Demetrius Snaer isn’t the fastest sprinter on his team, but he holds his own.
Oh, and he’s the coach.
The men’s track and field coach at Modesto Junior College and Manteca native proved that he’s got a little something left in the tank last weekend in the USA Track and Field Masters Championships at Sacramento State’s A.G. Spanos Sports Complex.
Competing in the 35-39-year-old division, Snaer, 35, won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. He even entered the javelin, placing fourth in the event.
Snaer previously won the Masters 100 and 200 in Honolulu when he was 30 back in 2005. And in 2006 he was fourth in the 100 and third in the 200 when the event took place in Charlotte, N.C. He hadn’t entered a Masters meet since because of time constraints.
Snear — a 1993 graduate of East Union High, state and national champion at Delta College and two-time All-American and Hall of Fame inductee at Fresno State — admits that being one of the younger guys in his age group was an advantage, but that didn’t necessarily make him a favorite.
He ran an 11.11-second 100-meter dash in the preliminary round Friday, seeding him No. 3. But on Saturday he blazed through the finish line in 10.89.
“I was surprised,” he admitted. “I hadn’t run in the 10s in a couple years.”
His 2005 title in the 30-34 division came with a time of 10.98, and his finals time in 2006 was 10.95.
How fast is the 10.89?
To give you an idea, his 100 time would have placed him second against high school kids roughly half his age in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet this past May and qualified him for the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships. But it should be noted that weather conditions were a bit different a few months ago.
Snaer got off the starting blocks faster than race favorite, Rawle Delisle, of New York, N.Y., and knew his early lead was not safe. Delisle made a late charge but settled for second in 11 flat.
“Before the race I heard him telling some of the other guys that he doesn’t have a good start but finishes strong,” Snaer said. “I knew I had a good start, so with 50 meters left I was thinking, ‘OK, where is he?’ I just ran for my life after that.”
Delisle got revenge in the 200 finals Sunday, winning with a 22.24 –second time to Snaer’s 22.39.
Snaer was awarded the gold medal anyway because Delisle is not a U.S. citizen.
“I don’t care what anybody says, the guy still beat me,” Snaer said.
Snaer didn’t fare as well in the javelin throw Sunday. He finished fourth out of four competitors with a toss of 114 feet, 7 inches.
Known more as a sprinter in his prime, Snaer did some work with the javelin while in college while a hamstring injury kept him off the track events.
“I begged my coaches to let me do it just to give me something to do,” Snaer said. “I really liked it, but I hadn’t done it since until last weekend.”
Staying active in competitive meets doesn’t just keep Snaer in shape and feeling young, it’s also a bonding experience with his family and MJC athletes.
He went on long jogs with his wife, Melissa, to train for the Masters meet, and once or twice a week he did sprints with the team.
“Sometimes I get guys who don’t like when their coaches run with them, but most of the guys really respect that,” Snaer said. “It’s almost to the point where they act like I’m with the team.
“I think it motivates them, it makes the guys think, ‘Man, I have to step my game up because I don’t want coach to beat me. They actually like that I still get out there and try to compete.”
While proud of his individual accomplishments, especially after taking a couple years off from competitive running, Snaer said leading the MJC men’s team to its first Big-8 Conference championship in May tops that.
“I can’t think of anything I do better than running and coaching,” he said. “I love going to the Masters meet and winning, but it doesn’t compare to the team winning the conference. With us winning the toughest conference (in JUCO track) in the state, it’s definitely the highlight of my coaching career.”
Oh, and he’s the coach.
The men’s track and field coach at Modesto Junior College and Manteca native proved that he’s got a little something left in the tank last weekend in the USA Track and Field Masters Championships at Sacramento State’s A.G. Spanos Sports Complex.
Competing in the 35-39-year-old division, Snaer, 35, won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. He even entered the javelin, placing fourth in the event.
Snaer previously won the Masters 100 and 200 in Honolulu when he was 30 back in 2005. And in 2006 he was fourth in the 100 and third in the 200 when the event took place in Charlotte, N.C. He hadn’t entered a Masters meet since because of time constraints.
Snear — a 1993 graduate of East Union High, state and national champion at Delta College and two-time All-American and Hall of Fame inductee at Fresno State — admits that being one of the younger guys in his age group was an advantage, but that didn’t necessarily make him a favorite.
He ran an 11.11-second 100-meter dash in the preliminary round Friday, seeding him No. 3. But on Saturday he blazed through the finish line in 10.89.
“I was surprised,” he admitted. “I hadn’t run in the 10s in a couple years.”
His 2005 title in the 30-34 division came with a time of 10.98, and his finals time in 2006 was 10.95.
How fast is the 10.89?
To give you an idea, his 100 time would have placed him second against high school kids roughly half his age in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet this past May and qualified him for the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships. But it should be noted that weather conditions were a bit different a few months ago.
Snaer got off the starting blocks faster than race favorite, Rawle Delisle, of New York, N.Y., and knew his early lead was not safe. Delisle made a late charge but settled for second in 11 flat.
“Before the race I heard him telling some of the other guys that he doesn’t have a good start but finishes strong,” Snaer said. “I knew I had a good start, so with 50 meters left I was thinking, ‘OK, where is he?’ I just ran for my life after that.”
Delisle got revenge in the 200 finals Sunday, winning with a 22.24 –second time to Snaer’s 22.39.
Snaer was awarded the gold medal anyway because Delisle is not a U.S. citizen.
“I don’t care what anybody says, the guy still beat me,” Snaer said.
Snaer didn’t fare as well in the javelin throw Sunday. He finished fourth out of four competitors with a toss of 114 feet, 7 inches.
Known more as a sprinter in his prime, Snaer did some work with the javelin while in college while a hamstring injury kept him off the track events.
“I begged my coaches to let me do it just to give me something to do,” Snaer said. “I really liked it, but I hadn’t done it since until last weekend.”
Staying active in competitive meets doesn’t just keep Snaer in shape and feeling young, it’s also a bonding experience with his family and MJC athletes.
He went on long jogs with his wife, Melissa, to train for the Masters meet, and once or twice a week he did sprints with the team.
“Sometimes I get guys who don’t like when their coaches run with them, but most of the guys really respect that,” Snaer said. “It’s almost to the point where they act like I’m with the team.
“I think it motivates them, it makes the guys think, ‘Man, I have to step my game up because I don’t want coach to beat me. They actually like that I still get out there and try to compete.”
While proud of his individual accomplishments, especially after taking a couple years off from competitive running, Snaer said leading the MJC men’s team to its first Big-8 Conference championship in May tops that.
“I can’t think of anything I do better than running and coaching,” he said. “I love going to the Masters meet and winning, but it doesn’t compare to the team winning the conference. With us winning the toughest conference (in JUCO track) in the state, it’s definitely the highlight of my coaching career.”
