By Jared Fields, Editor in Chief
Looking for their first indoor championship since 2000, the ACU women’s track and field team will need perfection this weekend to win.
“I don’t know if we can win it, we’ve really taken some hits,” head coach Don Hood said. “It’ll take seven athletes having a perfect meet.”
The seven competing in the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Mankato, Minn., are exactly half the number who competed at last year’s indoor championships.
“That’s cut in half, but it’s pretty good quality we’ve got going,” Hood said.
Still, the team will compete without qualifiers Shawna-Kaye Thompson and Keva Wilkins. Hood would not comment on the specifics of their absence, but it is not for disciplinary reasons.
“It doesn’t end their season; they just can’t compete in this meet,” Hood said.
Thompson qualified in the 60- meter hurdles, where she ranked 10th in the nation, and was the second leg of the 4×400 meter relay, which ranked No. 1 in the nation. Wilkins, the first leg of that relay team, also ranked fourth in the 400m.
Of the seven participants, five compete in three events.
Kim Prather runs the 4x400m relay, and is one of two athletes to qualify in two individual events – the 60m and 200m.
The other, Winrose Karunde, ranks second in the 5000m and 10th in the mile run. Karunde’s third event is on the distance medley relay.
Loice Cheboi, who competes in the 5000m and DMR, ranks eighth in the 5000m.
Kelli Clements, the only athlete competing in one event, is a returning indoor all-American in the shot put and currently ranks eighth in the event.
Three athletes – Mary Mwangi, Venessa Whittle and Azraa Rounds- compete on both relays. Mwangi and Whittle compete in the 800m run and Rounds’ individual event is in the 400m.
Rounds ranks third in the 400 and said her goals are high for the meet.
“Even though we’ve only got seven, we’re still going to compete and do what we’ve gotta do,” Rounds said. “I’m still excited, even if it were just one of us going, it’s still exciting.”
Rounds said despite not having two teammates qualify on the 4x400m relay, her goals for the relay are the same.
“We’ve always mixed up our relay over the years,” Rounds said. “We can throw anybody on there and still dominate.”
Though not stated as strongly, Hood backed up Rounds’ statement. “I still feel confident the ladies can do well in the 4×4,” Hood said.
