Justin Derby – Sports reporter. With a strong group of athletes returning this season, expectations for Linfield’s 2010 track and field team are high, assistant head coach Travis Olson said.
“We have a good group, and would be happy to finish in the top three on both sides,” he said. “On both the men’s and women’s teams, I feel we have people in every event that will be strong. However, we will be relying on jumps and sprints as we are a little deeper in that area.”
The season began positively for the men at the Washington Indoor meet Feb. 14. Seniors Jeremy and Josh Lovell competed well in the long jump, with Josh finishing 15th and Jeremy placing 32nd.
The Idaho Vandal Indoor meet was a strong showing, as senior Chris McIsaac took third in a 5,000-meter run that was full of Division I and II runners, while senior Clint Moore almost reached his personal best in the shot put.
During the Washington Open Indoor meet, Jeremy Lovell set a personal record in the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet, 7 inches while jumping 22 feet in the long jump. In the same meet, Josh Lovell recorded a 22-foot, 5-inch long jump, a 6-foot, 6-inch high jump, and a 14-foot, 1-inch pole vault.
“Pole vault has been feeling pretty good so far,” Jeremy Lovell said. “Long jump has been a little disappointing, but the meets have revealed things I need to improve on. Indoor is really all about working out the kinks to get ready for the outdoor season.”
Senior Marci Klimek qualified provisionally in the 5,000 run at the Washington Indoor meet, and junior Catherine Street qualified provisionally in the pole vault. In the Idaho Vandal Indoor meet, junior Chelsea Machida set a personal record in the high jump with a 5-feet, 5-inch mark.
In the Washington Open Indoor meet, Street pole-vaulted 12 feet, 9 inches, which is ranked second in the nation. Machida jumped 5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump again, while sophomore Misty Corwin pole-vaulted 11 feet, 4 inches, setting a personal best while just missing qualifying provisionally for the pole vault.
“I’m kind of surprised that Catherine broke her own school record in the pole vault this early in the season,” junior Brooke Bekkedahl said.
Other athletes on the team were also impressed by the performances of Street so far this season.
“Catherine has been jumping very well, and Chelsea has been doing well in the high jump,” Jeremy Lovell said.
As successful as the teams have been so far this season, Olson said he sees room for improvement.
“I feel we could be a little deeper in the throws and distances,” Olson said. “The people that we have in those groups will contribute well, but we need better numbers to make our overall team stronger.”
The challenge for the team at the D-III level is that it cannot offer any athletic-related scholarships, Olson said. This makes it difficult to fill spots that may seem “weak.”
“We as coaches just need to continue to recruit, and hope that those areas that need improvement do in fact become stronger,” Olson said.
Jeremy Lovell said there is a certain cohesiveness among his teammates.
“Everyone seems to be getting along well,” he said. “It’s cool to see that because people think of track as an individual sport, but once everyone starts to come together and work with each other and push each other that is what makes for a great year.”
Lovell’s assessment is accurate in his teammates’ opinions.
“We seem to have a purpose to go out and work hard while still having a good time,” Bekkedahl said. “Everyone wants to perform at their best.”
The next track meet will take place at George Fox University on Feb. 27 in Newberg, Ore.