By Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
Many LSU athletes will have an opportunity to compete in the Olympics this summer in Sydney, Australia. Sydney will become the “Mecca” of the sports world when it hosts the Olympics in 2000. With the entire world watching all Olympic hopefuls have dreams of qualifying and completing the ultimate pilgrimage in their careers. There may not be a bigger thrill in sports than representing your country in competition.
Two track athletes with LSU ties who hope to be competing in Sydney are LeVar Anderson and Marcus Thomas. Anderson wrapped up a stellar two-year career in 1999, while Thomas was instrumental in helping the Tigers to a fifth place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last month.
Anderson is a triple-jump star, while Thomas competes in both the triple jump and the long jump. They are both currently training for the Olympic Trials coming this July 14-23 in Sacramento, Cal. The two are not just teammates however, they are very close friends and they have benefited from each other’s presence.
Anderson is a favorite to earn one of the three qualifying spots for the Olympics in Sydney. Track & Field News has picked Anderson to finish second in the Olympic Trials later this month. In March, Anderson won the USA Indoor title in the triple jump and was the 1999 NCAA champion in the event.
At last year’s U.S. Trials, Anderson gave a poor performance and didn’t fair well. Anderson showed up in Eugene, Ore., a year ago as a favorite to make the World Championships last summer, but fouled on all three attempts and didn’t register a mark. It is important for him to put that behind him and perform well at the trials.
“I think since that happened last year it gave a little more confidence, I think I know now what not to do and I know how to stay calm and handle (the situation),” said Anderson. “As long as I’m healthy, I believe I can qualify.”
Thomas is more of an underdog going into the Olympic Trials. He is not favored to make the Olympic Team. However, he has never let tough odds stop him before. The New Iberia, La. Native was not highly recruited out of high school. He shocked the track world by finishing fifth in the triple jump at the NCAA meet as a freshman in ’98. His steady improvement has been phenomenal.
“I give it a hundred percent going into every competition. I have a discipline and whatever the coaches tell me to do, I do. I put all my faith in Coach Boo (LSU multi-event coach Boo Schexnayder) and he’s never let me down,” said Thomas.
Thomas is already a four-time All-American. His best marks are a 26-1 in the long jump and a 54-0 in the triple jump. Thomas finished third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last month. Regardless of whether or not Thomas qualifies, the experience he will gain this year will help him become a major contender in the future.
The two work together every day. Having a partner who is also your best friend to train with certainly has its advantages.
“We train every morning, and we get more attention (from the coaches) because there are less people training,” said Thomas. “The coaches tell us something and one of us may not quite understand, but the other one (of the two) can put his coaching terms into ‘friend terms’ making it easier to learn and understand.”
“We are on the same level. We tell each other what we are doing wrong without sugar coating it because we are friends and we know we just want to help each other,” said Anderson.
“We pick each other up when one of us is down. We always keep each other motivated,” said Thomas.
Anderson and Thomas are primed for success. The two help each other out both on and off the field. In a sport in which individuals excel these two have found that team camaraderie can also be applied to track as a
formula for success.
Best friends in not just track but also in all other aspects of their lives, which gives Marcus and LeVar a special advantage as they strive for success.