Dedication. That is just one thing the 46 men and 33 women of the Hillsdale College track and field teams have going for them this season.
Practices began Sept. 2, and neither team has gotten to display their skills in competition.
“Our track kids basically practice from fall and don’t have a chance to compete to see where they are,” head men’s track and field coach Jeff Forino said. “For track kids, it’s a long time before they get to compete.”
The Oiler Opener at the University of Findlay on Friday, Dec. 6 is the first meet of the indoor season for both teams. It is also the first meet in which the athletes can qualify for the Division II track and field national meet.
Forino is excited about the possibilities he sees for the men’s team this year. After a few years with a younger team, he said this year’s team is older, has more experience, is extremely well-rounded, and is solid on almost all of the events.
There are some injuries on the team that may prove challenging, but Forino foresees the competition within the GLIAC as the biggest challenge for the men’s team this year.
“Our league, the GLIAC, is a really strong league,” Forino said. “It’s one of the top two leagues in Division II on the men’s side in the country. On the women’s side, it’s just by far the best league in Division II.”
The men’s team is strong though, with two conference record holders returning this year. Junior Maurice Jones is the conference record holder in the 400 meter indoor, and senior Josh Mirth is the conference record holder in the 3,000 meters indoor.
“This is going to be a very good year for us,” Forino predicted. “I expect us to be in the top five in our conference meet.”
Sophomore pole-vaulter Matthew Harris echoed Forino.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how our team competes this year,” Harris said. “We’ve got some of the most talented guys in the GLIAC, and we should be able to take a top three spot at the league meet this year.”
The women’s team is battling with age this year, though they too are shaping up well.
“We will be a young team again this year,” head women’s track and field coach Andrew Towne said. “We have a good deal of talent, but we’re a bit short on experience. Overall, though, we’ll continue to improve.”
Much like the men’s team, Towne said this year’s women’s team is very well-rounded.
“The women will be a much more complete team this year,” Towne said. “We are now in a position to compete in every single event at the GLIAC level. The next step is being able to have multiple compete in every event.”
Both coaches are looking forward to hosting the indoor GLIAC Championships at the beginning of March.
“Being at home for our conference meet, it kind of just raises you to a whole new level,” Forino said. “People do really well at home. You tend to get a lot more energy out of them. This is our first chance to have an indoor conference championship in 11 or 12 years. It’s a big deal for us, especially with the new facility because it’s one of the nicest in the country.”
