NCAA Championship Preview: Jeremy Orr
6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
June 8, 2009
Complete Interview with Coach Gillon and Jeremy Orr
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State track & field team has had arguably its best overall season, both indoor and outdoor, since director of track & field Walt Drenth took over the program in 2006. The hard work and dedication of the coaching staff and the student-athletes culminated at the NCAA Mideast Regional last weekend as the Spartans qualified six student-athletes - at least one from every area of competition - for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.
The six qualifying student-athletes - Nicole Bush, Kyron Foster, Jeremy Orr, Sarah Price, Lonnie Pugh and Lisa Senakiewich - are the most for the Spartans since Drenth has been at the helm of the program. This is the second of a four-part series that will highlight the accomplishments of each of the qualifying Spartans. Click here to read the first feature about Spartan freshman Lonnie Pugh, who has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the discus throw.
Today, we will take a look at the five-year career of senior sprinter Jeremy Orr. A national qualifier in the 400m dash, Orr has been one of the most accomplished sprinters in program history. This season marks Orr's second trip to the NCAA Championships and first since 2006. MSUSpartans.com recently caught up with Orr and sprints coach Randy Gillon to talk about Orr's journey through the MSU track & field program. Click here to listen to the entire interview with Orr and Coach Gillon.
As a three-star football recruit out of Henry Ford High School in Detroit, Mich., sprinter Jeremy Orr had high hopes for his career on the gridiron. His brother, Jonathan, was a standout wide receiver for Wisconsin and was on his way to a sixth-round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft while Orr was competitng during his freshman season. Playing football in the fall and running track in the spring, Orr expected to be a two-sport athlete during his time with the Spartans.
"I came in here to do both and it worked out fairly well at first," Orr commented on his first year as a Spartan. "That went on for about two years, but I noticed with football that I wasn't getting a whole lot of time on the field. Coming in on the track freshman year, I was Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a regional qualifier and national qualifier as a sophomore, so it just made more sense to focus on track."
For Orr, making the transition was fairly easy for the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, who caught the eyes of coaches and track fans around the nation. In 2005 Orr placed fourth in the 60m dash at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and followed that with fourth-place nods in both the 100m, and 200m dashes during the outdoor season. The accolades were there to support his decision to stick to track, and his family, including his brother, was also there to support his decision.
"My brother has always been very supportive of me and he stressed the importance of being thankful that I had the ability to do both sports," Orr said of his brother's reaction to his decision. "One thing that my parents and family always stress is that if you do something, do it to the fullest. I told myself that football wasn't working out and they could not have been more supportive."
 Orr originally came to Michigan State to play football and run track.  | |
For Orr, the decision had been made, but his journey had just begun. A number of injuries forced Orr to redshirt his indoor season in 2006 and then his outdoor season in 2007. Orr also had become somewhat of a one-man show during his first several years at Michigan State. He was someone that the coaching staff could always count on to score at a championship meet, but it wasn't until sprints coach Randy Gillon joined the program in 2007 that Orr's career really took off.
"Quality athletes only come by every once in a while, whether it be track & field or football, you don't always get those kids that can come in and immediately compete for a Big Ten title," Gillon said. "When you get a guy like that it makes your job easier and that much more fun. You are just really happy when you get quality kids like Jeremy."
 Orr holds school records in the 60m, 400m and 4x400m relay. | |
For Coach Gillon, he had inherited one of the best sprinters in the nation in Orr. He had the foundation to build upon and start to put together a solid sprint corps. For Orr, the hiring of Coach Gillon meant a lot more for his progression as a student-athlete.
"I am very thankful for Coach Gillon because he brings stability to the program and to our sprint group," Orr said. "He is my third coach now and I have been able to have him for the last two or three years and he has just stressed the importance of hard work, dedication and team camaraderie. That is something that he has brought to the table that has helped me become a better teammate and a better athlete."
Gillon has helped in developing Orr into a better athlete. Focusing solely on the 400m dash this season, Orr has had arguably his best season in a Spartan uniform. After a fine indoor season, Orr strained his hamstring at the Big Ten Championships, but still managed to earn a spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships. His injury held him out of a lot of competition at the start of the outdoor season, but he has progressed to become an NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifier. Orr's times have been decreasing as the season has gone on as well. In fact, Orr placed third in the 400m dash at the NCAA Mideast Regional, clocking in at 45.78, a personal-best, earning him an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Although his progression on the track is evident, Orr credits Coach Gillon with improving something that has been even more important to him.
"I have become a much better teammate. Honestly, if this was three seasons ago, I couldn't have told you one person's name on the distance team, or one person in the throws unit," Orr said. "As the coaching staff became more stable here, you definitely noticed the team becoming closer and you notice people from different events cheering you on. I will definitely be there at nationals cheering all of my teammates on."
That growth was evident at this year's Meyo Invitational where junior mile runner Shane Knoll shattered the school record in the event with a time of 3:57.36. During the last 200m, Knoll looked up and saw Orr running beside him cheering him on, showing that Orr had developed into a true teammate. That support from Orr rallied Knolll to close out the competition and win one of the most prestigious races in track & field.
"I think he has really learned how to be a teammate," Coach Gillon commented on Orr's growth. "From what I have come to learn, there was a lot of instability. So I think with that, a person can tend to start to look out for themselves a little. Now, with me being here a couple years here now, I think he has that stability and that familiar face has allowed him to become a better teammate."
Orr has become a better teammate and has ultimately evolved into the leader of a talented sprint group. Mentoring teammates such as Yury Ratomski and Shane Wells, Orr has played the role of big brother to a young group of sprinters.
"I was talking with Coach Gillon not too long ago and I asked him if he could postpone practice for a little when I was graduating so I could have my little brothers there," Orr said of his teammates. "I consider those guys just like little brothers. I want to help mold them and lead them in the right direction, on and off the track."
 Orr ran his outdoor personal-best time at the NCAA Mideast Regional. | |
For Orr, Coach Gillon offered another fresh perspective to the program. Coach Gillon also works as the speed coach for the football program, and with Orr's football background, the two were immediately on the same page when Gillon started at Michigan State.
"Ultimately, sprinting is sprinting whether you are on turf or track," Gillon said. "The same principles apply and I treat them just like track athletes. To run fast and to run well, it is the same principles across the board. When I took over, Jeremy was strictly a track guy, so that helped as well. I didn't have to worry about him worrying about football while he was working out with us. So that made it a lot easier."
Five years after Orr came to Michigan State to play football and run track, he will end his collegiate career by competing on the NCAA's biggest stage, the NCAA Championships. Although a storied career will come to an end, Orr will just be along for the ride this week.
"It's not really bittersweet at all, I just want to take it all in and enjoy it one last time," Orr said. "I know that I have had a somewhat successful career and I have achieved a lot of things that I had originally set out to achieve. So I just want to take this week and enjoy the ride."
Orr's ride at the NCAA Championships will begin on Wednesday with the preliminary heats of the 400m dash at 8:15 p.m. (ET). The finals of the 400m dash will be contested on Saturday at 1:12 p.m. For a look at the rest of the NCAA Championship qualifiers, check back with www.msuspartans.com throughout the week.
Players Mentioned
