The Lakers track and field team has been sprinting their way towards the SUNYAC qualifiers as their regular season comes to a close on Feb. 17 at Nazareth.

In their last meet on Feb. 10 at Rochester Institute of Technology, there were numerous standout performances to bring optimism to the team. Senior Nathan Couse reverted away from his comfort zone, changing up the races he competed in. This is not something that is new for one of the brightest stars on the team, as this is a tactical strategy employed by Couse that he hopes will continue to help lead him to his desired outcome.

“Going down to shorter distances helps with strength… By changing my races up every weekend, I feel like I’m better prepared going into the 3k”.

Couse, knowing his strength was within the 3k event, chose to compete in the 800m race,  the one-mile, and the 4×400 relay. Finishing 14th, fifth, and seventh respectively, Couse felt like he was in a good place about to close out the season.  

“I was okay with it. It was a good building day going down an event,” Couse said.

Couse will not be the only member of the team looking to build on his performances. Junior Aidan Harrington and freshmen Dan Mars and Alex Reyes stood out amid the rest of their team. Harrington impressed by finishing in first place in the men’s 200m race, along with first in the 400m. Mars and Reyes finished the 60m preliminaries in 12th and 15th out of 37, along with tenth and 12th out of 48 within the 200m dash. With the team performing so well, Couse credits their new coach Juan Martinez as one reason why they have been enjoying individual success lately.

Bringing in a positive, never-say-die attitude, along with having more individualized training sessions, has led to the team feeling as confident as ever in their abilities. This new emphasis on training is not distinct to the men’s team. Faith Coyle, who is already qualified by the SUNYAC standards, notes

“The specialized training has been really helpful since the coach has been pushing everyone towards their specific goals,” Coyle said.

Numerous breakout performances from both the men’s and women’s teams have caused a distinct buzz in the air among the locker rooms. With Coyle already qualified after stellar performances last time out in the one-mile run (gaining a new personal) and a win in the 1000m run, she hopes this next meet will give her and her teammates a chance to push themselves.

“This next meet versus Nazareth should be good since it’s a faster team, so we’ll have a better opportunity to push ourselves towards a new PR,” Coyle said.

This matchup against Nazareth is one that the entire team cannot wait to attend. 

The specialized training led Coyle to a new personal record in her one-mile run last time out. Other women on the team such as Aliye Egan, Joy McClinton and Christina Gaskeitvitz are hoping for personal records of their own on Friday. Overall, both leaders feel like there is a lot to be excited about for their teams. Being so young has not stopped them from taking their training seriously. 

“The girls have been really good. The freshmen this year are really strong, with a great work ethic. Julia [Weaver], Christina [Gaskeitvitz] and Aliye [Egan] have all made massive improvements throughout the season,” Coyle said “I’m really excited to see what the freshmen are gonna do for the men’s and women’s, and it’s gonna be a really fun time to see how they perform with all the work they’ve been putting in.”

It has been a challenging road for the team over the course of the season. Training directly after a pandemic that shut down many facilities, the Lakers will not back down. Nathan Couse recognizes the opportunity ahead,

“It’s the last regular season meet of the year, so I hope as many teammates as possible hit the SUNYAC standards,” Couse said.

This upcoming meet against Nazareth will show this team everything they need to know about themselves going forward. For a young, talented team like this, it will be an exciting journey to follow. 

Photo via: Oswego Athletics

Aidan Harrington took first place in the 200m dash and the 400m dash at the RIT Friday Invitational.