On January 20th UNC Asheville’s track and field team left for South Carolina for a two day meet to compete against several other teams in the Big South.
One highlighted bulldog is senior Jalen Anderson who placed first overall in the men’s 200 meter invite with a time of 21.66.
Senior distance runner Tom Germann placed third in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:58.24. Germann said the training within the XC and the track season are what helped him prepare for this adrenaline-rushing event.
“We do a lot of aerobic work in both the summer and fall, which consists of long runs, tempo workouts and some light speed sessions. When winter hits we start to add in specific speed workouts to get those anaerobic systems firing,” Germann said.
Track is a mentally tasking sport, and according to Germann this season the Bulldogs have taken a more serious approach to the athletes’ mental health.
“There is a lot of time to think during a distance race, so approaching the race with clear thoughts and a relaxed mind is important for success. A lot of us meditate, and I like to go get some sunlight and listen to a playlist before I race. Most importantly, we always race to win at UNCA,” Germann said.
Germann said he came up short winning the race, but the competitive mentality of the team’s coach and the team itself has led to increased success every year he’s been a part of the program.
Freshman Emma Kennet placed third in the women’s mile with a time of 5 minutes, 23 seconds. what’s the secret to running an effective mile what’s her head running or warming up, how does her body feel just moments before stepping on the line.
“While warming up I try my best to stay calm and focus on my main goal for the race. I try to envision my goal time and placement as a reality which gives me more grit during the race. Before toeing the line, I try to just be present. I don’t want to get caught up in ‘what should I race’ or ‘how I should race’ because I’ve already thought about that enough and I don’t need the extra stress when I’m about to take off,” Kennet said. “I tell myself everyone there deserves to be there, including me, and I should be grateful for the opportunity to race. I usually tell myself to have fun and enjoy the ride.”
According to Kennet, it’s important to know what foods work best to give you the fuel you need to run a successful race.
“I like to test different things out but yesterday I had some pomelo and a honey stinger waffle for breakfast. They’re an energy fuel before my race. I really liked the way I felt before my race and I think I’ll be doing it again next time,” Kennet said. “If you’ve never had a pomelo, they are great. It’s an Asian fruit that’s similar to a grapefruit but it’s less bitter. I highly recommend trying.”
Junior Raina Jackson threw 13.39m in the women’s shot put invite, placing her in second place. Jaelyn Arnold, freshman, threw 11.30 meters, freshman Renae Younce 10.73m and sophomore Madison Hannah 10.11m.
Freshman Ella Moore finished third in the women’s 3000m with a time of 10:31.94.
Mallory Haney,senior, jumped the high of 1.57m in the Women’s high jump, putting her in second place. The Last race of the meet was the 4×400 relay, one of many races that had teammates and spectators on their feet.
The UNCA girls placed second overall. This team included Elyse Myles, Brianna Moore, Zoe Bos and Emily Leo, finishing with a time of 4:06.63. This race was definitely a fan favorite based on he reaction from the crowd.
Honorable mentions: Zac Weas top finishes in the Men’s 60m prelims with a time of 8.22,
Francesca Cergol with a PR of 26.30 and Elyse Myle with a time of 26.85 both in the women’s 200m
DaMarr Harvey -35.07 and Adam Graham with a PR of 36.97 in the Men’s 300m
Jackson Core in the men’s 800m finished with a time of 2:02.60
Zoe Bos- 2:25.68 and Emily Leo- 2:26.68 both in the women’s 800m
Brianna Moore- 5.56m in the women’s long jump invite
Jan Malek-8:23.58 in the men’s 3000m invite