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No mincing of words by athletes, coaches

Conifer sprinter sums it up: Users ‘out of their minds’

By Alan Pearce, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 13, 2008 at 11:10 p.m.

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Eaton pitcher Kyle Ottoson says he never has heard of steroids use at his Class 3A school. He would welcome testing for the substances.

Photo by Bret Hartman/Greeley Tribune

Eaton pitcher Kyle Ottoson says he never has heard of steroids use at his Class 3A school. He would welcome testing for the substances.

Conifer track standout Emily Blok used to look up to Olympian Marion Jones, who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games only to be stripped of them when it was discovered she used steroids.

Photo by Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky

Conifer track standout Emily Blok used to look up to Olympian Marion Jones, who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games only to be stripped of them when it was discovered she used steroids.

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Conifer High School track standout Emily Blok knows her sport has an indelible link to steroids.

"Whenever you say, 'sprinter,' people just think steroids," said Blok, who will compete in the state championships this weekend. "That's not what it's about. I don't really see it at my school. I've heard it about other people. Some have said that I use steroids, and that's just not me."

Blok said she used to look up to Marion Jones, the Olympian who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics but was stripped of them because she used steroids.

Blok is especially aware of the problems with steroids because she recently wrote a class report on the effects of the drug. She cheered the news that four states have testing programs and can't understand why someone would use steroids.

"They're just out of their minds," she said. "It's so dangerous. Even just short-term use is not good for you."

Jonathan Gaye, a senior sprinter for Mullen who will attend Colorado State on a football scholarship, said he has heard of "a few people" who have used steroids in high school but thinks it's a bigger issue for college and pro athletes.

"Like when the pressure becomes too much, then I'm sure that's when it starts happening more," said Gaye, who also is competing in the state championships. "Actually, when people take steroids, I think it's like cheating because there are so many people who are doing things the right way, following the rules. And they don't stand a chance because they're going up against people who are doing things the wrong way in using steroids."

Kyle Ottoson, a pitcher for Class 3A state tournament qualifier Eaton, said he'd have no problem with steroids testing.

"As far as I know, in 3A schools it doesn't exist," he said. "I've never even heard of it. Out here in the country, the only big guys we have are corn-fed farm boys. It's not so much of an issue in high school ball, but it might be in college."

At Chatfield Senior High, Jeni Weimer interacts with students as a counselor and girls tennis coach. Many of her tennis players also participate in other sports, such as cross country, lacrosse and volleyball.

Weimer said she has never had a student she has counseled admit to using steroids, but she recalled a graduate who returned to Chatfield on a visit saying he used steroids during his high school football days.

"I think it's a prevalent situation, more for boys," she said. "I think (testing) would be a good thing, if they could find a way to fund it that wouldn't hurt schools."

Several coaches said they were surprised to learn four other states have the financial resources to fund testing.

"It's interesting to see that some states can devote the funding to tests," Cherry Creek tennis coach Chris Jacob said. "I would think tests would focus on (alcohol and marijuana), which, I think, is more of a problem."

Still, Jacob was intrigued enough by the steroids situation that she polled one of her English classes. The consensus among those sophomores was steroids use was not prevalent but those drugs were fairly easy to obtain.

Jacob said the most chilling response for her came from one student who wrote that he or she (respondents had anonymity) would try steroids if asked to by a coach.

Weimer and Heritage swimming coach Tom Byorick said they believe athletes could achieve many of the positive results obtained from steroids by weight training and a nutritional program.

"I think you can get the results you want the old-fashioned way, with weights, rather than going the cheating route," Weimer said.