2008 Woodie Awards
Outdoor season starts today
By: Jacob Lougheed
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports
The men's track and field team will take on its first Mid-American Conference opponent Saturday against Eastern Michigan at Bennett Track.
After a disappointing finish to the indoor season, coach Jim Knapp hopes that as the weather warms up, so will his team.
"Track is an outdoor sport to begin with," Knapp said. "We struggled indoors, so we are looking to get back on the track and try to redeem ourselves."
Eastern is the preseason favorite in the conference's coaches' poll this season, while CMU was picked to finish fourth.
The Eagles ran away from the competition in the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 29-March 1 by finishing 83 points ahead of second-place Akron. Knapp said this weekend's meet might be a difficult situation.
"They do well in everything. That's what makes them so strong - they have a lot of people in every event," he said. "Track is a game of numbers. Teams that have big numbers and put a lot of people on the track are going to do well. That's where they are right now - they have lots of people in every event."
Knapp isn't the only one excited to get outdoors to begin the season. Junior Abraham Mach also is ready to face the Eagles.
"We just have to try to get into the feel of outdoor track; it is just the beginning of outdoors," Mach said.
As for the indoor season, Mach feels it didn't go as well as it could have. Mach earned All-America honors in the 800-meter run in March.
"I think we could have done better as a team," Mach said. "We have some young guys in our hurdles and I am kind of excited about that."
Knapp guaranteed the team will improve in the upcoming season.
"We will be a better team than we were indoors - that's a fact," he said. "The MAC Indoor Championship meet, I've still got an awfully bitter taste in my mouth about and we are going to do something about it."
At the MAC Indoor Championships, the Chippewas finished tied for fourth place out of five teams with Buffalo with 47 team points at the meet and 160 points behind Eastern.
"We know exactly where we are, we just need to do what we are capable of doing," Knapp said. "We're just getting started; I am anxious to get on the track and see where we are."
sports@cm-life.com
After a disappointing finish to the indoor season, coach Jim Knapp hopes that as the weather warms up, so will his team.
"Track is an outdoor sport to begin with," Knapp said. "We struggled indoors, so we are looking to get back on the track and try to redeem ourselves."
Eastern is the preseason favorite in the conference's coaches' poll this season, while CMU was picked to finish fourth.
The Eagles ran away from the competition in the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 29-March 1 by finishing 83 points ahead of second-place Akron. Knapp said this weekend's meet might be a difficult situation.
"They do well in everything. That's what makes them so strong - they have a lot of people in every event," he said. "Track is a game of numbers. Teams that have big numbers and put a lot of people on the track are going to do well. That's where they are right now - they have lots of people in every event."
Knapp isn't the only one excited to get outdoors to begin the season. Junior Abraham Mach also is ready to face the Eagles.
"We just have to try to get into the feel of outdoor track; it is just the beginning of outdoors," Mach said.
As for the indoor season, Mach feels it didn't go as well as it could have. Mach earned All-America honors in the 800-meter run in March.
"I think we could have done better as a team," Mach said. "We have some young guys in our hurdles and I am kind of excited about that."
Knapp guaranteed the team will improve in the upcoming season.
"We will be a better team than we were indoors - that's a fact," he said. "The MAC Indoor Championship meet, I've still got an awfully bitter taste in my mouth about and we are going to do something about it."
At the MAC Indoor Championships, the Chippewas finished tied for fourth place out of five teams with Buffalo with 47 team points at the meet and 160 points behind Eastern.
"We know exactly where we are, we just need to do what we are capable of doing," Knapp said. "We're just getting started; I am anxious to get on the track and see where we are."
sports@cm-life.com
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