Rock looking to start rolling in a different direction
By KIRK BEY | La Crosse Tribune
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Perhaps a change of direction will benefit and prolong Andrew Rock's professional track and field career. Then again, he knows it might not.
All Rock knows is that he's both ready and willing to start over. The man who was a 17-time NCAA Division III All-American sprinter at
Andrew Rock demonstrates the Hummer Bicep Curl. Dick Riniker photo
UW-La Crosse and a member of the United States' gold-medal winning 1,600-meter relay team at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics made his move when he withdrew from the 400-meter dash quarterfinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 29 in Eugene, Ore.
Rock wrote Tuesday in an e-mail that he switched to the 400 hurdles a month ago and is "leaning toward making an effort to run that event." Rock, who did travel to Eugene, declined to say why he withdrew from the Olympic Trials, only writing that he's in "a period of transition and the trials just didn't fit into those plans."
So now the 26-year-old Rock, who won the 400 at the 2006 U.S. Outdoor Championships and was ranked fourth in the world that year, will return to an event in which he once excelled. Rock was the Division 3 state champion in both the 110 and 300 hurdles while competing for Stratford High School at the 2000 WIAA state meet.
"Maybe somewhat of a new challenge will help me out," Rock wrote. "I am really enjoying it right now and want to keep things on a positive note.
"I don't know if it will work out but I am really enjoying it and it is worth a shot. That is more or less my plans for the immediate future."
Rock's coach, former UW-L track coach and current University of Wisconsin assistant Mark Guthrie, is waiting to see exactly what that future holds.
Guthrie, who also declined to say why Rock withdrew from the Olympic trials, said Monday night that Rock was "fine" both physically and mentally. Judging by what he had seen from Rock through his training  he had run a personal-best 200-meter time of 20.48 seconds in mid-June  Guthrie believes Rock likely would have finished anywhere from third to fifth in the 400 final at the Olympic trials.
The top three finishers earn spots on the U.S. Olympic team. Rock finished sixth in the 400 final at the 2004 Olympic trials, but still earned a spot on the 1,600 relay team.
"From what I saw leading up to the trials, I am 90 percent certain he would have made the (U.S. Olympic) team," Guthrie said. "He might not have finished first or second, but he was certainly better than sixth."
Guthrie said Rock had recently met with his agent, Barbara Huebner, and "felt pretty good" after talking with her. Now Guthrie will do whatever he can to help Rock get to where he wants to go.
"One thing about Andrew is he makes great decisions," Guthrie said. "I'll support him in whatever he wants to do."
Rock is optimistic his decision to return to an event at which he once succeeded ultimately will pay off.
"I am moving forward with this idea and want to remain excited and positive and not look to things in the past that I cannot change," Rock wrote.
