It’s that time of year again! The men and women’s track and field teams are kicking off the New Year with their first indoor New Year’s Invite on December 11 in Princeton, N.J. at 11:00 a.m. Both teams will be showcasing their hard work and dedication they obtained throughout the fall, right before the holidays. Throughout the rest of the holiday season and into the New Year, the West Chester Golden Rams will be participating in numerous competitions, all leading up to their main event: the West Chester University Meet at home March 19 at 1:00 p.m., which begins the outdoor track season for both teams.
There will be many returning faces on the men and women’s track and field teams including Eric Atkins, Josh Bacon, Craig Espenshade, Leighon Johnson, Rob Johnson, Matt Langdale, Brian Leisenring, Mike Malejko, and for the women: Katie Butler, Dana Dietrich, Brittany Foye, Kathleen Gahagan, Mackenzie Lauro, Lindsay Nygren, Lyndsey Ratasiewicz and Jennifer Weaver.
Although, there are returning participants on both teams, the head coach is a new prospect. Head Coach, Mike Murawski has just been added to the mix.
According to senior Mike Malejko, “Coach Mike has a love for the sport and it is displayed through his coaching. He wants to bring West Chester back to being competitive in the conference and has made it very clear what is expected of every individual in order to make that happen. I think his coaching style will make the team better for years to come.”
Seniors Dana Dietrich and Lindsay Nygren agree.
As Dietrich stated, “Coach Mike is a motivating coach that has been pushing us in practices since August, which is something that will show in our results this season.”
“We are all very lucky to be competing for Coach Murawski. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and optimism which becomes contagious throughout our team,” Nygren added.
The Golden Rams have a lot of talent that was present during previous seasons. However, the seniors also spoke up about their goals for the upcoming year.
Dietrich stated, “seniors such as Brittany Foye, Melinda Wentz, Mackenzie Lauro & myself will be consistently placing high at meets and should be on the podium come indoor and outdoor PSACS, as well as some plane tickets to the NCAA competition. We are going to be strong especially in the sprints but additionally in the hurdles, pole vault, and relays with a lot of the returning and new talent on the women’s team this year. The number of talented women on the roster is something I haven’t seen since my freshman year at West Chester.”
Dietrich isn’t the only athlete with high expectations. Nygren mentioned that “My team goal for this upcoming season is to show everyone in PSAC how talented we really are. I feel like this indoor and outdoor season, seniors want to finish on a high note as well as the rest of the team. We have great returners, freshmen and transfers who will make an impact!”
The Golden Rams are going to put up a fight this year to reach their goals and to continue to keep their commendable reputations as talented athletes. The University should expect to hear a lot about the track and field team, as well as their new head coach this year.
Jillian Morgan is a fourth-year student. majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at JM652349@wcupa.edu.