With the school year coming to an end, Concordia Track and Field is also inching towards the finale of their season. They are in San Diego this weekend competing in the PacWest Conference Championships with many athletes, hoping for a chance at qualifying for nationals.

All of their work will be put to the test this weekend as the athletes look back at all they have accomplished and all of the memories that they have created along the way.

“My favorite part of the season is coming to practice every day, laughing with my teammates, [and] making jokes, but still getting to put the work in needed to run fast,” said senior sprinter Maddy Fearon.

Sophomore thrower Tim Weller also cites his favorite memories as competing with top schools such as USC. 

It is also a bittersweet championship as much of the roster is seniors who will be graduating and moving on from Concordia. 

“My favorite part of the season so far has been the UCI meet where we got to celebrate the last four years together as seniors on our senior night,” said senior distance runner Gavin Hellerstedt. “The energy of the team was high and it was super cool to have this moment with every one of my teammates. We got to all compete as one team to start that day and celebrate as one team to end the day.”

“I am so looking forward to my fitness life outside of track, but I’m going to miss all of the practice days, meets, recovery days and team bonding that is done as a team,” said Fearon. “I’m going to miss the family aspect of track.”

“The seniors really make the team the way it is,” said junior sprinter Zakiya Nunez. “They lead, train hard and generally bring the energy. Every year it’s sad to see them graduate but we all just hope to fill their shoes. And going into our final races with them there’s nothing but excitement to see them compete one last time.”

“There’s something different about the end of something like this,” said Hellerstedt. “It's truly special and it reminds you to take in every moment and take nothing for granted. I’m more than ready to give everything I got for my teammates and to prove to myself what is possible.”

Sentiments for all of the seniors aside, the team is still focused on their goals of performing to their absolute best in the conference championships. 

“Going into conference championships, the main focus will be to stick to our Day 1 core values,” said Hellerstedt. “Especially being connected, disciplined and competitive. These kinds of things have been the foundation of who we are and we gotta lean into that and stick to it heading into this big weekend. If we stay true to ourselves and pursue excellence, great things will happen.”

“Coach Bloomfield has been saying ‘flip the list’ which means don’t settle for the spot you were placed in,” said Nunez. “Instead aim to go to the finals or even place higher. I’m just trying to channel that energy and do the best I can for myself and for my team.”

“The focus going into the conference is being present, executing my race plan,” said Fearon. “I’m just enjoying my last ever conference meet with the people who I enjoy being around.”

Following the conference championships, athletes who perform well enough will have a chance to compete at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships if they manage to hit the qualifying measurables. While the athletes are focused on conference first, they are constantly pushing themselves with the hopes of qualification.

“Beyond just conference, nationals is always the number one goal… With that being said, getting into nationals is a huge accomplishment and focus. I’m always focused on trying to reach that level of eliteness and with conference this weekend. Crazy things can happen so I’m ready to give it my all and see where the chips fall,” said Hellerstedt.

“For me nationals is definitely one of my main goals, it’s the highest or most competitive meet in the whole country and I think I have the ability to be among those competing there,” said Weller. “I trust in the hard work I have done and my personal drive and desire to be there… I will try my best to increase my chances or even further increase my ranking to go.”

Don’t forget to cheer on our women’s and men’s track and field teams for their conference championships from April 23 to April 25. Stay up to date on Instagram @cuitfxc.

Tags: Track and Field

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