Women's Track & Field | March 29, 2018
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan track and field team splits up this weekend, heading to the Raleigh Relays and the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic on Friday and Saturday.
The Broncos look to build upon a good start to the outdoor season, seeing top-eight finishes in eight events at the Victor Lopez Classic.
"It was a relatively good season-opener for us," said head coach Kelly Lycan. "Everyone was ecstatic to be down in the warm weather. It's amazing what some sunlight and a positive attitude can bring. I think they were also a little ticked off at finishing eight in the Indoor MAC Championship. It didn't sit well with them."
WMU will send Hanne Christensen, Maria McDaniel, Claire Gilbert and Sarah Anderson out to the Raleigh Relays, hosted by N.C. State. Christensen will compete in the 10k, while McDaniel and Gilbert will compete in the 5,000-meter run. Anderson will run a double of the 1,500-meter and 800-meter runs. Anderson was the top collegiate finisher in the 800 at the Victor Lopez Classic and currently holds the Mid-American Conference's top time of 2:11.65.
McDaniel finished sixth in the 800 and fourth in the 1,500 in her first outdoor races since competing at the NCAA Championship in 2015, missing the last two 2016 and 2017 due to injuries. The Naperville, Ill., native had a strong comeback during the indoor season and ended competing in the 3,000-meter run at the Indoor MAC Championships.
"Distance running is a hard thing," Lycan added. "You've got to be able to compile a resume or work behind you. If you don't have the miles behind you, it's hard to fake a distance race. She's done a good job of building those miles in training and meets during the indoor season. She's an amazing talent and one of the hardest workers on the team."
The rest of the team travels to the EIU Big Blue Classic, a staple on WMU's outdoor schedule in the past few seasons. Friday's events include the hammer throw, shot put, long jump, 5,000-meter run, 400-meter hurdles and the 4x800-meter relay. The bulk of the action takes place on Saturday.
