Texas Tech University Athletics
Glavash Brings Winning Attitude to Track Team
February 24, 2006 | Track and Field
Feb. 24, 2006
Throughout sports, the winning teams make it a point to be the absolute best. In order to establish and maintain champion status, some teams have to tweak their roster and find a necessary component to make them better.
Enter Zach Glavash for the men's track and field team.
Glavash is a transfer from the University of Illinois and said that his decision to come to Tech was primarily due to head coach Wes Kittley.
"My decision was fairly easy," Glavash said. "I was just looking for a coach that I could be with for the remainder of my career and Coach Kittley was that coach.
"I loved his philosophy and he has a great team."
Glavash also said that it is great working with his training partner Jonathan Johnson. He said that it was a complete package that he couldn't pass up.
"Training with JJ, we help push each other to whole new levels," Glavash said. "It's real painful, but it's real good for us."
"We're going to open up some eyes this year."
Glavash and the rest of the track team will get the chance to open some eyes when they travel to the Big 12 Championships this weekend. With Big 12 powerhouses Texas, Nebraska, Baylor, and Texas A&M all holding high rankings, Tech is going to need to rise to the occasion.
Glavash said he is planning on having a particularly competitive run in the 800M versus the defending national champion Dmitrijs Milkevics.
"I had my first race against him at Arkansas and I didn't have a very good strategic race," Glavash said. "That's what we have been talking about. "He's a great runner and physically we're pretty close."
Coach Kittley said that last time they ran against Milkevics, Glavash got behind early. Kittley said this week, however, they have a different strategy going in.
"We're going to try to get right behind him on those first laps and stay very close through the whole race, then come off the curve and hopefully have a chance to get him," Kittley said.
"He's really good, but I think we have an opportunity to do that."
Overall Kittley said he was real excited when he heard Glavash was interested in coming to Tech. He said the opportunity to get another half-miler, along with Johnson, would be highly beneficial.
Kittley said he isn't just focused on Glavash's athletic ability, he said that Glavash is more importantly a team person.
"When you mention team around Zach, he wants to do anything and everything he can to help the team," Glavash said. "He brings such an attitude to the track that gets everybody excited. He's going to put it on the line for us every time he's out there."
Glavash added that he loves red and black and that he also loves Lubbock.
"I think it's going to be a good start to my life in Texas," Glavash said.
Players Mentioned
