After finishing second in last week's Ball State University Quadrangular, the women's indoor track team will face tougher competition when they arrive on the campus of Central Michigan University for the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships, beginning today in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
With that in mind, coach Randy Heisler does not expect his team to be at the top of the leaderboard.
"We just do not have the performers in enough events that will allow us to score enough points to win this meet," he said.
Heisler also said that he needed to alter his approach to this particular meet after recounting his prior years as coach for Ball State.
"My first three years here, I went in to this meet with expectations that our kids could perform and that we have a chance to win this meet," Heisler said. "Every time I put that out there to them, they fall apart."
His new approach is more simplistic: no pressure.
Senior distance runner Vanessa Gilbert said she has some mixed feelings going into the meet.
"This will be my last 3k race ever," Gilbert said. "I want to get as many points for my team as much as possible."
With this year being her last as an indoor competitor, Gilbert feels as though she is taking a great deal of responsibility. While she is only one of three distance runners in this year's indoor crew, she still wants to have a strong finish going into the outdoor season. She is currently 13th in the MAC in the 5k (17:52.50) as well as 14th in the mile run (5:00.69).
The Cardinals will also look to get points from junior Ra'Jae Marable and senior Katie Johnson. Marable is the No. 2 seed in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.55, while Johnson is third with a time of 8.56. Sophomore Janae Taylor is the No. 12 seed in both the 60-meter (7.69) and the 200-meter dash (25.08).
Junior Thekla Lorenz also has an opportunity to score several points for Ball State. Lorenz is the No. 2 seed in the long jump (6.01m), No. 7 in the pentathlon (3,614 pts.) and No. 15 in the high jump (1.65m).
If Ball State's top performers fail to score at the MAC Indoor Championships, Heisler says that it is something for the whole team to figure out where they went wrong.
Luckily for the Cardinals, there is the outdoor track and field season for the women to improve themselves.
"We have the spring to regroup, get healthy and go at it," Heisler said.
The two-day event at the Jack Skoog Indoor Track begins today at 10 a.m. with the pentathlon. Field events will start at 2 p.m. while track events will follow around 3:10 p.m.
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