Originally posted Dec. 2003
"Since 1977, track & field for all ages"
The Comets Track Club of today is built upon a solid foundation of hard work more than 20 years ago.
In the spring of 1977 the Comets organized, its members associated with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Today, the club affiliates with USA Track &Field. Club founder and organizer was Keith Wollen, then a professor of experimental psychology at Washington State University.
A sports column from the April 20, 1977 issue of the Pullman Herald weekly newspaper explains why the club was formed. "Pullman has nearly had it all in past summers, providing competition for slowpitch softball enthusiasts, swimmers, basketball players, golfers and tennis buffs. Nowhere, however, was there a track team to be seen," the column said.
As it is today, the club was family focused in its early years. Wollen; his wife, Fran; and their sons, Doug, Craig and Bruce; were immersed in it
The Wollens came up with the "Comets" name. Craig designed the distinctive club logo, a comet with a stylistic tail. "We picked orange and black because no other club had orange and we thought it would help us identify our competitors at meets. For two years, I attended Doane College in Crete, Nebraska. They were the college colors and liked them," said Wollen, now retired and living in Port Angeles, Wash.
In addition, the Wollens were successful competitors for the club. One of the Wollen family's prized possessions is a color photo of Doug and Bruce, posing at an AAU national meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in their club t-shirts with the Comets logo. Each has a medal around his neck, Doug for 1st in the discus and Bruce for 6th in the shotput.
Today, Keith holds club and Inland Northwest records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and a Comets discus record. Bruce and Doug still have club records, in the shot and discus respectively.
One of the most important parts of the Comets today are personal-best ribbons for athletes. Wollen said, "I had the idea of personal-best ribbons before thinking about the club. I always felt that too much emphasis was placed on winning … However, anyone could improve and, in my mind, that was more important than winning."
At the beginning, the Comets practiced on the Lincoln Middle School track and held meets at Pullman High School. Later in the club's history, practices and meets moved to WSU's Mooberry Track. Practices are now held at PHS and meets remain at WSU.
Wollen credits the City of Pullman Parks & Recreation with the assistance of the Pullman Lions Club with helping the club start. "And, there were innumerable individuals and businesses who helped, from coaching to officiating to supplying ice for meets and materials for signage," he said.
Today, the USA Track & Field club is the largest in the Inland Northwest. And, the club has the most coaches, too. Quite often Comets athletes, from toddlers to adults, benefit from outstanding WSU and high school student-athletes serving as Comets assistant coaches.
According to Comets head coach Mike Hinz, "The families and individual athletes of all ages who participate for the Comets today follow in the footsteps of Comets from years before…. all having fun, competing in track and field."
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Story from before the 2000 Comets season
Since 1977, the Comets Track Club has provided people of all ages on the Palouse in Washington and Idaho the opportunity to practice and compete during the summer in track and field events. A member of USA Track & Field, the club includes toddlers to senior citizens, but is dominated by girls and boys ages 4-18 and their families, says Mike Hinz, Comets head coach.
For the 2000 season, practice begins April 17 on the Pullman High School track. Practices are at PHS Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. until May 15, then Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m. through July.
There are two home meets this season, the Inland Northwest Age Group Championships (all ages, youth and adults), June 17, and the Inland Northwest Masters Classic meet (ages 30 and up), July 22, both at WSU's Mooberry Track. Also, on other Saturdays, club members may travel to Cheney, Spokane and Connell for competition.
Running events include the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 meter races, the 80/100/110 meter and 200/300/400 meter hurdles and the 2000/3000 meter steeplechase events, depending on age group and 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays.
Dave and Bessie Kolva of Pullman are stalwart master athletes for the Comets. They coordinate and help coach the club's race-walkers. "Dave is a great example of desire, determination and dedication," Hinz says. "He started race-walking several years ago with no experience.
“Now he is one of the best master athlete men race-walkers in eastern Washington. Bessie has been equally as dedicated. In addition, they have coordinated the Comets scrapbooks the past few years and Dave is a member of the Inland Northwest Track & Field Board of Directors." Oh, and both their children are Comets "alumni."
The Huylers of Colfax are active in the club. Joanne and Mark Huylers' children, Chris and Annie, compete for the Comets and Joanne competes for it during age group championships. "They have fun and do very well in a variety of events. They are good role models for others," Hinz says.
Ben Crossett of Oakesdale has competed for the Comets the past three years in the triple jump, long jump, high jump and 100 meter dash. His best of 39 feet in the triple jump earned him second at the 1998 Nationals in Spokane. "Practices are fun because you have the high school and WSU track (athletes to help) and they've had a lot of experience," says the OHS freshman son of Mike and Debbie Crossett.
Ben's mother says, "I think it really helped him in junior high (track)." As a Tekoa-Oakesdale Junior High Nighthawk, Ben set overall Whitman County records in the triple jump (41 feet 11 inches), long jump (19 feet 9 inches) and 100 meter dash (11.6 seconds). "Ben is an easy to work with kid," says Hinz. "He's obviously a very talented athlete. He's always eager to learn." Coming to the Comets at a young age, "Ben has refined his skills, particularly in his jumps."
Also, Hinz says, "There's been a connection for a number of years" with families from Oakesdale involved in the Comets carpooling into Pullman. Hinz says adults interested in taking part in Comets do not need to have competed in track and field in their youth. "If there is an interest and desire, we can take it from there," he says.
Membership fees of $30 for the first family member and $25 for subsequent family members help pay club expenses, including supplies and salaries for assistant coaches. Comets assistant coaches include track athletes. "We have excellent coaching and more coaches than any other clubs in our area. Many of the WSU and high school athletes who coach for us do so as a way to give back to the sport. They had a good experience and learned good fundamentals as youngsters and want to provide the same to others," says Hinz.
Registration for the 2000 season takes place at PHS track during practices. Field events include high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, baseball throw (for youngest athletes), shot put, javelin, discus, hammer and weight throws. Also, race-walking competition is offered by the club every other Wednesday on the PHS track and at most weekend meets.
Competition is by age groups. There is a development age group, 6 and under, two year age groups from 7to 18, an open age group, and then 5 year masters age groups starting at 30.
Hinz says this will be an especially good year for masters athletes from the northwest interested in national and international competition. The National Masters Championships will be in Eugene, Ore., Aug. 10-13, and the North American/Central American/Caribbean Championships are at Kamloops, British Columbia, Aug. 17-20.
The Comets are family focused. "One of our club members said joining the Comets was one of the best parenting decisions they ever made," says Hinz, who is also Pullman High's head girls' and boys' track coach. "We truly have a family club. Often we have mom, dad and kids out for practice and meets. This is not a sport where parents sit in the stands and watch their daughters and sons compete. Parents compete and they also help officiate at home and away meets, doing everything from running stopwatches to raking sand in long and triple jump pits."
The largest USA Track and Field club in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, the Comets has or has had athletes from all around the Palouse including Pullman, Albion, Colfax, Garfield, Palouse, Oakesdale, Farmington, LaCrosse, Moscow, Deary and Harvard. In the past, there have even been Comets from Lewiston and Clarkston.