Brad Robinson was officially promoted to Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at the beginning of this outdoor season, according to UIndy Athletics. Robinson is a former student athlete from the university and worked on campus as a graduate assistant. He came back to UIndy and was given the opportunity to be head coach of the cross country team and assistant coach for track and field.
“When I graduated, I took three years away and then came back and worked as a graduate assistant,” Robinson said. “That would have been starting in the fall of 2011, I worked as a graduate assistant for three years, and completed my master’s degree in BA…I was given the opportunity to be head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. I have retained that up until this year of October 2023 and then in October 2023, I was promoted into the Interim Director of Cross Country and Track and Field and then this month in March, and now the director.”
Robinson said since he is now the director of both Track and Field and Cross Country, his responsibilities have increased. He said he now oversees official fundraising, recruitment, and travel for the team, which are just some of his day-to-day worries. Robinson added that he feels as though the team is ready for the outdoor season since the women’s track and field team finished 12th at the end of the indoor season, according to UIndy Athletics.
“Things went well for the indoor season and we capped off things well on the ladies’ side as they finished 12th at the national championships indoors with the national champion, another first team, All-American, and then another athlete finished Second Team All-American, so it was a good showing across the board,” Robinson said. “The team collectively is mostly anxious, excited and ready to compete, but we added a few extra events for an outdoor season that we feel are favorable for us. Some of those events being the 400 hurdles, we will have a few more guys competing in the multis [multiple events], the decathlon in this outdoor season, which is beneficial on the guys’ side, and then for the throws they had a couple of extra throwing events as well.”
Graduate student and sprinter for the women’s track and field team ZaLeeya Martin said she is excited for the outdoor season. Martin believes with the great indoor season and training they had from Robinson, they will be able to do great in the outdoor season, too.
“I made it to finals for the 60-meter dash, so that was great because I was nervous for that,” Martin said. “I was consistent the whole year with the training that we are getting from our coach and hoping to again make it to the finals for the 100 and maybe the 200 meters. It is my first outdoor season with this team, so I’m just very excited about the 4×100 relay and just making it to the conference and competing with my friends.”
UIndy Track and Field will be competing against CAL State on April 11, according to UIndy Athletics. Robinson said he is more than confident this outdoor season will be great.
“We’re still just excited to keep moving on this,” Robinson said. We had indoor and hopefully we will be faster, jump higher, jump further, check all the boxes and have a great season.”
