The Ball State men's track team will head to Purdue University Friday for its first outdoor meet of the season.
Assistant coach Jim Trautmann said with a solid indoor season behind them, the Cardinals will head to West Lafayette with hopes of a better outdoor run.
"The indoor season is basically a training season," he said. "We work toward the outdoor while we are still in the indoor season. Now is the time when things count, and we should be ready to go."
Trautmann highlighted the addition of different events as a main difference between indoor and outdoor track. Added events are the 10,000 meter-run; the 3,000-meter steeplechase; the 400-meter relay; the hammer, discus, and javelin throws; and the 400-meter hurdles.
The team will look to these events for some points they didn't see in the indoor season. Ball State had two Mid-American Conference champions in 2001: seniors Bryan Troxell in the javelin and Zach Riley in the hammer throw.
"That will be a big potential 10 points we could have if Troxell is able to win again," Trautmann said.
Troxell did no compete during the indoor season.
Riley broke the school weight throw record seven times during the indoor season. Riley finished 13th at the NCAA championships in Fayetteville, Ark., earlier this month. Riley also earned All-American status in the 2001 outdoor season for placing 15th in the hammer throw.
Another senior expected to step up is Mark Slagle in the 400 hurdles. Slagle placed third in last year's outdoor MAC championship meet and ran the 300-meter event during the indoor season. Slagle is also expected to run in the 1600-meter relay. Last year he was a member of the relay team which placed eighth.
Trautmann is not worried about the weather for the weekend's meet, but he did point out that the athletes doing field events have not had the luxury of going outside to practice.
"We can't get out right now to use the pole vault, long jump, high jump, things like that," Trautmann said. "We don't have as much capacity to use those right now because of the snow covering the track.
"We may be a little rusty, but we are ready to go."
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