By MAYAN PAZ
Tiger Media Network
With only two weeks to go before the MIAA Indoor Championships, the FHSU track team will compete this weekend at the Gorilla Classic hosted by Pittsburg State University, in a high-level meet that will prepare the athletes for the conference meet.
The Tigers have several athletes who have already delivered great performances, putting them in the top 10 in Division II. On the women’s side, Annabeth Baalmann is the No. 1 pole vaulter in the nation, and freshman Katie Linenberger is ranked No. 4 in the high jump.
For the men, multi-athlete Drew Tolar is the only athlete in the national top-10. Tolar just scored a personal best in the Heptathlon last weekend to position himself in the No. 9 spot nationally, all but guaranteeing a spot in the Indoor National Championship. Tolar had two personal bests in long and high jump on the first day of the Heptathlon, setting himself up for success in the rest of the competition.
Despite competing in the most taxing event in track and field only a few days ago, Tolar will step on the track again this weekend to run the 60-meter dash, the 400-meter dash, and compete in long jump.
Addressing the difficulties of recovering from a hard competition while preparing for the next one, Tolar said that, together with his coach, Kelly Meyer, they have prepared a specialized schedule to optimize his preparation for the Gorrila Classic.
“So Monday was basically completely off. We just did some recovery and rehab, and some exercises to get going again,” he said. “Tuesday was a lift, and then I threw a little bit. And then yesterday, we worked long jumps, since that’s what we’ll be doing at this meet this coming weekend. And then today, we lifted again, and then did a little pre-meet.”
The rest of the team will try to take advantage of the opportunity and the high-level competition to improve their marks and position in the MIAA or the national rankings. Meyer said she is excited about how the athletes look heading into this weekend.
“I think this is the most prepped we have been all season, and I am confident that we will see some great performances,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s the nice weather this week or something else, but I have a good feeling about this weekend.”
As the team expects its national qualifiers to continue their impressive seasons, Meyer also highlighted other athletes on the verge of a breakthrough.
“I really think there are a lot of athletes I am excited to watch this weekend, and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but there are some groups that I think can perform particularly well,” she said. “Our hurdles and sprint crews, both men and women, are looking ready for some solid performances, and there are also jumpers and distance runners, especially in the women’s 800-meter race, who I think look fantastic so far this season as well.”
As this meet is important to many athletes who wish to make their mark on this indoor season, it is also another step towards the ultimate goal of the season: the conference and national championships.
Tolar, who is aiming to peak in those championships, discussed his mindset as he prepares for the Gorrila Classic.
“For this week, we just want to run a good race in our 400 and then jump well, so we can have some confidence before long jumping once again for the indoor conference coming up,” he said. “Looking ahead at the conference, a top-three finish would be great, and really just to get through that healthy and prepare for the week after, which is nationals.”
The team will compete at the Indoor facility at Pitt State on Friday and Saturday, aiming to improve their marks and get into better positions ahead of the final stretch of the season.