Track competes at Penn Relays, Highlander Invite

The Liberty University men’s and women’s track team are in the midst of a very hectic stretch of their season as they try to prepare for the Championship portion of their schedule.

The Flames still have a few tuneup meets left to compete in, as well as the all-important finals week, before they to get that Championship portion of the season, which starts May 11 at the IC4A Championships in Princeton, N.J.

On top of the these circumstances, coach Brant Tolsma says his biggest challenge will be getting his team to come back together and round back into form after these next few weeks.

“The big thing right now is we need our team to come back together,” Tolsma said. “We need to get the team spirit going where you’re not out there just competing for yourself, but as a team. When you see a teammate do well, you want to do well too.”

This task is harder than it sounds. What makes this part of the season “hectic” is how unconventional it is.

For instance, this past weekend, April 26 and 28, the Flames had some of the team competing in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., others at the Highlander Invitational in Radford, Va. and some not competing at all.

“At the moment we are kind of disjointed,” Tolsma said. “We had some distance runners go up and compete Thursday (April 26), and then come back on their own, and we had sprinters go up and stay and compete Friday and Saturday. So there’s quite a disconnect that happens at this point in the season.”

Tolsma went on to say that one thing that helps overcome this, is that once the athletes are finished with the semester, they can devote their full time and mind on the team and ongetting ready for the Championship season.

The Flames will be in action next week, but then will once again be split up, having one portion of the team competing in the Duke Twilight Meet, others at the Winthrop Twilight Meet and others not at all. Even with everything going on, Tolsma is very pleased with where his team is right now.

“Heading into the IC4A event, I think we have more people qualified than we ever have before,” Tolsma said. “Our women could potentially finish higher than they ever have, and I think our men could be in the hunt. We have a good chance of being on the Podium if we can fire on all cylinders and pull together.”