It's go time: women seeking first indoor title since 2004, men look for improvement
After weeks of preparation and countless practices, the Central Michigan women’s track and field team is finally ready to head to Bowling Green, Ohio., and compete in the biggest event of the indoor season.
The Chippewas were runner-up last season, finishing second behind Kent State by just seven points. This season, CMU is one of the favorites to win.
Among the women’s competition this year is returning MAC champions Kent State and Eastern Michigan, the team with the most No. 1 rankings in the nation.
“The intensity level is still up but we're working on the little things,” said Willie Randolph, director of track and field. “We're working on techniques and fine tuning.”
The Chippewas sent their jumpers to Bowling Green earlier in the season to get a feel for the turf track that they will be competing on this weekend.
“The only person I know to have success there was (CMU high jump record holder) Erika Schroll,” Randolph said. “The facility is not a great place for jumps.”
One of the athletes looking to have a big day is junior middle distance runner Christina Farrow, who is part of the No. 6 ranked 4x4 400-meter relay team and is ranked No. 8 in the 800-meter.
Farrow may have a little more incentive to win the MAC championship this year because she happened to transfer to CMU from Eastern Michigan, which is probably CMU’s biggest competition this week.
“I’m very excited,” Farrow said. “There is incentive to beat Eastern (Michigan) and a lot of the girls in the 800 (meter) are from there, and I’m very confident and ready to go.”
So what are the keys to success for CMU to come with the hardware on Saturday?
“We have to make sure we have at least two or three athletes in every final," Randolph said. "Having people in the finals of the 400-meter and the 200-meter are the major areas. We have no room for error.
“The reality is that it’s about placing. The higher you place the more points you get and personal-best scores will come.”
The Chippewas are feeling prepared to take on the Golden Flashes, EMU and the rest of the MAC and get their first track and field championship since 2004.
“Our coaching staff has done a great preparing the athletes mentally and physically all year,” Randolph said. “We’ve put together a competitive schedule together for the athletes so they can handle a meet of this level.
“It’s about what do you do and what team shows up, and that is what we are looking forward to see. How will we step up with such a large group of young athletes that haven’t been here before.”
Men
Joining the Chippewas in competition this weekend will be Buffalo, Kent State, Akron and returning champion EMU. The Eagles will again be the favorites to win the meet, with the Golden Flashes and Zips also expected to compete for the title.
And while the Chippewas may not be one of the favorites to win, their focus continues to be on themselves.
Randolph wants his young team to improve upon their last-place finish last season.
“I want our athletes to have the best meet they have so far,” Randolph said. “Posting personal bests in a meet like this shows that we are making progress.”
That is not to say that the Chippewas don’t have the potential to post some solid scores.
Leading CMU into this weekend in the sprints is freshman sprinter Ross Parsons, who sits in the top six in the conference in both the 60- and 200-meter dash. Sophomore Renaldo Powell has the fifth best time in the 60-meter hurdles.
In the distance events, senior Chris Pankow currently has the fourth-best time in the 5,000 meter run and redshirt freshman Tecumseh Adams has the sixth best time in the mile.
The field events are where the team has potential to do some damage. Sophomore jumper Andrew Kruskamp sits sixth in the high jump.
Junior Josh Kettlewell and freshman Tim Reynolds are currently fourth and sixth in the Heptathlon, respectively.
The two-day event is set to start at 10 a.m. today.
