Want to see the veins stick out on Gary Schwartz’s neck? This will happen if you make a flippant remark about his baby — the Kansas Relays.
“I get mad when people say the KU Relays isn’t what it used to be,” Schwartz, Kansas University’s eighth-year track coach, said Thursday. “We don’t put 20,000 to 30,000 (fans) in the stands, but the basic truth is it is a great track and field meet.”
He notes it’ll be a better meet this year, thanks to corporate sponsor Columbia Healthcare, a company that has contributed guarantee money for some post-collegiate athletes.
“When I tell athletes I can get them room and meal money, they are ecstatic,” said Schwartz, able to land several members of the Nike track club, plus world class shot putter Kevin Toth for the 71st Relays, set for next Wednesday through Saturday at the Hershberger Track at Memorial Stadium.
“We’ve gotten inquiries from Big 12 schools. Something like this is going to grow. It’s like coach (Bob) Timmons’ cross country course. Build it and they’ll come,” he added.
Schwartz is grateful to KU athletic department officials who were able to land Columbia as an all-important building block.
“In order to attract the kind of people we need to draw fans, we need to spend money and Columbia has allowed us funds to do that,” Schwartz said.
“Bob (Frederick), Betsy (Stephenson), Richard (Konzem) … many have helped make this possible. I’ve noticed a renewed interest and enthusiasm within the athletic department about the Relays the past several years.
“You can go back to (former) Chancellor (Gene) Budig. The last five years, he contributed money from the university. He felt the Relays helped recruit students to KU.
“Another example is Scottie Huffman. He put together the field for this year’s pole vault. He and Pat Manson (ex-KU vaulters) are true ambassadors for KU.”
The work of many will be applauded by fans only if the weather is nice next weekend. Schwartz will not worry about that, however.
“You guys (media) need to get more creative,” Schwartz said, noting the subject of rain at the Relays needs to evaporate. “Last week, the wind blew so hard at the Texas Relays, it was horizontal rain. The weather was terrible at the Florida Relays.
“If we held the Kansas Relays in a domed stadium, attendance would be a lot better. But not many places have domed stadiums.”
Actually the weather hasn’t been too bad at the Relays the past few years. True, some nasty storms have hit, but I can remember some pretty nice Saturday afternoons at Memorial Stadium, too.
My most vivid memory of the Relays doesn’t involve rain at all. It involves lightning.
Only kidding.
It involves sitting on a sun-baked track next to the pole vault pit watching Huffman, Manson and John Bazzoni scale the heights on an 80-degree day a couple years back.
Schwartz wasn’t surprised by this confession.
“Not at all,” he said. “Haven’t you read books about the Civil War? People would get in buggies and have picnics watching the soldiers do battle. There’s nothing wrong with people coming out, sitting in the stands watching the events that might interest them.”
In case you’re curious … Relays buttons, good for admission to all sessions, are on sale ($5 adults, $3 students) at the KU ticket office.
