To reach a measure of excellence, a step-by-step process needs to be initiated. That is what Owls assistant track and field coach Owen McGregor is determined to fulfill in his first year at FAU.
“The discipline and expectation was a little bit off-key in a sense of having a track program you want to set standards [with],” said McGregor. “The common goal that we’re trying to get to is where a lot of Division I teams are: conference titles, NCAA qualifiers.”
McGregor’s responsibilities will include coaching sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps. He also plans to be effective in recruiting.
Moving from Central Arizona College to Phoenix College and now arriving at FAU, McGregor has a record of building track programs into contenders. His most notable work came at Central Arizona College where in one year as an assistant coach McGregor helped lead the men’s and women’s programs to the regional championships. Within that same year the men’s team won the National Junior College Athletic Association and the women’s team was runner-up.
McGregor hopes to translate his success from previous stops to the Owls’ track and field program. His determination to thrive is reflected through his personality as a coach.
“I’m going to represent all of the standards of getting things done the right way,” said McGregor. “Making people see that talent is only as good as hard work, and hard work defeats talent any day.”
With his coaching demeanor, McGregor hopes to better his athletes in life, and in track and field. He believes he will help the FAU track program be a contender not only in the Sun Belt Conference, but for NCAA Championships. That process begins by taking a first step, which McGregor believes is starting from the bottom and working up.
“To me, any success comes with adversity, obstacles and hurdles,” said McGregor. “It’s a patient process.”
Senior Yanique Booth was recently named Sun Belt Conference runner of the week for finishing fifth in the 60 meter hurdles. What was impressive was that Booth accomplished a school-record time of 8.40 seconds, which this season has been her personal best and team best. Booth credits McGregor, who arrived at FAU in July 2007, for her recent success.
“He dedicated his time and believed in me so much. He came and worked with me, which helped to motivate me,” Booth said.
The team recently finished in fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference Indoors Championships, an improvement over last year’s eighth place finish.
With the recent accomplishments of the team and personal best marks achieved by the runners, McGregor mostly emphasizes teamwork as the main ingredient for the overall success. That’s how his past teams achieved success, especially in Central Arizona where he took 14 individual athletes to the NJCAA Championships – a feat which has never been done before at the junior college level. McGregor feels that FAU can reach the level of the previous teams he has coached through hard work, discipline and teamwork.
These are the key points that McGregor thinks will help turn the FAU track and field program into a powerhouse in the Sun Belt Conference and bring recognition to the sport at FAU.
