Cops and robbers compete at intersquad dual

The track and field team’s intersquad dual left the athletes both contented and regretful as the competition was a good chance to test the athletes’ ability and improve themselves before the season kicks off.

The intersquad dual was a friendly competition to assess athletes’ performance and help them get used to competing again. The team was divided into two equal squads.

This year’s theme was cops and robbers. The runners dressed up in simple costumes, mostly just enough to see who was who, and many took the costumes off to prevent interference with performance.

Although it seemed to be a fun event, the competition was also a chance for the coaches to see each athlete’s ability, and for the athletes to prove their accomplishments from hard pre-season practice. The events would decide some athletes’ fate as either team A runners or team B runners, therefore the dual was still a competitive night for both runners and fans.

The competition involved a variety of events, including 40 yard dash, 5-step high jump, pole vault, 55m hurdles, weight throw, long jump, 250m dash, shot put, triple jump, women 58 second dash, men 48 second dash, team free throw, and 4x360m relay.

Many runners seemed to be nervous at the start of the race, as some competitors false started. To raise the tension, the gun did not go off a few times, creating a sense of nervousness among spectators. Luckily, the competitors and coaches tried to tell some jokes to lighten the mood.

Many friends and family members came to support the runners. After all, family members, friends, and the coaches are the ones who know how much the athletes love the sports and how much hard work they have put in since the beginning.

A college athlete is allowed to practice six days a week with a total of 20 hours. Bradley Gamble, track and field’s interim head coach, said they practiced around 15-16 hours a week with a lot of sprinting, running, jumping, and weight lifting.

“If I do their warm-ups, I’m sweating, and I’m tired. And they just do that as their warm-ups,” Gamble said, “They’re in good shape, and they work very hard.”

Just like many other competitions, the results depend on many factors, and one of the most important factors is the athlete’s mental strength. Some might do poorly and could not show all they had. Others might have done better than they ever expected. But no matter what the results were, the intersquad dual was a good opportunity to test what they have accomplished, to point out their errors, and to give them a chance to improve even more.