Track and field stadiums across America are heating up, and Irwin Belk Track is no exception.
The first season of the new decade will mark the Eagles’ 26th indoor and 24th outdoor seasons, according to Winthrop Athletics.
The indoor meets are up first. The Eagles will travel to Huntington, West Virginia to start the season at the Thundering Herd Invitational. This two day meet will begin on Jan. 24.
While the first academic semester of the 2019-2020 calendar year is over, these athletes have prepared extensively for the upcoming season.
Sara Dixson, throws, summed up what the preseason was like for her and the other throwers.
“We have been getting stronger in the weight room and focusing on our form and technique rather than our distances because that will come as we get stronger and better in our form,” Dixson said.
Dixson competes in the shot put and weight throw events during the indoor season, and shot put, discus and hammer throw during the outdoor. The indoor season is formatted differently than outdoor events, and she notes how that played a part in off-season preparation.
“We have been practicing both our indoor and outdoor events,” Dixson said. “ We typically will focus but since indoor only has two events it is really easy to burn out quickly, so with doing all events I am not burning out as easily.”
As one of the program’s seniors, Dixson is not only focused on her performance, but also on her leadership.
“I want to display perseverance,” Dixson said. “I am very dedicated to this sport and it has shown throughout my years.”
Dixson said that she is a prime example of perseverance, especially following ACL surgery.
“I want to let them see that having a few bad meets in the long run is okay, as long as you keep working hard and pushing forward,” Dixson said.
Dixson also noted that the season can be generally grueling on an athlete’s mental and physical health because of its fast pace. The season runs from late January to mid-May with minimal breaks.
However, Dixson is eager to begin the season, and said that she does not view the schedule as more or less competitive than those of previous seasons. This season will also aid Dixson in creating lifelong memories.
“I’m excited to compete in my first indoor discus competition,” Dixson said. “It’s one of my favorite events and I am excited to compete in it during the indoor season for the first time.”
On the other side of the program, track athletes are gearing up to hit the lanes.
Harper Henson, distance, is in her final college season and is looking to carry an intense amount of energy into the season.
“I want to reach my goals and feel that this will be my strongest year yet,” Henson said.
Preseason training for runners takes a different format than that of throwers, but equally prepares them for competition.
“With the winter break to train on our own, we prepare ourselves with pre-season weekly training guidelines that our coach has given us to follow,” Henson said.
Henson runs the 800 m, indoor mile, outdoor 1500 m and distance medley relay, plus the 4×400 m occasionally. As a senior, Henson said that she’s grown more disciplined over the years and focuses a lot on what she needs to do to help herself and her teammates improve.
“Since I go back to Virginia [during winter break] I train alone, but the girls team still gets in contact regularly to check in on training,” Henson said.
Like Dixson, Henson notes the intensity of the schedule.
“I would agree that having a meet almost every weekend for track is a lot, but I really enjoy it,” Henson said. “It is, however, grueling in the sense of keeping up with everything going on and the long travel days.”
Above all, Henson and Dixson both acknowledge the importance of their roles as leaders and benefit from the advice of their coaches.
“The best advice I’ve received would be to relax and have fun with the process and the results will come,” Henson said.
Dixson comments nearly mirror Henson’s, and honor the unity of the program.
“I’ve always been told to keep pushing and that there is always something you can improve,” Dixson said. “Sometimes we have a bad meet or a string of bad meets and we just keep pushing because eventually everything will connect and we will improve.”
