For the veteran members of the UCLA women’s track and field team, today and Saturday could simply be their chance to shake off the rust that tends to build during any offseason.
For the freshmen, the weekend could be their opportunity to shake off the swelling excitement that tends to come with competing in their first official collegiate competition.
Part of the women’s track team will be traveling up north to Washington this weekend to officially begin the new season.
The participating squad of 20 athletes will separate itself within the state, with one group heading to the Cougar Indoor Meet in Pullman while another group goes to Seattle to compete in the UW Invitational.
Regardless of if they are freshmen or returners, a large part of UCLA’s attention this weekend will be focused on seeing how the team transitions from training to the pressure of competition.
“We just want to see the young ladies compete; you’re not going to have blazing times right off the bat,” assistant coach Forest Braden said.
One athlete who will represent UCLA for the first time in Washington is sprinter and long jumper freshman Kylie Price.
Despite her impending debut for the Bruins, Price showed no signs of nerves or trepidation before leaving for Pullman.
“I’m super excited. I don’t really get nervous before track meets, I just relax and take it all in,” she said.
“If I get nervous it just feels like I’m putting pressure on myself. This is our first official track meet, I just want to go out there and try my best and see where I’m at.”
Freshmen won’t be the only athletes in the spotlight this weekend; veterans to the squad will also be looking to build upon their results from previous years and the training done during the offseason.
Redshirt senior pole vaulter Tori Anthony is looking forward to another standout season with the Bruins.
“I’m just excited because it’s the start of the season, I want to get my senior season started off right,” she said.
Even though she will be competing this weekend against many athletes who hail from prestigious programs, Anthony is more interested in concentrating on her own performance and results.
“I’m not focused on other competitors, I’m just going to focus on my own jump,” said Anthony. “Our own jumpers from UCLA push me and are competition enough.”