This coming weekend marks the beginning of the end of the indoor track season for the Vikings, as they venture across the northwest to Nampa, Idaho for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships all day on Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18.
Though short, the indoor season, which has consisted of three invitational meets at the University of Washington, has been a successful one for the Vikings, especially the women.
Four athletes on the women’s track and field team have already had NCAA Division II provisional national qualifying marks: freshman Brittany Grandy for the high jump, senior Emily Warman for the long jump and triple jump, senior Eleanor Siler for the 400-meter and junior Karis Anderson for the pole vault.
Though already having a provisional mark, Anderson is still looking to set a personal record, or PR, before the indoor season is over.
“I’m not looking forward to our nine-hour drive straight,” Anderson said. “But I’m really looking forward to the meet because I’m so close to PR-ing twice now.”
Despite not having any provisional qualifiers yet on the men’s team, there are several athletes ranked in the top ten spots in their events.
Four out of the top ten high jumpers are Vikings, occupying the 2, 4, 5 and 7 spots. Spots 2, 6, 8 and 10 in the 400-meter race are Western men, and Vikings are 1, 5 and 8 in the pole vault.
The meet is one of the last chances for the team to get good marks and secure a spot at nationals.
Going into the weekend, the men’s team is ranked number three in the GNAC, and the women’s team is second but the competition is tough, coach Kelven “Pee Wee” Halsell said.
“You can’t just look forward, you have to look backward,” he said. “It’s going to be a very close meet, a very competitive weekend.”
After this weekend, the Vikings will have only one more indoor meet before heading back into the fresh air for the outdoor season, something Anderson said she is looking forward to.
“Everyone says [outdoor is] where it all counts,” Anderson said. “I mean, the Olympics aren’t indoors, they’re outdoors.”
While a nine drive away, Halsell said the meet would be a great opportunity to witness some true athletic competition, since at this part of the season, every point counts.
“Both the [men’s and women’s teams] are in the hunt,” he said. “Basically you just have to go for it. You have to go in there in compete, and that’s all you can control: what you can do.”
