Kaitlyn Davis, Staff Writer
Would 120 people doing 4 or 5 different activities—some of whom don’t know each other very well—be considered a team? For the members of ND track and field, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. The team is almost evenly divided between guys and girls and is broken down into 4 sub-groups: throwers, sprinters, jumpers, and long distance, and then there are “multis,” who do multiple events. Each division has its own coach, but head coach Joe Plane directs the whole group. Each sub-group can be broken down even further by event: javelin, shot put, discus, weight, and hammer for throwing; 60-500 meter runs for sprinters involving hurdles and relays; high jump, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault for jumpers; 800m up to 10k and steeple chase for long distance runners, and pentathlon-decathlon for multi’s. The team competes outdoors and indoors. How does a team this large and varied bond? The student-athletes practice together, have team meetings, and share team dinner before conference meets to encourage one another and get to know each other better.
The team’s large size also matches the level of dedication of its members. Since there are not many scholarship dollars available for a team that size, many of the team members are walk-ons who are competing for the love of the sport. Everyone puts in about three to four hours of practice each day, whether that be lifting, running, or practicing individual events. Meets are usually every weekend in the winter and spring. Individual records are looked at more than a team win-loss record since there are so many varied events, but the team record matters for Big East Conference standings and the NCAA. The women’s team won indoor Big East this year and the men’s team won indoor and outdoor in the Big East last year.
When asked what her favorite part of being on the track team is, junior Amanda Chamblee replied, “my favorite part of being on the track team is the opportunity to compete for my individual goals but also contribute to the greater team as a whole. I also love having so many teammates (especially the integration of guys and girls) that sacrifice with you and push you to make you better.” Sprinter Michelle Brown said, “my favorite part about being on the track team is showing up every day to practice and spending time with my teammates who I consider family. We are all so close and are each other’s biggest supporters.”
How can you support this diverse, talented group of dedicated individuals? Go to their meets! Sprinter Kaila Barber commented that one of her favorite parts about track is the opportunity to “meet new people at meets.” The team would love to see more people who attend just to watch the meet, not specific events. With the number of different activities the team participates in, there is sure to be something to pique your interest.
When asked what was one thing that she wished people knew about ND track, Chamblee replied, “the huge amount of time and effort we put into our sport everyday and how physically demanding it is. I also wish people understood and appreciated its uniqueness as a sport and all the different events and skills it has to offer.” Brown added, “one thing I wish people knew about the track team is the level of talent our team contains. We have all-Americans and many elite track athletes who have competed at the National Championship and international competitions for the United States.” Barber added that the difficulty of the sport needs to be acknowledged. With a sport that has so many different things to watch and so many dedicated people to cheer for, why not go?
Kaitlyn Davis is a junior anthropology and environmental science major studying abroad at University College in Dublin. Contact her at kdavis19@nd.edu.