Track squads split up as SBC title looms

Jonah Phillips

The WKU track and field squads will split up this weekend — the majority of the squad will travel to Louisville for the Bellarmine Classic, while the elite-male sprinters will make their way to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays.

The two meets mark the last major weekend of competition before the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Miami, Fl. in two weeks.  The coaching staff, as well as the athletes look for this weekend as an indicator as to how prepared they are for the post season.

Senior David Mokone, junior Joesph Chebet, junior Elvyonn, Bailey, freshman Ja’Karyus Redwine, junior Marcus Winstead and junior Chris Chamness will all make their way to the Penn Relays in order to expose themselves to the highest level of competition possible.

The found success among elite competition last week at the Mt. SAC Relays, where Mokone notched a time ranking fifth in the NCAA in the 800-meter dash, Chebet grabbed a time in the 10,000-meter dash ranking the NCAA, and the 4×100 relay team finished in with a time ranking No. 8 in the NCAA.

“I try not to look at the rankings,” Mokone said. “They can be deceiving. I want to compete hard when it matters, which are the last three meets of the season.”

Mokone said he is most excited to see his teammates “be victorious in the sprint medley relays.”  

With the athletes picking up success recently, women’s distance coach Michelle Murphy-Scott said the squads are hoping to peak at the Sun Belt title meet.

“We didn’t want to peak too early in the season,” Scott said.  “We want to run well at Bellarmine, with conference championships being two weeks later,” she said regarding her female runners.

The throws team has been making recent strides on both the male and female sides of competition.  Junior Jessica Ramsey currently ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in the hammer throw, and junior Satrina Oliveira is ranked second in the discus.

Sole senior thrower Houston Croney said he is confident in himself and his fellow throwers abilities and is looking forward to competition this weekend.

“We are definitely on the right track leading into conference in a few weeks,” Croney said.  “I believe the throws will be ready and do big things at conference, which should set them up for regional competition.”

Coach Erik Jenkins echoed the same belief in his student-athletes.

“The physical preparation has been done,” Jenkins said. “Whatever meet we are competing in from now on, we want to have a good tactical race, and make sure that we are very competitive.  That’s all you can do at this point in the season.”