Provisional mark in the event. He went on to win the MEC Championship in the Weight Throw and earned MEC Male Field Athlete of the Year. We also had two other athletes place in the Top 5 of the Weight Throw. Our Men’s 4x400m Relay team placed 2nd at Conference and barely missed the school record by 0.45. On the Women’s Track side, Makayla Westry broke the school record in the weight throw in her first year and Alyssa Mullery scored in three events at Conference, including a 3rd Place finish in the 60m hurdles.
Chasing the Standard: Â What goals do you have for the program?
Coach Brookshire:  Our number one goal is to build up the numbers for Women’s XC/Track. We want to have about 18-20 women in Cross Country and 35-40 in Track. From a performance standpoint, we are hoping to win the MEC Championships for Men’s Track and hopefully move into the Top 3 for Women’s Track. I believe within a couple of years, we will be sending some athletes to D2 Nationals.
Chasing the Standard:  What is a typical training week like for your team in a normal cross country season? What is your training philosophy?
Coach Brookshire:  A typical training week usually comprises of a workout to develop aerobic power, a couple of easy runs during the week, fartleks and tempos, two days of strength training, and a long run on Saturday to cap off the week. My philosophy is to train the individual. I’ll structure out the week based off of each athlete’s mileage plan and then provide my athletes with specific paces for each of their runs which are determined by their time trials or race performances. Every athlete is training at a level that their body is capable of handling so they are prepared for each race.
Chasing the Standard: Â What resources and facilities does your team have access to that you promote to prospective athletes?
Coach Brookshire: We have an excellent track facility that features a scenic backdrop as well as a video board that will be great for track meets. I think one of the things that separates us from many other programs is that we have an underwater treadmill within our athletic training facility. This provides a great tool for our athletes if they need to use it. Being in Western Maryland, we have access to several state parks nearby as well as the Great Allegheny Passage that allows our athletes to run on a trail without having to worry about vehicles.Â
Chasing the Standard:  How was the first year competing at the Division II level? What is the difference between Division II and Division III?
Coach Brookshire: The athletes enjoyed competing at the Division II level. It was a new challenge with new competition. The Mountain East has some great XC/Distance programs in it so when we compete at Conference, we are running against a couple of schools that are national caliber schools. To me, there is not too big of a difference between Division II and Division III in terms of competition. There seems to be a little more depth at the DII level but it’s not a dramatic difference. Our top thrower was ranked 33rd in the Weight Throw for DII and 19th in DIII. There are a lot of Division III programs that would do well at the Division II or Division I level in XC and Track. I think we are one of those programs that is showing it can compete right away moving into Division II.Â
Chasing the Standard: Â What is your school and conference doing for training or meets during the COVID era?
Coach Brookshire: We are going to have a short XC season beginning on February 13th and culminating with the Mountain East Championships on March 20th. From there, we will roll straight into the Outdoor Track season. Hopefully compete in 3 meets for XC.
Chasing the Standard:  How has recruiting been during COVID? What is the recruiting process like at Frostburg? What do you suggest to athletes interested in your program?
Coach Brookshire: We’ve been successful thus far with recruiting during COVID. It was an adjustment at first but we are currently still doing on-campus visits, just limited to 90 minutes a visit. We have protocols in place for the visits. We have also been doing virtual visits which I think is going to stick around even after COVID. It makes it easier to connect with those further away. I still prefer the on-campus visits because I feel that once our recruits come to this area, they see the possibilities of the success that we can build.
To those recruits that are interested, fill out the recruit questionnaire and myself or one of my assistants will reach out. Our move into Division II is an opportunity to be part of a new era of XC/Track at Frostburg State.
Recruit Questionnaire: https://questionnaires.armssoftware.com/7f1c6f622aaa
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