What is the Golden Rams’ New Year’s Resolution? The men and women’s track and field teams have the potential to be strong competitors this season. They have a new head coach, a lot of talent, and determination that will help them achieve their goal for the New Year: to do their best and live up to their high expectations. New head coach Mike Murawski is busy training the Golden Rams for their upcoming outdoor season. Coach Murawski said, “I am very excited for the opportunity to coach both the men’s and women’s teams. Being an assistant coach last year allowed me the opportunity to learn about West Chester, the PSAC Conference, and the ins and outs of coaching at the collegiate level. With that said, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to compete for a championship in this conference! I am very confident in my abilities as a coach as well as the team’s abilities and their thirst for a conference championship.”
As the Rams compete in their last few indoor track competitions, the pressure is starting to build for the outdoor season. The men and women’s teams just competed in the Golden Bear Invitational at Kutztown University on Jan. 14. Freshman, Adam Heath placed second in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 5 inches. One of the women’s competitors, Kamber Schrann placed third in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet, 9 _ inches. The Golden Rams have a lot of individual talent that will help the team place high at their meets this season.
Not only does Coach Murawski want his athletes to outshine their competitors, he has other goals in mind.
“I strongly believe the women’s team has the ability to go from 13th in the conference to 6th or 7th this year. I believe the returners have a better mindset coming into this season and the newcomers have a strong possibility of having an impact right away. I believe the men’s team can stay in the middle of the conference this season while possessing the talent to bump into the top five. We lost some key pieces on the team due to graduation, but brought in some freshmen who have the ability to help out right away. Our young returners from last year have matured and look to start advancing their individual times/distances/and heights within the conference.”
Coach Murawski is aware of the potential the team has as a whole and he also feels as though he is going to be a positive aspect to the upcoming season. “As a new young coach, I feel I bring a whole new outlook to the art of coaching. I bring ideas to the table while listening to the ideas of athletes. Clearly, these athletes were successful at the high school level in order to compete collegiately. Therefore, I ask the kids what kind of training they did while in high school. I then try to devise workouts which corporate these methods into their training regimen.” So far Coach Murawski has outshined himself by assessing the team’s individual talent and showcasing it in their indoor meets.
The Golden Rams have the ability to reach their goals, as well as Coach Murawski’s, throughout the season. Come support the men and women’s track and field teams at their next meet in Collegeville at the Collegeville Classic on Jan. 21 at 1:00 p.m.
Jillian Morgan is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at JM652349@wcupa.edu.