This weekend the NMU track and field team is back, only this time the team will be racing and competing outdoors for the remainder of the season.
“We are now getting ready, gearing up for outdoor—so the first couple of meets will be a good chance to kind of see where we’re at from indoor, but the athletes have all been working hard and preparing,” head coach Jenny Ryan said.
The last meet the team attended before the postseason indoor season was back in February when the team traveled to compete in the Parkside Classic, the last meet before the GLIAC and NCAA Championships.
Back at the Parkside Classic, there was no team score for the Wildcats.
The postseason indoor championships went well for the Wildcats, as they placed fourth in the GLIAC. The team also sent one athlete to compete in the NCAA Championships. That athlete was Ellyse Wolfrath, who placed 13th in the 60-meter hurdles.
There are only a few differences between the indoor and outdoor parts of the track season. The main differences are the events that are switched in and out depending on the season. For example, in the indoor season, there are not as many field events because there is not enough room indoors for all of them. This is different from outdoor track, where there is more space, allowing more events to be added, like all the filed events, shot put, discus, etc.
The size of the track is also different in both seasons. The indoor track is 200 meters, whereas the outdoor track is 400 meters.
The first outdoor meet of the season is the Red Bird Challenge, taking place in Normal, Ill., this weekend.
“It’s just a good chance to get into our events for outdoors and see where we’re at,” Ryan said.
After this, the team will be on the road every weekend for the rest of the season, traveling all over the U.S. to compete in meets. The team will have their final meet at the end of April, with championships taking place in May.
“They’re not phased by any kind of conditions, really, because they’ve seen it all up here, and it’s tougher up here, so they definitely do well in the outdoor season,” Coach Ryan said.
