By Burtland Dixon

Sports Editor

Last year the Lady Cougars finished their season ranked twenty-third, but now they look to improve on that ranking not just as a team, but as individual runners as well.

The CSUSM Women’s Track and Field team begin their indoor season on Feb. 7, 2015. What exactly is indoor track? Indoor track takes place in an indoor arena, as opposed to outside as many of us are accustomed to. Indoor also has different events to compete in that outdoor track does not have. For instance, indoor competitors race in a 60 meter hurdle race whereas outdoor hurdlers duke it out at a distance of 100 meters.

Track and Field is just as much a mental sport as it is a physical sport. If you come out to a practice any given day, you see athletes slumped over with agony all over their faces, and if you are not mentally tough, you will not be able to finish a workout.  The sight of agony is a coach’s delight however, because it means the intense workouts are doing their job. With all the tough practices, it would almost be blasphemous to not see benefits when it is time for competition. That is exactly why athletes on the CSUSM team are primed to improve on their speed from last year.

Sophomore Kamarria Rehn and Senior Brittany Hollie are a few that are poised for a takeover at the National Championships.

“One of my goals this season is to finish in a higher ranking,” Hollie said. “I finished seventh last year, so I want to try and go top five this year.”

Yes, you read correct: top five. Considering how difficult it is to even be ranked at all, this would be a lofty goal for anyone to set, but for Hollie, it is nothing short of fully achievable.

Almost similar aspirations were also true for the sophomore athlete.

“I’m hoping I can run a fast enough time to go to Nationals,” Rehn said. “The goal is to run a faster time than what I did last season.”

Both Hollie and Rehn are striving to do better and that may not be a coincidence. Based off those two alone, the mindset of the Women’s Track and Field team is to reach Nationals and compete at the highest level. Head Coach Scott and Assistant Coach Wes are known to coach athletes to success. This year should be no different as we look to see that twenty-third ranking improve.