New Track Programs Has Hurdles to Overcome
Anthony O'Hagan
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Sports
Indoor Track and Field, a new athletic program at UC, is in its first year as a winter sport.
The team does have some disadvantages to overcome. The UC campus does not have an indoor track, so every competition the team participates in has to be at other locations and the team can only practice at 9:00 in the evening at Hamilton College. It is tough because fans at Utica College will not be able to see their friends compete, unless they travel on the road with them.
However, the positives outweigh the negatives in the program. Trenton Sparks, freshman, won the triple jump with a distance of 13.40 meters. He is the first person to win an event in the UC Track Program.
"I mean wow!... It's crazy just hearing that." Sparks said. "I'm very surprised. Not only am I proud, I'm honored. This is something that I'm always going to look back on."
Tatiana Grant is on a track team for the very first time in her life. She already seems to be getting the hang of it as she earned first place in the 200-meter race this on Sunday. "I was very shocked to place first for the very first time in a 200 meter dash race." Grant said. "I was so excited that i won because I really focused and pushed myself farther than I ever thought I could go."
Despite being a new program, the track team is making a statement, thanks to the respective victories earned by Grant and Sparks.
Matthew Galbraith believes the coaching staff has played a huge role in the success of the Track team thus far. "The Coaches have done a great job of making sure we're all in the best condition we can be to perform on and off the track." Galbraith said. "Coach (Jason) Rose has done a great job of getting us prepared for races with a good balance of Cross-Training and speed and conditioning track workouts. He's provided us with every tool we need to succeed, all you have to do is use them and you're there."
Galbraith is training for the Iron-man Competition that takes place in July and being on the Track team is helping him prepare for it.
Many members of the Track team are honored to be a part of the very first track team in the history of Utica College. Emilia Hernandez is among the members who feel incredible for being on the program's first team.
"It felt even better when we had our first track meet because I was a part of the first 4x400 relay in UC history." Hernandez said. "It really is an amazing feeling knowing that I was one of the people who helped start off the program."
Jillian Baillargeon is another member who feels honored. "Being a part of a team that is in the building process is an honor because you will always know that you were a part of that team and made it happen." Baillargeon said.
The Utica College Track team continues their quest to get better and establish themselves as a legitament program."I hope to continue to win for UC and put our program on the map," Sparks said.
The team does have some disadvantages to overcome. The UC campus does not have an indoor track, so every competition the team participates in has to be at other locations and the team can only practice at 9:00 in the evening at Hamilton College. It is tough because fans at Utica College will not be able to see their friends compete, unless they travel on the road with them.
However, the positives outweigh the negatives in the program. Trenton Sparks, freshman, won the triple jump with a distance of 13.40 meters. He is the first person to win an event in the UC Track Program.
"I mean wow!... It's crazy just hearing that." Sparks said. "I'm very surprised. Not only am I proud, I'm honored. This is something that I'm always going to look back on."
Tatiana Grant is on a track team for the very first time in her life. She already seems to be getting the hang of it as she earned first place in the 200-meter race this on Sunday. "I was very shocked to place first for the very first time in a 200 meter dash race." Grant said. "I was so excited that i won because I really focused and pushed myself farther than I ever thought I could go."
Despite being a new program, the track team is making a statement, thanks to the respective victories earned by Grant and Sparks.
Matthew Galbraith believes the coaching staff has played a huge role in the success of the Track team thus far. "The Coaches have done a great job of making sure we're all in the best condition we can be to perform on and off the track." Galbraith said. "Coach (Jason) Rose has done a great job of getting us prepared for races with a good balance of Cross-Training and speed and conditioning track workouts. He's provided us with every tool we need to succeed, all you have to do is use them and you're there."
Galbraith is training for the Iron-man Competition that takes place in July and being on the Track team is helping him prepare for it.
Many members of the Track team are honored to be a part of the very first track team in the history of Utica College. Emilia Hernandez is among the members who feel incredible for being on the program's first team.
"It felt even better when we had our first track meet because I was a part of the first 4x400 relay in UC history." Hernandez said. "It really is an amazing feeling knowing that I was one of the people who helped start off the program."
Jillian Baillargeon is another member who feels honored. "Being a part of a team that is in the building process is an honor because you will always know that you were a part of that team and made it happen." Baillargeon said.
The Utica College Track team continues their quest to get better and establish themselves as a legitament program."I hope to continue to win for UC and put our program on the map," Sparks said.
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