Dakroub, Chippewas look to continue progress
The Central Michigan women’s track and field team is ready to kick off the new outdoor season this weekend as they escape the cold snow of Mount Pleasant for Nashville, Tenn., and Palo Alto, Calif.
Traveling to the Stanford-hosted meet in California with assistant coach Matt Kaczor will be distance runners Danielle Dakroub and freshman Krista Parks.
“I’m looking to give it my best against better competition and to push myself,” Dakroub said. “Also help my teammate Krista [Parks] in the 5,000-meter. I’ve never been one to look at the names. I just go to the race and forget about who is in it and focus on people around me."
Willie Randolph, CMU director of track and field, said Stanford will provide some tough competition for Dakroub and Parks, but that competition will help strengthen two for the rest of the season.
“Stanford will be a really competitive meet and will have many athletes from all over the country,” Randolph said. “It’s going to be very competitive for those distance runners to go out there and get good marks and hopefully qualify for (NCAA) regionals.
“It’s continuation in trying to achieve excellence. I’m not overly excited about outdoor season, I’m just ready to continue on what we’re trying to do with this program.”
The Vanderbilt meet will include a select group that carries over from the end of the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships.
Two schools Randolph previously coached at will be there, in Vanderbilt and Belmont, along with Southeast Missouri State, Jackson and some unattached athletes from many other schools. CMU is looking to put up some big numbers in Nashville.
“It’s a very fast track, really good for sprinters,” Randolph said. “We have a renewed focus right now and we are really driven on making the big things happen but focus on the little things right now. We’re in the zone right now in just trying not to disappoint ourselves.”
