SEASON PREVIEW: Women's Track & Field
(Story Courtesy of Will McEvoy)
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's track and field team heads to Texas Lutheran University to kick off the 2017 season at the TLU Bulldog Relays. Once again the Crusaders are led by Head Coach Matthew Barber now entering his third season with the program. The Crusaders are returning to the track after a record-breaking 2016 season and are looking to build upon that success. To continue this success the Crusaders have their sights set on moving up a spot at the SCAC conference meet; which means the women will be gunning for fourth place.
The Crusader roster boasts several veterans prepared to lead the team to another record-breaking season. Senior captain Katie McIntyre (Sparta, N.J.) is returning from a strong 2016 season and is looking to lead the women's relays to new school records and continue to work toward breaking her career personal record in the 400m sprint. McIntyre does hold the program's 400m record with a 58.63 mark that garnered her 3rd at the SCAC Championships.
Distance runner Caroline Schemel (Greencastle, Pa.) returns from a seventh place finish at the SCAC championships in the 10,000m run and a third place finish in the 5,000m run at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championships. Coach Barber is looking for Schemel to move into the top six at the SCAC Championships in April. Another returner to keep an eye on is Middle Distance standout Clare Basil (Arnold, Md.). Basil placed seventh in the 800m run at the SCAC Championships in 2016 and is also expected to move into the top six in 2017.
Freshmen Mary Korth (McKinney, Texas) and Mary Rose Corkery (Mansfield, Mass.) are all newcomers who competed in cross country this fall. Their continued development will be great to see this season. The Crusaders women's track and field team also picked up a Dallas volleyball player and now dual sport athlete, Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.), that will be a powerful presence in the throwing events.
There are two meets to especially look forward to this season for the Crusaders. Both the Trinity Open and the TLU Bulldog Relays will be great early tests against SCAC competition.
QUOTABLES
"Bringing motivation to each and every day. Which means bringing tenacity to workouts, focus to the weight room, eating well and eating enough, sleeping plenty, and getting the reading done before lectures. In other words, we as a team need to be motivated, healthy adults if we want to succeed this season." - Coach Barber's Goals/Focus Points for the Crusaders
"The brightness and the work ethic of the student-athletes. I'm an alum of the program and the quality of people is the same now as it was when I was a student. They are bright, witty, goofy, and work incredibly hard. My favorite part of coaching at UD is being apart of these people's lives." - Coach Barber's Favorite Part of Coaching at Dallas
"I want to break the relay records with my teammates both returning and new; and in addition to the relays I am working towards setting an all-time personal record in the 400m sprint." - Katie McIntyre's goals for the 2017 season