With the spring season approaching, spring sports are preparing to start their seasons, and in particular is the start of the track and field season.
The Texas A&M University-Commerce Track & Field team is looking to improve on a great 2006 season, in which many different student-athletes showed their strengths.
The team started their various workouts in January, and will test out their training, when their season officially begins Feb. 24, at the Trinity Invitational in San Antonio.
There will be many key returnees on the team and also some promising newcomers this spring.
Some of the key returnees on the women’s team will be Niki Williams, Kara Bickel, Britney Fisher and Rachel Redding.
Williams was a top finisher during her four-year collegiate cross-country career, which concluded last fall.
In 2006, she was consistently a top finisher in the 3000-meter Steeplechase, with her best finish being a first-place finish at the University of Texas-Austin Open (May 6, 2006), with a time of 11:06.17, improving her previous season-best time by nearly fifteen seconds.
Bickel should prove to be a continued asset for the Lions in the middle distance events, as she was last spring.
In running the 800-meter run last season, Bickel had her best performance at the SFA Dogwood Invitational (Apr.13, 2006), with a time of 2:19.55.
Fisher was consistently among the top finishers for A&M-Commerce last year in the throwing events, with a season-best 138 feet, 3 inches discus throw at the Tarleton State Invitational (Mar.9, 2006), while achieving one of the top performances at the SFA Dogwood Invitational, by throwing 36 feet, 2.75 inches in the shot put event.
Redding should be a thrower to watch throughout the season. She has been one of the top throwers for A&M-Commerce, in the discus and hammer events.
The key returnees on the men’s team look to be Greg Strickland, Ryan Graves, and Larry Gilbert. Strickland. Strickland provided depth and strength in mid-sprints during the 2006 season, and should be a strong finisher this season as well.
At the Twilight Invitational, Graves threw 15.04 meters in the shot put event.
Gilbert should provide guidance in the throwing events, specifically the discus event.
There are many key newcomers on both the women and men’s teams, who should make an immediate impact. One of these newcomers is Alfredo Soto, who will be running distance events.
He should prove to be an immediate and valuable asset for the Lions during the spring season.
The Lions will be under the guidance of Interim Head Coach Rich Lawrence who is filling the head coaching position left by Pat Ponder’s departure last semester.