Event: UW Invitational
Where: Dempsey Indoors – Seattle, Wash.
When: Saturday at 8 a.m.
Who to watch: Her name is Lorin Scott.
Aggie fans should already be familiar with the senior middle distance standout. And after this season, athletics fans around the country may very well be, too. Scott was just 0.04 seconds away from qualifying for regionals last season and expects to improve dramatically this year.
“I’ve been in the program for five years,” Scott said, “so this is the last hurrah. Obviously, I want to have this be my best season. I’ve learned a lot being at Davis and I had a breakthrough last season, so I’d like to continue to do that. I’m really excited to get out there and get my spikes on again and get running.“
Did you know? This will be a significant meet for senior distance runner Kaitlin Gregg, as she will be redshirting the outdoor season. With only one other indoor meet on the schedule to qualify for nationals, Saturday’s 3,000m will take on extra importance.
Preview: Practically since school started in the fall, the track and field team has been training day in and day out. Finally, they will have the chance to mix things up.
“We’ve been training since October,” coach Deanne Vochatzer said. “They’ve trained through some cold and rainy weather, so they’re looking forward to go up and get the kinks out, but also compete.“
Leading the squad will be co-captain Stephanie Eckels, who will be competing in the 60m, 200m and long jump.
“I am most excited about the 60,” Eckels said. “That race not only has to deal with speed, but it also puts a lot of emphasis on the blocks, which as the starter of the 400 relay, is very important to me.“
The Aggies should see top performances from many experienced athletes, including school record holders Sirena Williams in the 60m hurdles and Ugo Eke in the 200m. The field events look to be strong this weekend as well.
“I’m looking forward to Chid [Onyewuenyi] and Ashley Hearn,” Vochatzer said. “Obviously, there’s no hammer, so they’ll throw the indoor weight, which they don’t get many chances to do.“
“I am really excited about our first meet,” Eckels said. “I usually look at this meet as a place where we as a team can gauge where we are at, see what we need to change and what works. I am excited to see what we will start off with in Seattle.“
– Alex Wolf-Root
