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Volume CXXXIII, Number 12 |
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Indoor track prepares for competition
ANN SMITH
STAFF WRITER
As the winter season approaches, both the women and men's indoor track
and field teams are preparing for a productive and successful year.
After losing only three graduating seniors last year, the women's team
will be a solid contender in the 2001-2002 season.
The girls look to senior captains Karen Yeoman, Casey Kelley, and Kate
Waller for support, while also relying on junior runner and cross country
captain Libby Barney.
The underclassmen have also shown great promise this season. First-year
standouts Audra Caler and Katie Landry will test their skills and push
the team farther after a successful cross country season.
"The dynamics of the team are really great this year," said
sophomore Kala Hardacker. "We have three enthusiastic captains and
a very tight pack of first-years coming right off from cross country season.
A lot of talent is both returning and being added to the team this season,
so we're confident in our goal to be an even stronger team than last year."
"Our team has multiple goals for this indoor season as we compete
in numerous championship meets," Kelley commented.
"We intend to be undefeated in the NESCAC conference this season.
With our incredible talent, we want to be a top team at championship meets
like New England DIIIs and ECACs."
Much the same as the women's team, the Bowdoin men's indoor track and
field squad is getting pumped up for the season.
Goal orientated, the team has already set up an agenda. "Obviously,
we want to win," commented Tung Trinh '04. "We want to be as
successful as we possibly can. The team looks a lot stronger than it did
last year, solely based on everyone's attitude."
The underclassmen have greatly contributed to the team's new energy and
have eased the loss of senior runners.
"Our younger guys are beginning to come into their own. As always,
each new year brings with it new faces and new personalities," senior
captain Nick Lyford said.
"For a veteran like myself, it is good to see how the new guys fit
in and imagine what type of team they will grow into in the future,"
he continued.
Led by senior captains Mike Pesa Falon, Pat Vardaro, and Lyford, the
team is concentrating on the season ahead.
"They are three different types of athletes and different types
of leaders," sophomore Dan Abraham said. "They really round
out the top of the team and are all amazing contributors in competition."
The men's team looks forward to meets with Williams and MIT, and will
be competing in the Bates Pentathalon December 7.
"Everyone is fired up for the season and ready to put in the necessary
hard work and dedication it takes to win," Trinh said. "Although
we lost a couple of valuable seniors from last year's team, I think we
come back with a solid core group of guys."
The women's team also looks forward to facing their rivals, especially
Colby. They are also set to attend the Bates Pentathlon.
"As a team, we're hoping to have the majority, if not all, of our
athletes qualify for the NESCAC meet," Hardacker said. "That
requires that we reach specific standards in our respective events before
we are individually allowed to compete in the championship meets."
"The teams hope to defend their state championship titles, and be
in the top five in New England this season," head coach Peter Slovenski
said.
He added that the team is benefitting from having assistant coaching
this season. "It's great to have assistant coaches Lynn Ruddy, Julia
Kirtland, and Jim St. Pierre back with the program," he said. "They
were highly successful when they coached Bowdoin runners, jumpers, and
throwers in past seasons. They've brought a lot of experience and enthusiasm
to the program in our first month of winter track practices."
Abraham summed up what seemed to be the team's mentality. "Our team
has the talent to compete nationally, and I think everyone on the team
is striving for that," he said.