Bubba Thornton knows the Texas Relays.
A track star at TCU, he competed in his first one back in 1967 and has been coming back ever since. Texas' men's track coach isn't quite sure if he missed some relays in between that first meet back in '67 and this year's 81st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, but more than 40 years later, he still gets excited in early April when the focus of the track and field world is on Austin.
"I am feeling really good," Thornton said, grinning from underneath his white hat. A day before the Relays start, Thornton forgoes the typical coaching attire for a more dapper approach. This week is special and he knows it.
His face tells the story.
Thornton loves track, and thus he loves the Texas Relays - a sports "carnival" he considers among the top 10 sporting events held in the world. Not only is the four-day event, starting noon today at Mike A. Myers Stadium, one of the most competitive men's and women's college track meets of the year, it also showcases the top Texas high school athletes and the elite track and field stars of the world, many of whom will compete later this year in the Beijing Olympics.
"It's like Field Of Dreams for those in track and field; this is where they come in the spring to see dreams come true," Thornton said. "They come to put their talents and abilities out there to be tested and challenged."
Its safe to say Thornton loves the Texas Relays, and he isn't alone. The Relays draw up to 50,000 total fans to Myers stadium each year - ranking it as the forth-largest event of the year for Austin and second-largest Texas sporting event behind only a home football game. The Texas Relays are mix of serious business, serious parties and four days of serious track.
"It is easy to say we are lining up against the best in track and field - because we are. But there is so much more to the Relays; the fears, the laughter, the ups and downs, the records being set," Thornton said. "For some guys this meet is going to spark them to making the Olympic team, and at the end everyone will look back and think about what they have to be champion next year."
While Thornton knows the importance of the Relays in the track and field community - especially in an Olympic year (Thornton is the U.S. Men's Olympic coach) - for his Texas team, the Relays are their first opportunity to showcase its outdoor squad and begin working toward the Longhorns' ultimate goal - Big 12 and NCAA championships.
"We are going to start putting this team back together for the Big 12 championships in Boulder," Thornton said. "That is our main focus. But at the same time, we want to showcase some of our people at the Texas Relays."
Focused on that ultimate goal, Thornton is still excited about the 81st Texas Relays and seeing his team compete in events they don't always get to on a stage that happens only once a year.
"We are going to contest a 4-by-800 relay; Leo Manzano is going to run the Jerry Thompson mile. He isn't just running the mile; he is running it to break the school record," Thornton said. "We've put together a 4-by-400 relay to make us a competitive team on the Big 12 and national level. It is going to be exciting."
For Thornton, the Relays will be four days of continuous watching: watching his own team, watching high school athletes to scout who should be recruited to become a Longhorn and watching the elite athletes who might be his team members on the U.S. Olympic team this summer. With three hats to juggle, Thornton focuses on preparing his team and keeping them focused in the midst of track and field chaos.
Highly controlled, entertaining chaos. The kind he's been experiencing for four decades.
And all these years later, Thornton still looks forward to every Texas Relays.
"In reality of this sport, this is the first big competition of the spring," Thornton said. "When people come down I-35 and see the bluebonnets and the green grass, they can't help but get fired up."
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