Track and field teams open home schedule of indoor season
First-year track and field director Willie Randolph spent Friday afternoon pacing the track in the Indoor Athletic Complex, coaching any athlete he could find during the Chippewa Open.
The first home meet of the indoor season, the Open was a non-scoring event that included nearly all CMU athletes. Runners from Alma college and unattached athletes also competed in the meet.
Randolph said the team needs to have a stronger balance with its runners in order to score well in the Mid-American Conference Championships in February. He said non-scoring events prepare athletes for the bright lights of the conference and national championships.
“If you learn it when there’s nothing at stake, and you do it at a high level, then you’re already up there,” Randolph said. “We need to get the mental athlete and physical athlete to work together.”
Key returners in the field events included senior Marcus Breidinger and All-American senior Greg Pilling. Breidinger won the pole vault by clearing 16 feet, 3/4 inches, while Pilling won the men’s weight throw at 15.8 meters. Freshman Renaldo Powell posted a time of 8.19 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries.
“When you look at the conference championships, that was roughly around first or second place at the MAC’s last year,” Randolph said. “As a freshman, that’s a great time.”
Lansing juniors and former high school teammates Shanaye Carr and Jordan Dunn led the way for the women runners. Carr won the 60m hurdles, posting a time of 8.89 seconds, while Dunn won the 60m dash with a time of 7.94. In the 2009 indoor season, Dunn scored at the Mid-American Conference Championships, and won the 60m hurdles at the Michigan Intercollegiates.
The Chippewas return to action Saturday when they travel to Eastern Michigan.
Notes Sophomore Charles Stinson turned in a career-best on the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.22 seconds and Cara Dukes won the women’s 600m hurdles with a time of 1:38.55. After getting through his first cross country season as the leader of the track and field and cross country program, Randolph has compiled a staff that includes almost all first-year coaches. Randolph said he is still working on changing the culture of the track team.
