Sacrifice to success
Senior Andrea Horban practices her shot put technique in Nicoson Hall. Horban was one of the provisional qualifiers for the track and field team.
By Chris Miller | Staff Writer
The University of Indianapolis men’s and women’s track teams have five athletes who either qualified or earned a provisional spot for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. This success also comes from the maturation of a decision made last season to red shirt ten athletes, three of whom are currently qualified.
In Issue 11, Vol. 86 of The Reflector, head coach Fangman said that red shirting so many athletes in the 2007-08 season could have been the worst year in Greyhound history for the track and field team.
But Fangman also said that once University of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville left this season, UIndy could be the best team in school history.
Seniors Amy Schmitz, Emily Schaf and Andrea Horban, red shirted in the 2007 season, qualified for this season’s NCAA Division II Indoor Championship. Schmitz so far has been the only Greyhound to automatically qualify for a trip to the Indoor Championships, with a personal best weight throw toss of 17.10 meters at the Indiana Open on Jan. 12.
“It is pretty awesome qualifying for nationals so early,” Schmitz said. “This [automatic qualifying] is such a weight off my shoulders, and we are all so close to auto. We still have four to five weeks [until] we compete for nationals.”
Horban proved herself with a 14.08-meter throw in the shot put event at the Indiana Open, earning a provisional qualifying mark.
She also made a provisional qualifying mark at the Grand Valley State University Mike Lints Alumni Open on Jan. 18 with a 13.68-meter throw in the shot put.
With a provisional qualifying, an athlete is ranked among the other athletes who also qualify provisionally, and at the national competition the top-ranked athletes are chosen to compete.
Schaf also provisionally qualified with a 1.71-meter high jump at the GVSU Mike Lints Alumni Open.
“It feels good to qualify this early in the season,” Schaf said. “It takes a 1.74 -meter jump to qualify, so that thought is in the back of my mind. With this year being a little less intense with class, I want to try and focus on my height, not necessarily beating other opponents.”
On the men’s side, junior Freddie Helm earned a provisionally qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash, with a record-setting 6.82 seconds. Senior Willie Little earned a provisional qualifying mark in the weight throw with a showing of 18.75 meters. The throw was the best of this season, but not his all-time best, which is an 18.80-meter throw. Auto qualifying for weight throw is 19 meters.
“Qualifying feels like second nature. I know what I need to get to nationals, and I just want to make sure I am in the right place at the right time. I don’t think there is any doubt,” Little said. “Our team is in the perfect position to sweep indoor and outdoor nationals. Coach Fangman has ingrained in our heads what we need to do in order to win.”
On Jan. 31 a few throwers were sent to Findlay University, while the rest of the team competed in the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational. At IWU, Helm recorded a new record setting time of 6.83 seconds when he finished first in the 60-meter dash.
Four Greyhounds also had top-five finishes at Findlay Indoor Track Classic, Schmitz, Little and Horban were among those athletes.
