The men’s indoor track and field team exceeded expectations this past weekend at the Washington Preview.
The meet was highlighted by multiple athletes running lifetime bests and two provisional qualifying times for the NCAA championships.
“We didn’t put a huge emphasis on big performances,” distance coach Eric Peterson said. “It’s hard to come into your first meet and hit really big marks. It is very, very difficult to do, and we had some lifetime bests.”
Junior Laef Barnes ran the mile in a time of 4:03.28, bettering his previous personal record by over three seconds.
Freshman Cory Primm ran an indoor lifetime best in the 800 meters with a time of 1:50.09. Though Barnes finished third and Primm finished second, they were the top collegiate finishers in their respective events, and both earned provisional NCAA qualifying times.
The Washington Preview is an all-comers meet, meaning it is open to more than just college-level athletes.
Peterson was impressed with both Barnes and Primm.
“To start your year off that way and get yourself in the pool of athletes who will be competing at the NCAA is a great start,” Peterson said.
Barnes and Primm weren’t the only members on the distance squad to perform well. In the 3000m, seven Bruins finished in the top 15, with senior Austin Ramos earning a second place finish (8:16.17).
“This weekend shows we have a lot of potential,” Barnes said. “We set the bar high but still have a lot of room to improve.”
Though the team had a strong start, there is still much to work on. Peterson is looking for a strong distance medley relay team in the upcoming season to compete at the NCAA championships. The team has already secured the 400m, 800m and 1600m spots. Before their next meet ““ in two weeks back in Washington ““ the team is trying to find a strong 1200m runner to fill the starting leg.
After getting their first glimpse at the rest of the competition, the Bruins are very optimistic about the rest of the season.
“I think our talent level is as good as anyone in the conference for sure, and it is a matter of developing the team and giving these guys a chance to compete,” Peterson said.
While the men were in Washington, the women’s team started their season at the Illinois Invitational. Though the Bruins posted the lowest team score, there were many second-place finishes by several athletes.
Senior Claire Rethmeier (10:01.56) and senior Renee Williams (19-6.75) finished second in the 3000m and long jump, respectively. Tying for second in the pole vault was senior Ingrid Kantola (12-7.50 feet).
Besides individuals coming in second, both relay teams also finished second. The 4x300m team ran 2:37.02 and the distance medley relay came in at 12:27.90.
“No one gave up on themselves if they weren’t in a good position,” coach Jeanette Bolden said. “It’s good to see when they don’t give up on themselves.”
Off the track, Bolden found positives from the trip. When not competing, the team bonded and had a lot of time to spend together, which was an early goal this season.
The Bruins hope to improve their performances from this past weekend not only at the next meet but throughout the rest of the season.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” said Bolden. “We know we are a good team. It’s time for us to get things into gear, putting the things we know we can do into motion.”