By Jesse Welte
The University of Louisville track and field team enjoyed great success last year by winning two individual national championships. They will look to build upon that success in the upcoming indoor season, but will have to do so without one of their national champions.
U of L junior Tone Belt, a native of Berkeley Springs, W. Va., won a national championship in the long jump during the NCAA Indoor Championships last March. It was the first for the school since the basketball team won in 1986, and the first ever for U of L track and field. However, at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis in June, Belt suffered a serious injury while landing his third attempt at the long jump.
“I didn’t think I tore anything. I knew I had hurt something when I tried to get up and walk, but I fell back down in the sand,” said Belt of his initial reaction after the injury.
Later tests revealed that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly referred to as the ACL, in his left knee. Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm experienced a similar injury in December of 2005. Belt will look to make a similarly speedy recovery in time to come back for the 2008 outdoor season. Assistant Sports Information Director Garett Wall, in charge of track and field, said, “The injury wasn’t as serious as they thought. That’s why there’s a fairly realistic chance of [Belt] being back to his normal self for the outdoor season in 2008.”
With no significant damage to his knee other than the torn ACL, a full recovery is expected for Belt. In the meantime, he will have to spend much of his time in rehabilitation, as he tries to strengthen his leg and return it to pre-injury strength by April, when the outdoor season starts. His plan is to take a medical red shirt for the indoor season.
Since the surgery, which took place a little over three weeks ago, Belt has been rehabbing his knee once a day. He is able to carefully walk on it now, with the support of a heavy brace. When he is able to straighten his leg on his own and move it without pain, he will begin to rehab two or three times a day. “I took things for granted while I was healthy,” said Belt. “I didn’t work as hard as I could have. A lot of people come back stronger after this injury. I hope to do the same. I want to be back in April for relays.”
Head coach Ron Mann is optimistic about Belt’s recovery as well.
“It’s disappointing any time you have an athlete suffer an injury, especially in a big event like the USA Championships,” said Mann. “Tone has a great attitude and I fully believe he’ll come back from this injury better than ever. I’ve been so impressed with the action plan in place here at the University of Louisville for injured athletes.”
Along with his teammate Andre Black, who took the title in the triple jump, winning a national championship has earned Belt much personal recognition for his accomplishments.
He remained modest, however, promoting his team in a sport where the success of the team is dependent of individual performance. He and his teammates have helped put track and field on the map at U of L.
“I’ve gotten a lot of recognition. As a team we should get more recognition because we’re doing things this school has never seen before in track,” said Belt.
Belt’s success in college may one day gain him international respect. Not only does he hope to be back for the 2008 outdoor season, but he has also considered the fact that he may be ready in time for the 2008 Summer Olympic Trials.
“If I come back as a beast in 2008, then I’m gonna try. I’m looking more to 2012 or 2016.”
Before he gets too ahead of himself though, Belt will rehab and expect to return to U of L’s team better than ever, and continue to add to a resume that portrays him as a six-time Big East Champion and four-time NCAA All-American.
Only time will tell if more national championships, or perhaps “golder” achievements, are in this U of L track star’s future.
