SE: Aaron Booth Finds Confidence for Bigger Goals After Breaking New Zealand National Heptathlon Record
Jan 29, 2019 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
The conversation Aaron Booth had with his personal coach, Matt Dallow, before the World University Games in 2017 somewhat mirrored the one he had with Director of K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto before the Razorback Invitational last weekend.
Prior to representing New Zealand at the World University Games in Taiwan, Dallow asked Booth to write down his goals in three forms: Best-case scenario, worst-case scenario and an outlook for an average performance. Dallow did the same for Booth.
Their answers did not exactly line up.
"My worst-case scenario was so much worse than what he had down for me," recalled Booth, who earned a bronze medal in the decathlon at the prestigious meet with a score of 7,523.
Ironically, it was at that meet when Booth first heard of K-State from Reinis Kregers, a former K-State decathlete. It led Booth to the conversation he had with Rovelto last week. Rovelto asked Booth what his goals were for his first ever indoor heptathlon. Booth started off confidently.
"The New Zealand record," he began, aiming to top the 5,758-point national record set by Brent Newdick in 2012.
Then Booth added: "I want to get close that."
He followed that with, "But anything over 5,650, really," noting that number would almost surely be good enough to get him into the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Like before the World University Games, Rovelto's expectations of Booth exceeded that of Booth himself.
"Coach was, like, 'I think you can go 5,820,'" Booth said, initially taken back by the number. "That made me realize he has confidence in where I am now to be able to score big."
Booth did exactly that.
The 5-foot-11 Wildcat put up 5,819 points at the Razorback Invitational to become the New Zealand national record holder for the indoor heptathlon. He also fell three points short of the K-State record set by Mantas Silkauskas in 2011.
After the impressive achievement, Rovelto told Booth something along the lines of: "You're too hard on yourself."
"(He was) hinting toward a sign of self-doubt," Booth, already in K-State's top-10 for six of the seven individual heptathlon events, added. "It was just getting me back into being confident in where I'm at."
Now, Booth said he's in a very good place. His heptathlon score puts him third in the NCAA and sixth in the world. It also topped the mark set by Newdick, not only a New Zealand track and field icon but one Booth has looked up to through the years. Newdick finished 12th in the decathlon at the 2012 Olympics, the same year he set the heptathlon record Booth just topped.
"He was in form when he did it, so, to be at the same level as him, it's opened my eyes up a bit to realize what I could actually do. It's pretty promising going forward," Booth said. "Scoring that big makes me realize I'm actually competitive now, not just collegiately but in the world, really. It's made things like the Olympics and World Championships actually seem like it's there. Rather than just a distant dream, it feels like it's a lot closer now.
"That was one of the big chats I had with (Dallow). He said, 'I hope you realize how good that was for you, and Tokyo 2020 is becoming more and more achievable as competitions go on.'"
Of course, Booth said there are several milestones to hit before thinking too much about a run at the Olympics. Reaching 6,000 points in the heptathlon would be a good start. He said it's on his list of goals for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama.
For now, Booth said he's eager to just get back to work. After being limited by an injury much of last season, Booth said the combination of his improved health and newfound wave of confidence has kept him hungry for improvement.
"Last year when I came here, it was pretty rough. There were a lot of things where I was, like, 'I think I can do well but I don't really know.' It goes back to the self-doubt thing: 'I don't know if I can get there,'" Booth said. "It just seemed like it might be slightly out of my reach, but to be able to do it and for it to actually seem like it's becoming more real…I just want to put my head down, get back to training and keep going.
"My score right now is pretty good, but I know it's not what it should be."
The conversation Aaron Booth had with his personal coach, Matt Dallow, before the World University Games in 2017 somewhat mirrored the one he had with Director of K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto before the Razorback Invitational last weekend.
Prior to representing New Zealand at the World University Games in Taiwan, Dallow asked Booth to write down his goals in three forms: Best-case scenario, worst-case scenario and an outlook for an average performance. Dallow did the same for Booth.
Their answers did not exactly line up.
"My worst-case scenario was so much worse than what he had down for me," recalled Booth, who earned a bronze medal in the decathlon at the prestigious meet with a score of 7,523.
Ironically, it was at that meet when Booth first heard of K-State from Reinis Kregers, a former K-State decathlete. It led Booth to the conversation he had with Rovelto last week. Rovelto asked Booth what his goals were for his first ever indoor heptathlon. Booth started off confidently.
"The New Zealand record," he began, aiming to top the 5,758-point national record set by Brent Newdick in 2012.
Then Booth added: "I want to get close that."
He followed that with, "But anything over 5,650, really," noting that number would almost surely be good enough to get him into the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Like before the World University Games, Rovelto's expectations of Booth exceeded that of Booth himself.
"Coach was, like, 'I think you can go 5,820,'" Booth said, initially taken back by the number. "That made me realize he has confidence in where I am now to be able to score big."
Booth did exactly that.
The 5-foot-11 Wildcat put up 5,819 points at the Razorback Invitational to become the New Zealand national record holder for the indoor heptathlon. He also fell three points short of the K-State record set by Mantas Silkauskas in 2011.
After the impressive achievement, Rovelto told Booth something along the lines of: "You're too hard on yourself."
"(He was) hinting toward a sign of self-doubt," Booth, already in K-State's top-10 for six of the seven individual heptathlon events, added. "It was just getting me back into being confident in where I'm at."
Now, Booth said he's in a very good place. His heptathlon score puts him third in the NCAA and sixth in the world. It also topped the mark set by Newdick, not only a New Zealand track and field icon but one Booth has looked up to through the years. Newdick finished 12th in the decathlon at the 2012 Olympics, the same year he set the heptathlon record Booth just topped.
"He was in form when he did it, so, to be at the same level as him, it's opened my eyes up a bit to realize what I could actually do. It's pretty promising going forward," Booth said. "Scoring that big makes me realize I'm actually competitive now, not just collegiately but in the world, really. It's made things like the Olympics and World Championships actually seem like it's there. Rather than just a distant dream, it feels like it's a lot closer now.
"That was one of the big chats I had with (Dallow). He said, 'I hope you realize how good that was for you, and Tokyo 2020 is becoming more and more achievable as competitions go on.'"
Of course, Booth said there are several milestones to hit before thinking too much about a run at the Olympics. Reaching 6,000 points in the heptathlon would be a good start. He said it's on his list of goals for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama.
For now, Booth said he's eager to just get back to work. After being limited by an injury much of last season, Booth said the combination of his improved health and newfound wave of confidence has kept him hungry for improvement.
"Last year when I came here, it was pretty rough. There were a lot of things where I was, like, 'I think I can do well but I don't really know.' It goes back to the self-doubt thing: 'I don't know if I can get there,'" Booth said. "It just seemed like it might be slightly out of my reach, but to be able to do it and for it to actually seem like it's becoming more real…I just want to put my head down, get back to training and keep going.
"My score right now is pretty good, but I know it's not what it should be."
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