The Florida A&M women’s track and field team, which is fresh off an impressive fourth-place finish at the Mid-Eastern Conference Indoor Championship on Feb. 18, is looking to build on its success Friday during the North Florida Invitational in Jacksonville.
The invitationalwill be held in the Hodges Stadium Track & Field facility.
The Athletes, who remain top-tier championship contenders, said they have been practicing hard to prepare for the outdoor season.
For runners such as Chandelic Jackson and Ariel Allen, the UNF Invite serves as an event for maximizing their teams’ full potential. Jackson said the team would do a great this weekend because of its preparation.
“It’s going to be a perfect indicator of what we will be expecting this outdoor season and give us great competition to compare ourselves to so we can be prepared for MEAC,” Jackson said.
FAMU will look to keep their momentum going and improve on weaknesses. The team, which qualified 17 athletes for the MEAC Indoor Championship, has already had an impressive season thus far. Johnson said her personal goals are to improve after every race and to earn as many points as possible.
Head coach Darlene Moore said the key to successful performances is to take advantage of the race at the beginning. She said this improves the odds of winning.
Allen said the team would give its all Friday because it is focused on becoming better team overall.
“Everyone has just been working hard physically and mentally at practice in order to get stronger,” Allen said. “We have been working on getting out hard so we can run the race from the front and pull through at the end.”
Cookie Garrett, FAMU’s housing resident director and longtime team supporter, said the Lady Rattlers would have no problem garnering success this weekend.
“I have seen how much talent FAMU women’s track team has, and I can only see them continuing to grow and getting better with every competition,” Garrett said. “I know they’ll perform just fine.”
The 62nd Annual FAMU Relays will begin March 10 at the Pete Griffin Track. Competition will begin at 8 a.m. For more information, please visit: http://www.coachoregistration.com/meet/info/fl_famu/2012/03-10_Webster_Surgical_Center_62nd_Annual_FAMU_Relays/info.pdf