By Wes Sharpe
The 2022 Trevecca track and field team consists of 32 student athletes led by head coach Austin Selby.
The men’s team has 20 athletes and the women’s team consists of 12.
For many athletes on the team, there is an excitement surrounding being able to compete in the outdoor events following the indoor season.
Trevecca does not have any indoor facilities for track, making the indoor transition a little more difficult for the track and field athletes, said Selby.
“We have the largest squad in the conference for a team that does not have a facility. Besides simply not being able to do things indoors when the weather is adverse, which is a luxury in the first place, we are not in control of being able to do anything other than run,” said Selby. “When you think about block starts, hurdle form, high jump practice, pole vault, hammer, disc, shot, javelin, and relay exchange practice, there is a lot that we must depend on from places we have no control over. We always have to wonder if the track is going to be available where we practice every single day, and that is tough.”
The team has some athletes that have never been a part of a track team, and they are especially ready to compete.
One of these athletes is Hannah Sims. Last year Sims was playing junior college basketball before she transferred to Trevecca.
Knowing that she was extremely athletic and wanting to use her athletic talents, she joined the women’s team and has now set school records in the javelin throw.
“Track is very demanding and requires a lot of different types of training for each individual event. While it’s demanding, it’s also very rewarding. I feel the best I’ve ever felt, and I still got a long way to go,” said Sims
Lucas Baggott who has set several school records in events such as the 400-meter hurdles, the 400-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles, says he is “excited to see the hard work he and his teammates put in payoff.”
Unlike other teams, the Trevecca track and field team does not have a captain.
“On our team we don’t name a team captain. It is really on all of us as teammates to hold each other accountable, whether it’s upperclassmen to lowerclassmen, or vice versa, we really strive to get better as a team and not just individually,” said Baggott.
The Great Midwest Outdoor Championships begin May 4.
