The Lawrence University Indoor Track and Field teams competed in their first meet of the indoor season last Friday at UW Oshkosh. Both men and women teams finished third against the historically dominant Oshkosh Titans and conference rival Ripon Redhawks. The women finished with 42 points and the men finished with 40.
As it was the first meet of the year, the Vikings looked to start the season off on a strong note. “Heading into the season, our aim is always to take steps towards our big season goals,” said junior Max Edwards. “With the indoor season being so short, every meet is an opportunity for the entire team to reach those goals.” Although the team finished last in the overall point standings, several outstanding performances keep the team rolling on a positive note.
The women’s side was highlighted by a complete sweep of the top seven places in the 3000-meter run with senior Clare Bruning taking the top spot with a time of 11:24. Bruning was closely followed by sophomore Erin Schrobilgen in second place with a time of 11:49 and sophomore Hannah Kinzer in third with 11:40. Freshman Sierra Polzin also ran well in her college track debut with a third place finish in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:31. Earning the top finish in the Lady Vike’s field events was sophomore Sage Greenlee whose 1.6 meter leap in the high jump was good enough for second place.
For the men, the top finisher was the 4×400 meter relay which finished in second place with a time of 3:43. Freshman Dan Sandacz, in his first indoor collegiate meet, took fourth place in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9:37. Other top finishers for the men include Edwards in the 1 mile run for third in 4:31 and senior Cam Davies right behind him in fourth with a time of 4:33.
After its first meet, the team remains optimistic about a successful season. “We had several athletes either tie or set personal records,” reflects Edwards. “For that to occur during the first meet of the season sets the groundwork for more improvements in subsequent meets.” The Vikings are determined to keep their eyes on the future as every day they are preparing for their end goal: a top finish in the Midwest Conference meet. “Conference is always the highlight of our season and the meet which we are always working towards,” says Edwards.
Next week, Lawrence will compete at the UW Stout Invitational, which will give the Vikings a whole new set of challenges as they face over fifteen teams of ranging abilities. “Stout is really going to put to the test the training that we’ve been able to do over break and a few weeks of practice,” says Edwards. Look for the Vikings to make a statement against several conference teams and stiff local competition.