A sports reporter could write an entire article solely about the running accomplishments of Rebecca Wilmes. While attending Parkway West high school, Wilmes (then known as Rebecca Davis) ran both cross country and track and ran the 1600-meter at State with a time of 4:55.

Her achievements skyrocketed when she began running at Mizzou: a two-time All-American in the 800 and the 1500-meter run, Big Eight Newcomer of the Year in both cross country and track,a Drake Relays champion and an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500-meter run. Most recently, Wilmes was inducted into the Missouri Hall of Fame in 2005.

However, it is her segue into coaching, which began 11 seasons ago, and the recent
announcement that she would be taking over both the men and women’s cross country team at Mizzou that has shifted a bright spotlight on to Wilmes. Big River Running’s Courtney Chazen caught up with Coach Wilmes to talk about her recent promotion and reminisce about her days as a Longhorn and a Tiger.

You ran for the Parkway West Longhorns and were coached by your dad, Raymond Davis. What was one of the most important things he taught you about running?
I've always referred to my dad as an artist. His whole mission was teaching kids through sports, which I love and respect. One of the biggest things he taught me was that you're not as good as your last race, but you're not as bad either. I find that today in my own coaching, as I watch our kids ride the highs and lows of competing. I just believe in keeping an even, steady keel and to not ride that emotional roller coaster. In fact, I was just using that example with our kids and stressing the importance of balance. Yes, you can have a bad race and feel bad about it, but 24 hours later you need to not focus on it anymore and get ready for what's ahead.

How did you get involved with running?
Like a lot of people who end up as runners, I was pretty good at it and beat a lot of people in grade school during gym class. Plus, my dad was a coach so our entire family was immersed in running. I did still participate in a lot of other sports, which was healthy, but, yes, definitely with my dad being so focused with the sport, we were exposed to it a lot.

What was your best high school running moment?
I look at it two ways: First, there's the team aspect. I got to be apart of two state championship cross country teams my freshman and sophomore year, which was thrilling. Plus, my freshman year the boys won state and my brother was on the team. As an individual, a state championship had always eluded me, but I finally won State in the 1600 and 3200 my senior year. Probably the best moment was walking off the track and getting a big hug from my dad.

Is it true that your senior year of high school you were injured, so you were only allowed to sprint?
I developed anemia my senior year, but my junior year I was injured and this is where my dad was an absolute artist. He had me run the 200, 4x2, 4x4 and I made it to state in the 800.

Why did you choose to run at Mizzou?
Like most kids who are getting ready for college, I was looking for a place that offered the total package: strong academics and a great athletic program. When I got to Mizzou I saw the high level of competitiveness. I also saw that it was an environment where people are free to fail, but encouraged to get back up and are always supported.

What was your favorite running moment at Mizzou?
Again, it's when you do something with your team. There was a moment at the Drake Relays my senior year when I was anchoring our team. I got this sick feeling in my stomach because I was thinking, 'I've got to get it done for my teammates.'  We ended up winning and we got to take a victory lap in front of 20,000 people. The whole team, we were just a bunch of pretty decent high school runners when we got to college, but we got better together and several of us went on to become All-Americans.

You recently took over the men's and women's cross country programs. What's the transition been like?
It's been very good and I'm lucky to have moved into this position. It was a unique situation, in that my husband had been the head coach. We've got some great kids here, there's a lot of energy and people are excited about the future. I'm loving it!  I've got a fantastic assistant in Coach Fred Binggeli. People might just know him as "The Guy from MSHSAA", but he is a fantastic coach and he's directly coaching and working with our men . Fred's been ACC coach of the year at both the University of Virginia and Southeast Missouri State . He also coached Paul Ereng to an 800m Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.

How is it different coaching men versus women?
I try not to stereotype the men or women. I believe in coaching the individual. Each person is different and you communicate differently with each one, but these are highly motivated student-athletes. The training is different in terms of volume and intensity, of course.  And, with women, in general, being more injury prone than men, our approach to recovery between men and women varies somewhat.

Who are the some of the best former athletes that you've coached?
I definitely don't label athletes that I coach or have coached. But, if I were to name some good ones -when Serena Ramsey Burla got here, she was a pretty good runner, but became a great runner. She couldn't do a tempo run at first, but then she finished as a 10k All-American. Amanda Bales was a terrible cross country runner in high school and she left here as a cross country All-American. Shannon Leinert is one of the most driven people I've coached. I loved watching her go to the line. Ann Marie Brooks, from St. Joe, MO anchored our National Championship winning DMR and made two world cross country teams. Again I don't like to label, but those are some of the best, athletically, that I've coached.

How would you describe the current state of the Mizzou's cross country program and where do you see it going?
We have a great group of kids working their butts off always. We want to be a team that's regularly at NCAA Championships and this is a process. We have a good women's team and we are working hard to keep everyone healthy. On the men's side, we've made some personnel decisions in red shirting some guys. We're putting together an exciting team for next year and we intend to have a presence at the NCAA Championships regularly.

What's the best part of being a coach?
Watching the process that these athletes go through - the struggle, the dedication. Watching them overcome big things. Watching them have a breakthrough - that's thrilling.

What's been your favorite college coaching experience so far?
We've had a lot of fun experiences with winning the NCAA Regional Championships a few times and finishing in the top 16 at the NCAA Cross Country Meet four different times.  But, for me it's the relationships. Watching these kids grow and overcoming obstacles and laying it all on the line. .....................................................................................................................................

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