The women’s track and field team, which is coming off a top-tier performance last week, is striving for perfection this time around.
On Thursday, Florida A&M will look to continue its championship push as it travels to the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. to participate in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Invitational.
During the Ed Temple Classic last Saturday, the team won three events and improved its list of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Championship qualifiers to 12 athletes. According to head coach Darlene Moore, the team is looking to add five more.
“Our goal is to get more young ladies qualified in their conference events,” Moore said. “Right now, we have qualified in 12 of the 17 events that we participate in. 17 of 17 is what I’m looking for, along with improved performances.”
To accomplish this goal, Moore said the team has increased the intensity of its workouts by a wide margin. She said doing so would also help the team as it looks to compete with the conference’s toughest competition during the indoor championship on Feb. 16.
“We’re turning up the intensity with practice,” Moore said. “Each year, the MEAC is getting tougher and tougher. So that’s what we are basing our practices on. We want to excel in this up-coming championship.”
Raven Robinson, a junior from Tallahassee, said maintaining drive and motivation similar to what the team has possessed all season long would be the key to success this week.
“We just have to be really motivated and make sure that we have the same goals that we’ve already practiced throughout the year,” Robinson said. “We have to make sure we keep our head up, keep track of our time and build on that.”
400m runner Janay House is approaching competition with a similar attitude.
“We have to continue to work hard as a team and just push it during the practice,” House said. “If we continue to believe that we can do it, we will.”
The invitational features 23 teams, including Birmingham State, Alabama State, Jacksonville State and Georgia Southern.