Records broken, but competitors believe they can do better still
Three records fall for AU track during indoor season
JOSH ESTABROOK
Gearing up for the end of its indoor season, Augustana’s track team already has three members who have broken school records.
Sophomore Josh Barrows and senior Carina Hofmeister set records at the South Dakota State University meet in December. Sophomore Olivia Montez Brown smashed one of her own Jan. 7 at Minnesota State-Mankato.
Barrows broke the 600m record previously set by Aduo Omot in 2012. Omot’s time was 1:20.61. Barrows set the new record with a time of 1:19.72. Although training by himself since May, Barrows said his fellow middle distance runners helped him train for the event.
“A lot of the credit…has to go to other people who have pushed me,” Barrows said.
Hofmeister cracked the 25.28 200m record that she set previously. Her new record is 25.14. Although happy with her previous record, Hofmeister has no plans of slowing down, saying that “I just hope I can break it again.”
Montez Brown set a new record for the long jump, an event she held the record for previously.
In 2016, Montez Brown jumped 18’11.25”. This past January, Montez At the Mankato meet, she jumped 19’2”. Although excited about her recent accomplishment, Montez Brown wishes to keep improving.
“I know I can do better,” Montez Brown said.
Assistant coach Scott Tanis said that he was pleased with the recent success of the three track athletes. Tanis credits the recent success to the program’s expectations and culture.
“There’s just a culture of hard work here,” Tanis said.
With the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) indoor championships occurring Feb. 24-25, Tanis said he hopes to see each of his athletes give it all that they can leading up to the conference meet.
“Can we get the most out of every kid?” Tanis questioned, referring to what he will ask himself at the NSIC Championships.
“Once a race starts…it’s completely in their hands,” Tanis said.
Like Barrows, both Hofmeister and Montez Brown said they could not have achieved their recent accomplishments without their coaches and teammates.
“Thanks to everyone for pushing me to do it,” Montez Brown said.
Although not guaranteed, all three athletes hope they will qualify for the national championship which will take place Mar. 9-11 in Birmingham, Ala.
The national championship marks the end of the indoor track season and the beginning of the outdoor season. Hofmeister, along with her teammates and coaches, is optimistic about the outdoor season.
“If the indoor season is successful, chances are good that outdoor will show nice results as well,” she said.
