Anticipations for the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships have been a part of the Ball State University women's track and field team since the beginning of the indoor competition season.
Friday and Saturday those anticipations turn into reality when the team competes for the title at Akron, Ohio. The team has most recently received a morale boost when junior Amber Williams was named the women's track and field athlete of the week.
Williams took two first place honors in last week's Ball State Quadrangular and lowered her time in the 60-meter hurdles. Her time of 8.26 seconds is also an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
Results, as a team, for this year's track and field team have been less distinguished than in years prior, but assistant coach Sunder Nix said the team is not at a loss for talent.
"This team just doesn't have the numbers to participate in all events, but they do their best with what they have," Nix said. "The talent here, though, is very well developed and you can see it in the sprints, and the distance runners."
The short-handed team, which runs nearly half the size as other teams in the MAC, has been doomed in some meets with very few participants in events. Some events this season have been skipped because of a lack of athletes.
This has not hurt morale or team-building as some of the team members said it has strengthened the team's core.
"We don't have the depth and we are about half the size of the other female teams but we definitely have quality," senior Ali Zuidervliet said. "Its been hard with the small size, but we really have pulled together because of it and its made it a fun year."
The MAC meet is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. Friday and run until 6 p.m. Saturday the meet picks back up at 10 a.m. and finishes around 5 p.m. with the 1,600-meter relay.
Ball State finished second at last years MAC Indoor Championships losing to meet champion University of Akron, which remains the favorite this year.
Coach Randy Heisler said he expects big things out of the Ball State squad this weekend.
"Our job is to make sure the kids stay as healthy as possible throughout the season with a focus on conference," Heisler said. "Running thin and short in events has hurt chances to score more points in other meets, but conference will be different."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
