The hurdles on the track are not the only obstacles the UCLA track and field team is trying to overcome.
Although the Bruins may have fallen behind because of the renovation of their new track, after two weeks of practice, they realize they could use some more work – in particular, their speed.
The Bruins’ recent success, however, does not go unnoticed. The athletes have competed very well in the last several meets and have received many first-place titles, top-five titles, and a couple No. 1 positions in the NCAA. However, throughout these experiences, the team has also gained an understanding of where it stands and how it can better its performance for future meets.
Director of track and field Mike Maynard stated that despite the solid performance displayed by the team in the past several meets, the aim is still targeted for improvement.
UCLA is confident that with a little more time on the track, the team will be able to fix the minor holes in its performance.
“With the boys and the girls, you could tell we’re just not where we’re supposed to be right now,” said junior sprinter/jumper Kylie Price, who received the No. 1 title in the NCAA for her long jump event at the New Mexico Team Invite last weekend. “We need to continue to get faster and do technique work for our form and speed. All we need is speed right now.”
Though some see speed as a main objective to focus on, others don’t see it as a major obstacle to overcome and believe improvement will occur naturally as the season progresses.
“I think we’re fast, but we can definitely get faster. It’s so early in the season that we can definitely improve – we’re always looking to improve,” said redshirt junior distance runner Kelsey Smith.
Even with the minimal training on the track, the Bruins are confident that, with practice, they will be where they want to be.
“We’re kind of behind other teams since our track was newly remodeled, but once we catch up, we should be fine,” Price said. “We shouldn’t have any worries at all.”