By Gabe Bain
When competing at nationals, bringing your best is a must. Taylor did just that as they broke many personal records (PRs) at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships last weekend.
The Trojans sent 12 athletes to compete at the tournament at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Eight of those 12 competed at nationals for the first time. The three-day event brought success for the Taylor track team as records were broken and honors were awarded.
"We have not had many years in the last 15 where everybody who had run had that kind of performance," said head coach Ted Bowers. "Just all around it was a very great performance for us.
On the first day of the event, relay teams broke two records. The distance medley team, with freshman Jane Hawks and sophomores Kaitlin DeHaan, Jenna Norris and Elaine Schmeltz, broke a Taylor record with a time of 12:28.28, good enough for a 12th place finish.
The 4x800 team of junior Erin Price, sophomore Sarah Neideck and freshmen Grace Carver and Sarina Oleson finished 17th. They also broke a Taylor record with a time of 9:34.16.
Bowers said it was significant that the two relay teams breaking records had no seniors. It shows the team's depth that only one senior participated for Taylor at nationals. Bowers mentioned that the performances are only going to get better.
"We broke two records by nine seconds, everybody else PRs," he said. "It was just that kind of weekend."
Senior Henrietta Carey also had some success competing in the 60 meter dash. She broke the school record in the semifinals with a time of 7.64. In the finals she finished seventh with a time of 7.67. The finish earned her All-American honors.
"For (Henrietta) it shows that she is at the top of her game right now," Bowers said. "(She) has big goals for outdoors and is at a spot where she can pursue them."
Carey was pleased with her performance and focused on what it means to be an All-American for a third time.
"Being an All-American means you came there to do what you had to do," Carey said. "It means you are a hard worker."
Sophomore Kenny Higgins finished 13th in the men's weight throw, with a distance of 16.52 meters. Junior Luke Currens finished the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.29, which was good enough for him to place 14th in the semifinal round.
"Overall we did meet our expectations or succeeded them," Currens said. "It shows a lot about our depth and strength as a team in general."
Freshman Brandan Wilchcombe did not make it out of the preliminaries in the 60 meter hurdles but finished 14th in the semifinal round of the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.96.
The indoor track season is over, and it has prepared the Trojans for the outdoor season.
"The only thing we should be concerned about is the weather," Carey said. "Everyone is getting healthy and so everyone should be ready to go."
The outdoor season will begin March 23 at the Rhodes College Invitational in Memphis, Tenn.
"It's promising for outdoors as of now," Currens said. "We've got something to look forward to."
