Linfield Track a Family Affair

Garry was a standout runner at South Albany and later ran at Oregon State.

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McMINNVILLE - Big changes are coming soon for Mike Killgore (Sr., McMinnville, Ore.), a senior member of the track team his father, Garry, coaches.

In less than three months, Mike will graduate from Linfield College with a degree in Finance. And on Aug. 17th, he will be married to Tommi Costanzo, the girlfriend he met the first week of classes as a freshman.

But until those big days arrive, Mike will continue to enjoy the moments he has left on the track team, coached by his dad.

He still has some competitive goals before he heads out into the real world. He would like to lower his personal record in the 800 meters. And he would like to reach the NCAA Division III national championships in the 4x400 relay.

“It seems like there is still a lot of time left,” Mike said.

Four years at Linfield, coached by his dad, have gone by smoothly.

Garry said he has been careful coaching his son, and never pushed him into running.

“He runs for different reasons than his dad did,” Garry said. “For me, running was a way of life. He was exposed to it at an early age but he does it for the team.”

Garry was a standout runner at South Albany and later ran at Oregon State, where his reputation for versatility grew. He competed well in any of the distance races, from 800 meters on up.

The length of the race was never an issue.

“It’s always been part of my philosophy, if you want to be a good racer, it doesn’t matter how long it is. A race is a race,” Garry said.

Garry was still filling his need to race and compete at all-comers meets in the summer in Eugene when Mike was born in 1985. By 1989, the family moved to McMinnville when he was offered a job at Linfield.

Mike grew up around his dad’s running program at Linfield and the runners that he coached. It was only natural that he would pursue the sport in middle school and high school. He became McMinnville High’s top distance runner.

The decision where to attend college wasn't too difficult. Most small-college coaches in the area didn’t pursue him because they assumed he would go to Linfield. Of course, they were right. He wanted to be part of his dad’s program.

“I had been around long enough and seen a lot of other coaches,” Mike said. “My dad is one of the best coaches I’ve seen out there. And he treats me like any one else.”

That brought a new aspect to the father-son relationship.

“To be honest, it’s hard,” Garry said. “As a coach and as a father you don’t want to overstep those boundaries or roles.”

The past four years have only strengthened the mutual respect that Garry and Mike have for one another.

Garry appreciated the spirit Mike showed last spring in the conference finals of the 800 meters. Because it was so windy, no one in the field wanted to take the lead, including national champion Nick Symmonds of Willamette.

But Mike couldn’t stand the slow pace and decided to forge ahead, make the race honest, and see if he could hold on.

With 200 meters to go, several runners passed Mike, and he ended up sixth. But the point, for Mike, was to go for it.

“I didn’t think I was going to win,” Mike said. “But I wanted to make them work for it,”

It was a proud moment for Garry.

“He was committed to making the race an honest effort,” Garry said. “It was cool. The (Puget Sound) and Lewis & Clark coaches both came up to me and said, ‘Please tell Mike that was awesome.’”

Mike’s devotion to the team is never more apparent than when he is running on Linfield’s 4x400 relay.

The fastest he has ever run an open 400 meters is 52.7 seconds. But on the relay, with a baton in his hand and a desire to perform for his teammates, his best time at the same distance is 50.3 seconds.

“I’ve always been able to count on him in the 4x4,” Garry said. “He feels a responsibility to his teammates. It’s not about personal glory for him. He just doesn’t want to let any of his teammates down.”

The 4x400 relay could be one of the strongest events for the 2007 team, with Mike teaming up with Scott Vanassche (Jr., Milwaukie, Ore.), Jonathan Peralto (Sr., Hilo, Hawaii) and Mat Strum (Soph., Salem, Ore.). It’s a talented quartet that has high hopes for the end of the season.

“I think we have a shot at qualifying for nationals,” Mike said.

That would bring a fitting end to the four-year run of the coach-son relationship. There are no regrets on either side.

“As a coach you always want to figure out the right combination of things to help an athlete reach their potential,” Garry said. “I think Mike’s gotten what he wanted out of it.”

Mike said the things he will take from his father’s coaching have little to do with personal record times or conference meet placings.

“I’ve had a good experience,” he said. “I’ve learned things about leadership and how to be a role model.”

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