Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

Apr. 22, 2015

Bittersweet Ending

This past Saturday marked the end of another regular season of Cedarville Track & Field. It was the best track meet we have had in Cedarville, since I came in as a freshman. The day was beautiful: not too hot or cold. Like all Cedarville, outdoor meets, it started at 10:30 a.m. All day, my only thoughts were about the last of things; the last warm-up, throw, and finals. With each event, the seniors grew closer to the end of their college careers, but it wasn’t over yet. We weren’t giving in without a final fight.

 

The team had a common goal: to win the entire meet. The past two years we had lost to Ursurline College in the G-MAC and we were ready to finally get that trophy. The complete results are on our site, but there were a couple women worth mentioning. Carsyn Koch and Olivia Esbenshade placed first in their respective events. There were also many other key players in scoring points, each giving their best and adding on to our team total. Cedarville ended the meet with a grand total of 269 points, which gave us the first place victory! We were all thrilled with the outcome, especially the seniors. It was our bittersweet ending. Most of us will be attending graduation instead of the National Christian College Athletic Association championship meet in Georgia.

Graduation is the event for which we have been waiting. It will be the credits to a four-year movie call college. I am excited and nervous for what the future has in store. All I know is that God is in control and that is enough. He will guide me and my fellow graduates to the plan that He so desires. I am so thankful it was in His will for me to be a part of this amazing team during my time at Cedarville. I have learned so much and have gained lasting friendships. I leave my teammates with this lasting verse; a verse that encompasses all my thoughts and feelings towards them.

Philippians 1:3, "I thank my God every time I remember you."


Apr. 16, 2015

Fierce Competition, Fantastic Celebration

This past weekend was a busy one. Not only was there the two-day meet at Miami University of Ohio, but the Junior-Senior Banquet was also thrown into the mix. On Friday, the lady hammer throwers went down, along with some jumpers and long distance folks. Competition didn’t last long, because of the short list of athletes in attendance on that day. It was a special day though! Coach Jason Scott turned one year older!

The next day, Saturday, was full of excitement. The whole team came and competed in the All-Ohio track meet. There were many teams there, such as Ohio State and Wright State, and the competition was stiff, but there were many great performances. Carsyn Koch won the 1,500 meters and Kristen Laaman secured the top position in the 5K. Olivia Esbenshade placed third in the 800 meters.

After people were done competing, many of them went to the JS, in Cincinnati. The banquet was a fun end to a hard two days. I saw many of my teammates there as we celebrated the end of the year. We ate, danced, and shared stories about our four years at Cedarville. This weekend we will be concluding our regular season with the G-MAC Outdoor Championship. For many of the seniors, this will be their last meet. It will be nice that it is at Cedarville and we are ending things on our home turf. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see your Yellow Jacket Track Team, this is your last opportunity to catch us all! We hope to see you there!!


Apr. 9, 2015
 
No, track meets might not be as intense as Romeo and Juliet, but they are just as interesting (if not more). Last Saturday we arrived at Ohio Wesleyan in the morning. The throwers and some other field event people took a van up first and the rest of the team followed in the early afternoon. It was like two different worlds: the throwers and the trackies. This isn’t unusual for us, but disappointing, since we don’t get to cheer on our teammates throughout competition. The throwing events (all but shot put, which was at the track) took place about a quarter of a mile away from the track, between trees and the highway.

Javelin was the first event for the women and hammer was first for the men. Ruth Towne and I were in the first flight and ended up placing for the team. Once spear throwing had commenced, we headed over for hammer. The ring was slick and it was hard to get good, solid throws, but we did our best. Jo Sharp had another great throw, around 120 feet. Mariah Cruise was in the second flight of the javelin and the second flight of the hammer, which happened to be conflicting. Thankfully, she was able to get all her throws in, but she had her events with almost no rest in-between. As soon as hammer was over, we all had discus. Mariah, again with little to no rest, started out the flight. All was finally said and done for the Lady Throwers, except for shot put, so we headed off for the track.

Upon arrival, I saw the rest of the team for the first time that day and it was already 6 p.m. After greeting them, I was in search for the shot put ring. I finally found it in a corner of the arena. Mariah was in the first flight, while Ruth and I were in the second. All put up a great show and Mariah ended with 5th place in hand. It was nice to be back where all the action was taking place. We were able to see some girls run the 800, where Olivia Esbenshade won it in 2:13.94. We also saw the 400 meter hurdles. Valerie Kirk placed 3rd and Christina Gall placed 5th in that race. The team scored 120 points and ended up second overall.

This weekend is the All-Ohio Championship at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It is a two-day endeavor. Most events will be on Saturday, while a few are on Friday to accommodate all of the competition. For now I must bid you farewell.
 

Apr. 1, 2015

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Our first outdoor, home meet of the season this past Saturday greeted us with less-than-desirable temperatures. The meet started at 10:30 a.m. with a few field events. The throws started out with shot put for the women, and hammer throw for the men. As if it weren’t cold enough, holding a shot put on ones neck makes it even chillier. It was interesting to see how everyone managed to keep warm over the day’s events. Some chose to be in a constant state of movement, while others tried layering up. Either way, it was an effort to stay warm. Thankfully, the track had a few places people could get warm.

The day went by quickly. Events were shorter than expected, because so many people scratched events, due to the cold. That made the rest of the competitors very grateful, so we could get through the meet swiftly and then head for the warmth of the indoors. Even though the cold was present, the day was very beautiful. Many people had PR’s and the women took the first-place victory! I am very proud of my teammates, who didn’t let the cold determine their effort and performance. Congratulations to my teammates who secured top positions in their events: Valerie Kirk in the 100 meters, Olivia Esbenshade in the 3,000, Ruth Towne in the javelin, and Carsyn Koch in the 1,500. Each girl has worked hard to earn her spot at the top.

This weekend we head to Ohio Wesleyan. We are hoping for nice weather and hard fought wins. This weekend also marks another big event in each of our lives: the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Most of our athletes will be headed home to celebrate Easter with their families, while the rest travel back to Cedarville that evening. Either way, we all are united through The Cross.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26


Mar. 25, 2015

Georgia on my Mind

After a few days of recuperation from our meet in Georgia, I can finally sit down and mull over our journey. We set off last Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. In high spirits, the team started to watch a well-loved movie. The team had a long night ahead of us, so some tried to fall asleep. That was more easily said than done. No matter what position I was in, I could not find a comfortable place to rest my head. The majority of my teammates felt the same, but we got through it.

When late morning hit, we were finally in Atlanta. The traffic was crazy and we ended up taking off the bumper of a taxi, which made for a fun-filled start for our morning. While the bus driver was occupied with a not-so-friendly taxi driver, the rest of us footed it towards the CNN Center. There was not a lot to look at there, but we found a bathroom and decided to break up into small groups to explore the city. One group went to the Atlanta Aquarium, which I heard was a blast! A few others split off to go to the Coke Museum. My group, of about 20 people, headed off for an adventure; our only goal was to find something free. Again, this was something easier said than done. We walked about five miles during our expedition, but we came up with no prospects. Our fearless leader, James Blackwell, did have a chance to talk to a plethora of people, but we still had no luck. Once we had exhausted all options, it was time to head back to CNN for lunch.

Our time

in the city had drawn to a close, and we were off once again; this time to Stone Mountain. We arrived at the mountain and discovered it was surrounded by fog. It had been a rainy day, so this was expected, but still disappointing for those who have never been there before. The seniors were the only class that went on this trip before, so many of us opted out of climbing the mountain. Our next stop was the Emory track. Workouts were completed and then it was finally time to head to the hotel. All of us were looking forward to nice, warm showers, but were we surprised! There were some plumbing issues and most rooms either had cold water, or no water at all. We were displeased, since we were rained on, slept on a bus, and had worked out since our last showers. We unpacked and tried to make the best out of the situation, before heading to Panera. The rest of the night was uneventful, but it was for the best. Sleep had finally arrived.

Day one on the track consisted of only a few events. Ruth Towne and I threw some javelin, and then we headed to hammer, along with Jo Sharp. Jo ended up having an amazing PR and ended up in 5th-place! She has been working very hard, so it was nice for her to finally get that pay off. The girl’s 4 x 800 team had an awesome race! Not only did they get the track record, but the beat the old Cedarville record! After our events, we headed to CiCi’s Pizza. Most people loaded up on carbs, which wasn’t very hard to do and then we headed back to the hotel. Apparently, the males had a bonding time when we got back, but the girls went to bed.
 

Day two of the track meet was huge. There were about 40 teams in all and each event had around four flights or heats. There were many great performances in the 75-degree weather. Many PR’s were had as well as sunburns. The sun was more intense than we had imagined. We had many members of the team burnt to a crisp, myself included. This made the bus ride back worse than the ride there. Not only were we confined to sleeping on a bus, but we had to do it with terrible sunburns. The Aloe Vera bottle was passed back and forth throughout the night, which offered some reprieve. We finally made it back to the cold atmosphere of the ‘Ville at 4:30 a.m. It was wonderful to get off the bus, but Ohio didn’t have the warmest reception for us. After we unloaded the bus, and found all of our belongings we took the last, and possibly the hardest, journey of the trip: we headed to our long-awaited beds.

This weekend we have our home meet. I heard it is going to be a shocking difference from our meet in the south. The temperature looks like it will be below freezing, which always makes things interesting. That shouldn’t deter you from supporting your Yellow Jackets! It might be cold outside, but the heat of competition is bound to warm you up! If you need more convincing, just remember anything can happen at a meet; always one thrill after the next. Just ask Coach Jason Scott, who broke a pole during the last meet!

That’s all for now, folks! Hope to see you Saturday!


Mar. 4, 2015

G-MAC Championship Meet

 
We started out our day by leaving the quiet campus of Cedarville at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. Most Cedarville students were headed to someplace tropical, perhaps Florida or even one of the Carolinas; we were headed just north of Columbus: Gambier, Ohio. When we arrived, we found our team camp and then started to explore. The facility was amazing. It was three levels. The basement consisted of a plethora of racquetball/squash courts. The main level hosted floor hockey, basketball, swimming, track, and tennis. The upper level had weights, a small theater, and areas to view all of the sports that were on the floor below. The meet was about to start so we finished up the tour and headed into the track for the National Anthem.
 
 Once the singing was complete, it was time for the events to start. A group of us went over to watch our women pole vaulters. For two of them, Hannah Gallardo and Kristen Mohre, this was their first time clearing a bar in competition! They both did great and ended up placing for us. Tiera Martinelli gave our team our first, first-place victory for the meet in the pole vault. Once that event ended, the Lady Throwers started warm-ups for shot put. Jo Sharp made a guest appearance in shot put, while the rest of us prepared for the second flight. Since there were only six teams, there were only six places for each event. We knew we had to do really well so that we could all make it into finals. After regular

competition, we had four out of five throwers make it to finals. That meant that over half of the throwers in finals were from Cedarville. Once all was said and done, Anna Pomento placed second, Mariah Cruise placed third, I placed fourth, and Ruth Towne placed sixth. The throwers were able to score a total of 19 points for one event. Wewere all very excited!

The team did very well on Saturday. There were many more high-scoring events and team members. Carsyn Koch, Olivia Esbenshade, Sarah Hoffman, Molly Bolender, Jodi Davis, and Kacy Dunn were all event winners. Each one of these ladies has worked very hard to get where they are, and we are all very proud of them. For full results go to the link below. At the end of the meet, right after an epic dance battle between Central State and Kentucky Wesleyan, the Lady Jackets were awarded with a second place victory. I am very proud of our team and the friendships we all share. I have had an amazing time competing with these women during the indoor season and I cannot wait for outdoor. Our outdoor season starts March 20-21at Emory University in Georgia.

CLICK HERE FOR MEET RECAP


Feb. 25, 2015

This past weekend we were able to host the National Christian College Athletic Association Track & Field Indoor Championships. The NCCAA was a two-day event. Friday was mostly prelims. There were a few Cedarville athletes competing that day and the rest of us showed our support by being their cheerleaders. There were many teams there this weekend, so we tried our hardest to make sure we were heard. Saturday was when the true fun started. We had so many great performances and PR’s. We had some top ten performances from many different events. Anna Pomento and Mariah Cruise made their way into the Top Ten for shot put. Just having one of them make it in a meet is impressive, but having them both shows their hard work off even more. Carsyn Koch also had an impressive 800 meter run. She was within 0.21 seconds of the meet record. Overall, we ended up with six All-Americans! (An athlete needed to place in the top three in order to receive that title.) Both men’s and women’s teams did a great job this weekend, with each placing third.

I would just like to take a moment and reflect on our team as a whole. This team is like a second family. It is full of kind, loving people. I would not trade my team for any other. I have had the pleasure of getting to know this amazing group of people over my past four years on the team. If you happen to be a prospective student, that has a passion for track, I would highly consider Cedarville. You would be surrounded by people who would encourage you and push you to be the best athlete, student, and most importantly, the best Christian that you could be. I could not imagine a time at Cedarville without my wonderful teammates. I thank God for them and the amazing passion he has allowed me to have with track. Last weekend was my last home, indoor meet. It was bitter sweet. This Saturday is our Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship meet. At 7:00 a.m. we will be heading to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Wish us luck!


Feb. 18, 2015

(Editor's Note: Brienna Hayter, a freshman hurdler/sprinter from Ann Arbor, Michigan, fills in for Megan Glandon this week)

This week many of our team members travelled to Indiana University for some fierce competition on the track. The meet was very limited; only accepting about 24 athletes per event and 16 relay teams. Competing with mostly NCAA Division I schools meant that many of our athletes had to stay home. But still, we knew they supported us and cheered us on back at the ‘Ville.

The half-empty, quiet bus ride wasn’t the only off thing about this meet though; Indiana University has a banked track, meaning the curves of the track are elevated higher than the straights. Also the entire track is raised off the ground on, what looks like, millions of stilts. This "race car" look is said to have increased performance and lower overall times adding to PR’s.

One major PR was our DMR (Distance Medley Relay). Olivia Esbenshade, Christiana Gall, Carly Rose and Carsyn Koch broke eleven seconds off of the school record with a time of 12.01.62!! Not only did they meet the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standard, but they had many individual PR’s as well. The other relay that competed, the 4 x 400 which includes Molly Bolender, Jodi Davis, Brielle Pitney and Hailey Bredeson finished 10th with a time of 4:13.33.

Individuals also placed fairly well at the meet. Anna Pomento finished 15th in the shot put with a mark of 12.27 meters and 16th in the weight throw with a mark of 12.78 meters. Valerie Kirk also killed her 60 meter hurdles placing 15th overall. Samantha Reece placed 19th in her 60 meter dash and Kristen Laaman finished 21st in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10.20.71.

Overall it was a great meet, but a long day and we returned to the bus with smiles on our faces, food in our bellies and victories in our hearts.


Feb. 11, 2015

Ohio Northern University Invitational

On Saturday, the Polar Bears hosted the meet. We entered their facilities about an hour and half before competition was underway. Valery Kirk, Brielle Pitney, and I decided to go exploring with our extra time. There was a walking track above their basketball court, so we walked up two flights of stairs to reach it; only to be met by a closed door. We were slightly disappointed. With nowhere else to go, we ended up going to the track. One of the curves hosted a slue of windows, letting in the winter sun. The other end held the throwing ring, which held my interest.

A little while later, competition began. The women’s weight throw started off the lady throwers. Jo Sharp, Ruth Towne, and Mariah Cruise were in the second flight and all did well. Then it was my turn, along with Anna Pomento. Anna literally crushed it. On her second throw she launched one and ended up breaking the weight! Luckily, we brought two, so we were covered. Once the three flights were done, we waited in anticipation to hear who would move on to finals. Jo, Anna, and I all made it. We each were given three more throws and did well for the team and ourselves. Anna ended in fourth; I ended in eighth, and Jo in ninth.

Once weight throw was said and done, we headed to the shot put ring. First, second, and third flights had gone through the motions and again we were waiting for the results for finals. We found out that Mariah was sitting in third, Anna was in the fourth slot and I missed finals by a measly .07 meters (about 2.5 inches). The two girls threw and they finished in the slots they started.

As a thrower, I unfortunately do not get to see many of the runners compete, but I heard of their great accomplishments. Carsyn Koch set a school record in the 500 meters. The girls 4 x 400 relay also helped the Lady Jackets place third. Samantha Reece was 3rd in the 60 meter dash in 8.16 seconds. We also had some third place finishers: Mary Kearney was 3rd in the 5K, Mariah Cruise placed 3rd in the shot put, and Samantha Reese in the 60 meter dash. There were many other accomplishments, way too many to count. Overall, it was a good day for the Lady Jackets. We all look forward to the Indiana University Meet this weekend. It will be a big meet for good competition and fast times.

**If you are on Instagram or Twitter and want to see more of your Cedarville Track & Field team, check out the following: @cedarvilletf #cutf #trackfacetuesday


Feb. 5, 2015

(Editor's Note: Bethany Norman, a sophomore distance runner from Jamestown, Ohio, fills in for Megan Glandon this week)

The sun rose on Friday, January 30th, just like any other morning. For many students on Cedarville's campus this was an ordinary day. It was the normal, rush through the Chucks’ line at breakfast, throw down some oatmeal and off to class by 8 a.m. But for some, today was different. When they woke, a surge of nerves shot down their spine and as they left their room a blur of blue and gold flooded their eyes as they walked past their uniform hanging ready for the days’ events. Today was the day to run, throw, and jump. It was the day that they had been running, throwing, lifting, jumping, cross training, and icing for. It was the day when all the hard work became beautiful. Today was the day to compete! The track & field athletes went about their day on Friday, all pressing towards 3 p.m., when the meet started. This also was not like any other meet, this was our home meet! The Cedarville Collegiate Invitational began at 3:30 p.m. Six other teams joined us in our Doden Field House, and we were ready for a fun night of competition.

The meet started off with high jump! Our girls track team all sat down and huddled together near the fence surrounding the high jump area to watch our jumpers compete. Many of us could never dream of getting our bodies to fly over a bar like that, so watching out teammates do it is very neat. Carly Rose, Abby Williams, and Carsyn Koch all high jumped for the women and Carsyn was able to place 2nd with a jump of 5-3.75. For the men, Sam Tvardzik and Josiah Bernard jumped for Cedarville. Watching these guys jump is even more impressive! They both jumped very well and took the field with Sam placing 2nd and Josiah placing 3rd, both with a jump of 6-3.5! The throwing events were also underway by this time. Anna Pomento took the top spot in two throwing events. She won the shot put with a heave of 40-feet 0.50-inches! This was an incredible feat because it is the sixth-best mark in school history. She was also the winner in the weight throw at 42-8.75.

 

With this, the running events started. All of us CU track & field athletes enjoyed the ease of competing in a meet on our own stomping grounds. I'm sure you've heard of home court advantage. Well we feel it in the lanes of our home track, too. There is something about a win on our own rubber, or lack there of, since we are talking about our indoor track. There are many other benefits to competing at home as well. For the distance runners on the team, we are able to run our 2-4 mile warm ups and cool downs on our familiar routes around and off campus, the sprinters on the team were able to warm up on the treadmills and bikes in the field house, and the whole team enjoyed being able to know the feeling of the track already, know where the start, finish line and clocks are, and where to check in for our events.

This weekend was also our track recruitment weekend! This means we had about 15 prospective student-athletes tagging along with our team on Friday. It was very neat to be able to spend the time between our events talking and getting to know each one of them. Many of us were paired as a host of one of these recruits and kept them over night with us. This added extra excitement to our meet!

The excitement was not dumbed down by the performances on the track, however! For the women's track team, we scored 212.25 points. This may not seem that impressive, however, the second place score was 128.75 points. Domination on the women's side for sure. The 800 meter run was swept by Cedarville's dynamite duo! Carsyn Koch and Olivia Esbenshade went one and two in the 800 with Carsyn getting the meet record of a 2:19.09 and Olivia being right on her heals, one second behind her with a 2:20.53. These two girls are the best of friends and training partners. They run all their workouts side by side. In the weight room, ice bath, and even swimming for cross training, they are always seen training together. They are the essence of training partners. And that's how they do it in races too! First and second for CU!

 

Valerie Kirk also had an impressive finish as she won the 55 meter hurdles in 9.17 seconds. Watching this girl hurdle is an experience. She has so much talent and it is so good to see her racing and training strong and healthy this season after an injury last season. The fire was still raging for the women as they took to the track for some relays! Valerie Kirk, Molly Bolender, Jodi Davis, and Brielle Pitney won the 4 x 400! However, the highlight of the night for the women was wrapped up in the DMR. Olivia Esbenshade, Carsyn Koch, Haily Bredeson, and Carly Rose won the DMR by at least a lap! It was so amazing to watch! They also broke the meet record by four seconds, making the new record a 12:40! Excitement is rising for these four girls as coach believes this has national potential in a few months!

The men's team also put out an amazing performance! They also dominated the meet with a win of 157 points. I have mentioned many impressive events and talents, however, I doubt any can top the pole vaulters, literally or figuratively. James Blackwell vaulted to a win of 15-05 with Aaron Sturgeon placing second behind him with a vault of 12-05.5. Another first and second sweep for Cedarville. The men's mile was also flooded with well performing CU runners. Wyatt, Daniel, and Tyler took 2nd, 4th, and 6th respectively. The men's 400 had another first and second sweep for Cedarville as Josiah Bernard and Kyle Gerhart raced the field and came out on top. Tim De Jong ran very well in the 800 placing 2nd out of a very large field. Matt Cheney ran very strong all the way through his race! He battled through 3000 meters to win the race by one second ahead of his competitor. Coach tells us many times to finish strong and run all the way through the line and races like that show its’ importance! The men's 4 x 400 finished up the night well with a solid win over all the other schools. Josiah Bernard, David Yoder, Kyle Gerhart, and Tim De Jong brought the team to victory with an impressive time of 3:27.35.

The meet finished up around 11 p.m. and the team gathered on the bleachers to eat a well- deserved meal. Ice bags hung from our calves and shoulders, hip numbers were still stuck to our shorts, and we smelled of sweat and icy hot but we enjoined every bite of that meal. Coach ordered us pasta and bread sticks. It was a great fun finish to two home wins. Then we gathered our gear, and with spikes in one hand, gym bag in the other, we made our way back to our dorms. Today we had run, thrown, and jumped. Today we had competed.


Jan. 28, 2015

Under the Dome

No, this is not a blog about the book by Stephen King, nor is it about the TV show. This is about our time at the University of Indianapolis. We arrived just about an hour before the field events were underway. Through the bus window, we all notice a strange structure. It looked to be an inflatable dome. Surely, we thought, this isn’t where the track will be. Were we wrong. As we entered into the building, we were greeted by two industrial revolving doors. The whole dome was pressurized, so the revolving doors made sure to keep that pressure level. The pole-vaulters had a fun time with this. They had to go through a garage of sorts in order to allow the poles to get through. I went through the revolving door and entered into the dome. My ears popped with the pressure change. The dome was impressive. It seemed to be staying up with almost no support. Many of us felt like we were in space.

After the initial shock of the dome, we got down to business - food. Food for an athlete is key for a successful performance. As always, we had bagels, bananas, apples, oranges, bread, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, and the much-desired fruit snacks. There were also eggs - frozen hard-boiled eggs. We left those alone for a while. After eating, people did one of three things: homework, sleep, or warm-up. I did the latter. Field events are always the first things to occur at track meets, then the running. The lady throwers started out with the weight throw, followed by the men. Mariah Cruise was able to get a PR (personal record) in the weight throw. There were also many other’s that had a great meet. Andre Klaassen was able to get the new school record in the 60 meter dash. We also had some great results in the longer distance with the women’s team. Carsyn Koch won the mile, and Valerie Kirk finished third in the 60 meter hurdles. One guy that did not have the best time was Austin Ballentine. Austin is one of our freshman throwers. This is only his second collegiate meet and I am sure this is one meet he won’t forget. Austin had the unfortunate event of falling down while throwing the weight, not once, not even twice, but all three throws. He was a good sport though, never once wanting to give up. Anna Pomento entered into the falling club during one of her throws as well. If throwing ourselves were an Olympic sport, our team would have won the gold.

No meet is over until we have had our dinner. Seeing as the meet wasn’t over till around 10:30 p.m., we didn’t have many options in the way of food. Therefore, the team split into two groups: IHOP and Denny’s. The majority of the team went to Denny’s, which I heard was enjoyable. I ended up at IHOP. The "dinner" started well, with most of us in high spirits and hungry stomachs. Once most people had eaten, it was a different story. Many of our long distance girls decided it was bedtime and turned their booth into a bed. Once all had their fill, we headed back to the ‘Ville. Close to 4:00 a.m., we saw the lights of Cedarville. After unloading the bus, taking the longest walk up the main hall of Callan to return our implements, and walking back to our respective dorms, it was 4:30 a.m.

Now that most of us have recovered from the long weekend in the dome, we have returned to training. We are preparing for our home meet this coming weekend. The collegiate meet is on Friday, and then we will be hosting a high school meet on Saturday. The high school meet is our main fund raiser for the year and we look forward to seeing the young talent. I cannot wait to compete on our home turf. It is always a fun meet to watch, so why not come out and support your fellow Yellow Jackets? The meet starts at 3:30 p.m. with the field events. No matter if you come or not, I want to encourage you with the words of the much-loved Dr. Bill Brown, "Have an awesome day in Christ!"

P.S. If you weren’t aware, throwing pictures may be the most beautiful thing in the world. Enjoy!

 

Jan. 23, 2015

I was born to throw - at least that’s what my shirt says. My mom gave the shirt to me last Christmas. You could say that I get a lot of my track apparel from my mother. My mother has been a high school track coach for quite some time now; she’s just about to start her 30th year. I’m 21 and if I can do the math, like the teacher I am training to become, I would say that my mom had nine years to perfect her coaching and another thirteen years to coax me into track. I had played softball for the better part of my childhood, so when I was in 7th grade I had to make a choice: keep playing softball or take a chance on track & field. I took the chance.

Fast-forward a decade. Ten years later, after my initial leap of faith, I have made it to my final track & field season. Reminiscing with one of the other seniors on the team, Valerie Kirk, we spoke of our first conditioning season. Coach Marsh, who is now living in Florida with his wonderful family, was the ultimate conditioning guru. He knew exactly what to do to make us all wonder why we loved track so much. We laugh about it now, but I don’t think I was aware of just exactly how many muscles were in my body until his workouts. His warm-ups were longer than most people practice. Even though they were hard, we knew that the ones that stuck it through were the ones crazy enough to love track. I am privileged to call those people teammates. Over the past three and a half years we have grown in friendship that I will deeply miss once the season is over, and I will cherish every moment spent.

Tomorrow (Saturday) will be the official start of our indoor track season. We had a meet in December for those who were involved in fall conditioning, but this one is for everyone. At 9:45, Saturday morning, we will be heading for the University of Indianapolis. We have around 80 people on the team, which means we will be taking a charter bus along with our mini-bus. Compared to many of our meets, the drive won’t be long, only a little over two hours. The drive, along with the entirety of the track meet, will be plenty of time to gather stories and results for my next blog. I look forward to sharing our team’s experiences through the rest of the season. My hope is that it can entertain you just as much as The Princess Bride entertains me.