Each collegiate track and field season is comprised of two separate seasons: indoor and outdoor. This may seem like no big deal, but there is a major difference between the two. First, it is obviously outdoors, which means the wind comes into play for any event good or bad. The other main difference is the track is 200 meters shorter, making it a 200-meter track instead of a 400-meter track.
These differences also make it so there are different events per season; some events that only occur inside are the mile, 60-meter dash and hurdles, and the weight throw. Likewise, events that are only outside include the javelin throw, 100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, and the 4×100 relay.
As the V-Hawks wrapped up a successful indoor season, four Viterbo student athletes qualified for this year’s NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted in Brookings, South Dakota, at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on March 1.
For the men’s side, Jalen Anderson made the trip to South Dakota, qualifying for three different events. These included the 60-meter hurdles, the 60-meter dash, and the 200-meter dash. When Anderson qualified for these events, he knew he had to put the work in. When asked what he did to prepare, Anderson stated, “Preparing for three events at indoor nationals was challenging, but a hard work ethic and coaches and teammates who constantly pushed me helped the process a ton. With that being said, I think my teammates and I all agree that not having the proper facilities to train puts a chip on our shoulders and makes us want to work harder than ever while competing against some of the best competition in the country.”
Anderson finished with a time of 8.28 seconds earning him 20th in 60-meter hurdles, a time of 6.94 in the 60-meter dash putting him at 33rd place, and finally Anderson impressively set a new personal best for his 200-meter dash with a time of 21.69 earning him 18th place.
As for the women, three student athletes also headed west to compete. Tori Gerber qualified for the 800-meter while Emma Johnson and Emily Howell qualified to compete in pole vault. In Gerber’s 800, she finished with a time of 2:22.25, earning her 18th place finish. As for pole vault, Emma Jonson cleared a height of 3.57m (11’ 8.5”) earning her 12th place, and Emily Howell placed 23rd clearing a height of 3.37m (11’ 0.75”).
As these V-Hawks celebrate their success from this indoor season, these athletes, along with the whole team, look forward to the next season, the outdoor season, which is fast approaching, but there is no doubt our student athletes will continue to excel in their events as well as put on for the university as a whole.
