After running loops on the indoor track at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center and arranging hurdles on the basketball courts usually used for pickup games, the DePaul track team is ready for the weather to change and outdoor competitions and practices to begin.”When it’s our outdoor season, it makes everyone want to do, really step it up and do great,” said Lindsey Holden, who recently set a new DePaul record at the Big East Championship on Feb. 20 with a 400m time of 55.83.
“It’s always great to have a PR [personal record] and it just makes you feel like your work’s paid off,” said Holden, a sophomore.
Mary Cate-Quiett took fourth place at the Big East in the 800m with a season-best time of 2:10.22. The women tallied 11 points, finishing 13th, while the men landed in 11th with 29 points.
“I was really proud of the team,” said Holden, whose personal goal is to reach regionals. “I think everyone who made it to finals scored, which was really awesome.”
Tim Nedow, who will compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships, led the men’s side, coming in first with a shot put throw of 18.17m. With a time of 48.48 in the 400m dash, Tonderai Tomu claimed third, as did Matthew Graham who ran a time of 8:20.81 in the 3,000m run.
“I think everybody who went to the Big East competed on a high level. Everybody was really dedicated and focused on competing at the highest level,” said senior Edin Pasalic. “Everybody [from the men’s team] who went there scored a point, so that’s, like, a new thing for us. Never happened before, so it’s pretty good.”
The tournament also provided the team with an idea of what to expect in upcoming outdoor competitions.
“Outdoor there’s some more events coming in place, like discus throw, so I think we could score some more points there,” Pasalic said.
However, there is still room for improvement, according to Pasalic. One place the team is focusing on is the 4x400m relay.
“We’re trying to break a school record that’s been sitting there for, like, I think 10 years,” said Pasalic, who runs both the relay and 500m dash. “The 4×4 group is really working hard to beat it. We have two more seconds to cut to run the 3:12, so that’s like one of our big goals.”
“We have two freshmen on our team that are really looking good. No one expected them to step up, but they really stepped up this indoor season so we’re expecting to break that record hopefully.