KWU Athletics
As Tabetha Deines (SR/Salina, Kan.) and Stephanie Martinez (SR/Horizon City, Texas) approach the final lap of their storied running careers at Kansas Wesleyan they're hopeful their last day will be the same day.
Martinez will compete in the half marathon early Friday morning at the NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. Deines will race in the 800-meter preliminaries Thursday in an attempt gain a spot in Friday afternoon's finals.
Bowing out in the national meet simultaneously would be the perfect ending for the pair that have been and are teammates, roommates and soulmates. It's the third trip to an NAIA championship event for each this year, having qualified in cross country and indoor track.
"We've been doing this for three-and-a-half-years so to get to end together would be so much fun and really exciting," said Deines, who will be an elementary school teacher in Salina in the fall. "Hopefully on the same day because last year she raced Wednesday and my final race wasn't until Friday so it was just different."
Martinez, who plans to move to California after the season, concurs.
"It's exciting being able to finish out the season with her because I think it would have been weird not having her there," she said. "We have high expectations for ourselves and we know what we're running for."
Deines, who's ranked fifth nationally with a time of 2 minutes, 11.73 seconds, earned outdoor All-America honors a year ago by finishing seventh in 2:17.73. Ranked 17th entering the meet, she posted a then-school record 2:12.92 in the preliminaries.
"It is different going in ranked fifth because I feel like the expectations are a little higher," Deines said. "Last year if I wouldn't have executed as well it was like I wasn't supposed to be in the finals.
"This year I am putting a little bit of pressure on myself because I know that I belong in the finals. I've been there three different times now so I know that's where I should be."
The 2:11.73 time came May 14 in the Concordia Last Chance meet and is the fastest in Kansas Conference history.
"I ran against some Division II girls who were trying to hit provisional times as well," Deines said. "That race had a lot of good competition and I think it set me up really well for this is what the nationals is going to look like."
Deines said her strategy is the same it has been all season.
"Just going out and executing, being one of the people who does what they need to do," she said. "Making sure I get out in a smart position, somewhere where I don't get boxed in but also not too fast or too slow."
"Time kind of goes out the window at nationals, it's just about surviving and advancing and moving on to the finals," KWU coach Kyle Hiser said. "Last year she got into a heat that was really fast and she ran tactically very sound. Her tactics are always sound so we've got to build off of that and make sure we run our own race and don't let others dictate it."
Martinez faces a more daunting task. She had planned to compete in the marathon but NAIA officials scrapped it in favor of the half marathon last month. She's ranked eighth in the half marathon with 1:26:15 time but ran unopposed in her two races during the season.
"For me it's a little more bittersweet because I'm doing the event that I did the first time when I went to outdoor my freshman year. And I didn't finish it," she said. "Now I've been training for it, I'm mentally ready, I'm ranked pretty high in the nation.
"There's a lot of expectations but I think knowing it's the last time I'll ever be able to competitively run in my collegiate career I've got to leave it all out there."
The X-factor, of course, will be heat and humidity the Gulf Coast is notorious for. She had to bow out after 17 miles during the race her freshman year.
The Coyotes prepared by practicing in the Salina heat before heading for Alabama. Martinez has some experience with it as well, having run the 10,000-meter race in last year's outdoor meet that also was in Gulf Shores.
"I get irritated when I'm too hot but we needed it to get prepared for nationals," she said of the steamy preparations. "Just make sure I'm going out smart, going at the pace I know and not getting too comfortable because we have 13 miles. Mainly focusing on myself and not everyone in front of me."
"It's been warm here and we haven't shied away from it," Hiser said. "The good thing is Tabetha and Steph have been down it in, they've competed in it. They know what to expect."
Hiser says perseverance is the key in the half marathon that begins at 6 a.m.
"Down there in those elements it's about survival because there's going to be individuals who don't make it, who don't survive. They step off," he said. "If you get to the finish line, you're giving yourself a chance.
"She's ranked top eight in the country right now and I think she can run with the best of them. We've just got to go out there and do the job."
Martinez is confident.
"I'm nervous but I'm ready for it," she said.