Feb. 6, 2009

As one of the top returning multi-event athletes in the Big Sky Conference, Sydney Wendt has been counted on this season to score points by the truckload for the Idaho State women's track team.

Thus far, the junior from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls has stepped up that challenge, winning two events at last weekend's MSU Duals and placing second in two events at the Bengal Shootout on Jan. 16. Wendt has also posted Big Sky Conference qualifying marks in four separate events: the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 60-meter hurdles. She's the only ISU athlete with more than two qualifying performances.

Wendt took time out before practice on the eve of the 2009 Mountain State Games to chat with Idaho State media relations graduate assistant Mitch Worthington for the latest edition of 10 Minutes with a Bengal.

Q: As a pentathlete and a heptathlete, how different is it for you to have to do so many different things?
A: I'm kind of used to it, actually. It's fun to do different events outside the pentathlon because, yeah, it's a lot of events, but it's neat to be part of the actual track meet. The pentathlon usually goes on earlier in the meet and there's not that many people cheering. When there are a lot of people in the crowd, it's more fun. As far as preparing for it, I've been used to it since high school. I was always running back and forth for different things, so it's not new.

Q: You don't get any more time to practice than any other athlete does, so how do you find time to practice on everything you do?
A: We split up the days, but in a week, we'll try to touch on everything twice. It's kind of hard because we would like to take a lot of time work on specific things, but with the limited practice time, it's kind of squished. We have to make the best of what we've got.

Q: What's your favorite event?
A: I like them all. I love jumping, and the hurdles have been really neat. Just recently, I all the sudden got fast on the hurdles.

Q: That's a cop-out answer. You have to pick something. Your best so far has been the high jump, right? Or the long jump?
A: The long jump just kind of came out of nowhere. We've been practicing at it, but I don't often jump over 18 feet, and I did 18 (feet), 7 (inches). So I was surprised - that was really neat.

Q: No one else on the team has qualified for more than two events at the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships, and I think there is only one other athlete in the Big Sky with four qualifying marks. Is it cool to know you can do all the things you do well?
A: I guess that is cool, compared to other people. I don't know if that really matters. I do what I do, and I qualified.

Q: Some athletes spend all their time on just one event, or a group of events (sprints, throws). Do you have to change mindsets to move from hurdles to the triple jump, for example?
A: Yeah, we have to shift gears all the time. For long jump, you have to be going faster forward, and on the high jump, you have to transition that to height. You can't have the same take-off all the time. I kind of mix up sometimes, especially in hurdles, trying to jump over them instead of hurdle them. So, yeah, being able to transition is the key.

Q: I think it would be bad if you tried to clear the hurdle with your high jump motion, going backwards and landing on your back. I don't think that would go well for you.
A: True. I saw somebody do that once. Not land on their back, but just go way high over the hurdles. It was pretty funny.

Q: What kind of mindset does it take to do the pentathlon and the heptathlon, and then to also compete in the regular, non-heptathlon versions of those events, too?
A: Obviously, it's not just one event and done. We have to constantly say `Let's see how much we can do with this event, then move onto the next one.' You can't ever really allow yourself to feel tired, because there's more to do all the time. Especially in the heptathlon, you're done with that day, but there are more days to come, and then there are more events after the heptathlon is done. We just learn to keep pushing forward.

Q: You have to be pretty good at time management and logistics, knowing where things are when the events are, where to check in, all of that?
A: Yes, and we know the ropes, too, like what to tell the officials when we have to leave to go to a different event and everything.

Q: Does it get tricky? Have you ever missed an event because something ran over?
A: Usually I manage to work it our pretty well. If two jumps are going on at the same time, if I miss when they call me, that's it. I have to skip that jump if it's the long jump, and if it's the high jump, I have to move to the next height. There are consequences, but usually it works out okay.

Q: Last year, with you, Cassie Merkley, Erin Bell, Jenny Downey, Lois Ricardi, this team scored a lot of points. Most of them have graduated, and Cassie is out for at least the indoor season. Does it fall on you a little bit to score some of those points?
A: Yes it does. I try not to focus on it, but yeah, there is definitely the desire to get some points for my team because Cassie isn't doing it this year, and there's a lot we need to make up because of that. But it's not just me, it's everybody. The whole team is doing awesome. I love it.

Q: Talk about last year, when you were almost in Cassie's shadow. You're putt up huge points but she's setting school records and going to nationals. What was that like?
A: I think it was just fun to watch her. She was able to run hurdles so fast. It was amazing just to see her. Especially on the high jump, we were jumping the same heights every meet, so we worked together a lot.

Q: Last year was her year, and this year could end up being your year. Next year, you'll be a senior and she'll be in her last year, too. That could be pretty special, yeah?
A: That will be exciting.

Q: Is there a little bit of a rivalry there?
A: No, I don't think so.

Q: I'm not talking about knock-down, drag-out, spike the shampoo with pink hair dye type of rivalry, but is there a friendly rivalry?
A: Competing, yeah. But I think that's a good thing in sports, to have somebody on the team who you compare yourself with, even during practice. Comparing myself to her would be really fun to do.

Q: You're from Idaho Falls. Did you choose Idaho State to stay close to home?
A: Now that I'm here, I love it. It was kind of an iffy thing coming here because I didn't know what I wanted to do. But I'm so glad that I am. My family is close. People see the newspaper or see me on the news and they always tell me they saw me. I love the support that I get from them. Just having my family there where they can come watch the meets, that's great.

Q: And your sister, Erica, is also on the team. You still pick on her like I'm sure you did growing up?
A: Oh yeah.

Q: What happened there? Even in high school, you were doing as many events as you are now, and she was more of the distance runner. When did that separation happen? That's obviously two very different types of athletes.
A: It probably split up in junior high. My mom, in college and high school, she did the long jump and distance races. We both figured we'd be good at those. I ended up veering toward the jumps and Erica did the distance races. And that's good, because my mom is satisfied both ways.

Q: Have you ever tried to do cross country?
A: In high school I did. It took me until my junior year to want to do it. It was actually the coach pulling my strings to get Erica on the cross country team, because she wouldn't run if I didn't. So when she was a freshman, she didn't run. But when she was a sophomore and I was a junior we were both on the team. She's always been better than me at those races.

Q: Yeah, but get her on the high jump bar...
A: Exactly.

Q: What's the funniest thing you've ever seen happen during a track meet?
A: I've seen people fall plenty of times. In high school, we had a really, really good jumper who decided to run the 300-meter hurdles. He was a pretty decent runner, but when he went over the hurdles, it was almost like he could stand on the hurdles before coming back down. He was popping up into the air. It was so funny to watch.

Q: Who was that?
A: It was Ryan Grinnell. He's at Boise State now. He's a really good jumper.

Q: Not that you have time to psyche yourself up for an event, since you're probably walking from one to another all day, but is there anything you do before a meet to kind of get in a zone?
A: I don't think there's anything special. Before I start, I visualize myself doing all the events, remembering what we worked on in practice and make sure I remember to do those things when I'm actually doing the event.

Q: What's the last song you listened to in the car?
A: I don't have a car, actually.

Q: You just walk everywhere then?
A: Yeah, I do. My brother has a car, and he lets me borrow it when I need to.

Q: You live close to campus, then? I wouldn't think it'd be fun if you lived in Chubbuck or something.
A: No, I just live a couple blocks away from campus, so it's pretty easy to just walk everywhere.

Q: Okay, then what was the last thing you listened to on your MP3 player?
A: I don't have one of those, either.

Q: You have heard music at some point recently, though?
A: I really don't know. I like musicals, so it was probably like a musical song. I actually drove my brother's car today, and he was listening to Josh Groban. I don't remember which song, but it was Josh Groban.

Q: You finish your eligibility next year. What would be success for you when you're done?
A: Kind of a general goal is I want to improve in everything. Coach Nielsen thinks I can jump 6 feet in the high jump, which would be an amazing thing. My coaches believe in me and my dad believes in me, but I just haven't done it yet. That would be a really goal to meet. I'd like to go to nationals.

Q: In any event in particular?
A: Just in something. Anything. I'll try for all of it, but if I can just make it one thing, that would be good.

Q: Was your freshman year as hard as you always hear it is in track, or was it just an extension of your senior year in high school?
A: I just picked it up. It was kind of similar to cross country. I was glad I did cross country in high school, because (Coach Nielsen) has us do a lot more conditioning for track than I did in high school. I was able to adapt to that, and the routine just came.

Q: Have you ever run cross country at ISU?
A: No. Not here. College cross country is insane.