By SHEALYNN PRATT
Northwestern’s Track and Field team continues to break records as they begin their outdoor season, and the team credits the coaches, whereas the coaches credit the athletes.
The team had their second meet of the outdoor season on Saturday at Oklahoma Baptist University.
Jamaira Ross, a senior from Richardson, Texas, has set and broke the school record six times in the 800m this year. During the first outdoor meet, Ross broke her 800m record with a time of 2:26.18 and secured 2nd in the 5000m at the UTSA Invitational Meet. During Saturday’s meet, Ross broke the school record in the 3k steeplechase with a time of 11:26.11.
“When I race, I have learned to stay out of my head and stop telling myself that I couldn’t do it.” Ross said. “Stop worrying about everyone else’s time and just run because I just want to get better and push to my max.”
With over ten years under her belt, she says that the team dynamic and coaching staff is what makes her experience running at Northwestern different. She gives credit to Sterlin Broomfield, Head Women’s & Men’s Cross Country Coach.
“There is way more support than all of my other schools.” Ross said. “Broomy has always been there and if I have a bad race he always tells me to keep my eyes on the future and to not dwell on the past.”
As her final track season is underway, she says that she is happy for how her emotions have changed towards the sport.
“In the past, it felt like a job and I just felt like a number but here I feel like the coaches and my teammates see me as a person and don’t just see me for how I run.” Ross said.
The Head Women’s Track and Field Coach Jill Lancaster says that is the exact goal of the coaching staff.
“Being patient in this environment, respecting the athletes that we have and treating them like individuals is so much easier than in a ‘survival of the fittest’ environment.”
Coach Lancaster says their job is to educate and to be patient with their athletes. As the coaching staff remains respective of the team’s academics, receiving Academic All-American every year in Women’s Cross Country since the program has started.
“We have a vision for the students and it’s not about what they have done, it is about what they can do.” Lancaster said.
Cadence Long-Torres, GAC Athlete of the Week, has been running track for eight years and from Moore, Oklahoma. She says that the coaching staff has altered the training plan as they begin their outdoor season.
“This season we have been implementing double threshold training days where we do two workouts in one day.” Long said. “The goal is to build our lactic acid threshold to maximize our aerobic capacity and since implementing this into our weekly training plan, I have seen improvements in mine and my teammates’ performances.”
Being named Athlete of the Week has not come easy for Long.
“Any accolades I’ve earned come from discipline and dedication rather than pure talent, all the hard work I’ve put in over the years has paid off and I’m so grateful.” Long said.
Coach Lancaster says as the program grows, so does the progress.
“Now we are getting enough depth, so our younger athletes have someone to follow and that is monopolizing the numbers of them getting better because it is easier with a unit.” Lancaster said.
The freshmen on the team also say that the outdoor season comes with its own pressure.
Jeremiah Anderson, from Columbia, Missouri, has set and broken his own school record twice in the long jump, was named GAC Field Athlete of the Week in December and is currently first in Conference. On Saturday’s meet, Anderson got first place with 2.13m.
“I just go out there and jump.” Anderson said.
Anderson says the group of jumpers have also implemented double threshold days whenever it comes to preparation during the outdoor season.
“I just had practice two times in one day, the workouts have changed and my schedule has been moved back farther.”
Anderson ran track throughout high school but credits Assistant Head Coach Tamaj Gordon and teammates, like Malakhi Straker, for help regarding his personal development, saying it’s all family oriented.
Aaliyah Cobb, a freshman sprinter from Dallas, Texas, ran in n the indoor season, breaking the school record for the 200m dash with a time of 25.55. She and teammates Madyson Organ, Jada White and Kerr’Yelle Carter also broke the school record in the 4×4 with a time of 3:59.51.
“Everybody here is driven to be the best and being in an environment where I’m not the only one who wants to get better and take this to the next level is really refreshing.” Cobb said.
The team is not just breaking records because of skill, Cobb credits bonding outside of the sport.
“Having fun and really trying to bond with each other outside of track really helps with us hyping each other up and reminding each other that we are fast.” Cobb said.
Lancaster says that the coaching staff understands and appreciates dynamics like that.
“They depend on each other for rides or entertainment because it’s not like we are in a large city where they can get distracted, so I think that the environment is just right for them to be successful.”
Cobb credits the care of the coaching staff and Head Sprints Coach Zaccheus Beasly for her improvements as an athlete.
“The coaching staff is probably one of the best that I’ve ever had.” Cobb said. “They’re just really driven and Coach Zach has been doing research, like he has pages and pages and he even goes to other coaches to get more insight on how to coach us better.”
Coach Lancaster says the care that runs through the program highlights how important athletics have been on the Ranger campus, especially for new recruits.
“We are an environment where we allow our athletes to develop and we are fortunate enough to have coaches that understand that we have to lay the groundwork.” Lancaster said.