Auburn Track and Field head coach Ralph Spry returns to the Hutsell-Rosen Track, in his 12th season as head
coach, with high hopes for his men's and women's track and field teams."This year our women's team is very similar to the women's team that won the 2006 national title," Spry said. "I think this team has a lot of potential, and I think, if we can stay focused and do what were capable of doing, were going to give it another good run this year."
With a 2006 NCAA (women's) National Championship, 2006 Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year award and having 10 top-five national finishes in his time at Auburn, Spry is no stranger to success.
"It should be a real exciting year if we can just keep things focused and take care of the things that we can control," Spry said.
Spry attended the University of Mississippi where hewasa two-time NCAA All- American, a three-time All-SEC performer and a 1983 NCAA long jump champion. As one of
the top graduates in his class from the University of Mississippi, Spry utilizes the opportunity to enrich the lives of his athletes on and off the track.
"One thing I feel good about is our graduation rates," Spry said. "Winning and losing is always great, but it goes far beyond that. You try to impact young athletes lives and if they can leave here a better person with degrees, I really
think we've done our part." As a member of the ROTC at Mississippi, Spry continued his career as an officer in the U.S. Army where he competed for the All-Army track and field
team. During his time in the
Army, Spry won five Inter-service long jump championships and was the World Military long jump champion in 1986.
After bouncing around from several SEC track and field programs, Spry was named the fourth track and field head coach at Auburn in 1997.
Spry said to come into a school like Auburn and find a way to make them consistently successful at a high national and conference level was the biggest challenge he faced.
Sophomore Mark Rowland won third place in the 200 meters in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
"The main thing that influences me about Coach Spry is he's real adamant," Rowland said. "He's really a hands on coach, and that's the kind of coach
that I need to take me to the next level."
Scott Richardson, vertical jumps and multi-events coach, finds Spry's high intensity a motivation for others.
"He's one of the most high energy guys I've ever been around in my life and always has a positive outlook no matter what's going on," Richardson said. "He's the eternal optimist. He's extremely competitive whether its track and field, bass fishing, bowling or Ms. Pac-Man, he wants to beat you."
Apart from being an avid bass fisherman, Spry spends his time off the track with his wife, Sylvia, and his two children, Tiffany, a senior at Auburn, and Ralph Jr., a junior wide receiver on the Auburn Football team.
Spry and his Tigers will hit the road to face Clemson University in the Clemson Games tomorrow and Saturday.
The Clemson Games are an indoor invitational event that feature some of the top men's and women's teams in the nation.
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