The men’s and women’s track and field teams open their 2018-19 indoor season at the Bison Opener at Bucknell University on Dec. 2.

“Our track and field teams trained on their own all summer,” said Red Flash head coach Doug Hoover.  “Then we began conditioning together in the beginning of the fall.

“They’ve been grinding for a long time to get ready for the season.”

Many of both teams’ distance runners also ran cross country in the fall, so they have already competed in multiple meets. For others, this is the first meet of the season.

“All the groups – distance, sprinters, throwers and jumpers – have been working every day for the past couple of months to prepare for a great start to the track season in the hopes of achieving our overall goals,” said sophomore Jacob Schulte.

The women’s team placed sixth in the Northeast Conference outdoor championship last year. The men’s team placed third.

“We have a great mix of experienced veterans and talented freshmen this year,” said Hoover. “We believe that our teams are well positioned for podium finishes in the Northeast Conference and can contend at the top of the league.”

Like many other teams, the men’s and women’s teams create goals and hold themselves to a high standard, both on the track and off.

“At our team meetings, we talk about how our attitude influences our identity, which in turn reflects on the team and our morale as a whole,” said junior thrower Michelle Hildebrand.

“We really focus on keeping our attitude and morale up as a team and encouraging each other every step of the way.”