Track & Field team show promise, preparing for CIAA championships

The Winston-Salem State track and field team has picked up right where the cross country team left off.

The team had an impressive showing at the Mountaineer Indoor Open at Appalachian State University Jan. 22 by finishing in the top five for both the men's and women's 800-meter run.

"The whole atmosphere has changed," said Head Track and Field Coach Inez Turner.

"It has led to better performances on and off of the field."

In the women's 55-meter hurdle event, the Lady Rams Crystal Webley finished fourth out of 38 athletes.

"Webley has really impressed me so far this season," Turner said.

"She has worked hard and it is paying off with great results."

The Rams and Lady Rams showed their collective speed with impressive performances in the men's and women's 4x400 relay. The Lady Rams finished fifth and sixth while the Rams finished fourth.  

"Appalachian State has more turns on their track and that made it more difficult to finish the way that we wanted," said Cornell Jones, a senior mid-distance runner from Manassas, Va.

Expectations for the Rams have risen since the start of the season. Turner said she hopes to have at least 20 of her athletes qualify for nationals. She has two who have already qualified.

"My expectations are to break records every season. That is the perfect measuring stick for greatness," Turner said.

The track and field team is preparing for the CIAA Indoor Championships Feb. 11-12 where the Rams hope to dethrone the Saint Augustine's Falcons who are the men's and women's champion.

"St. Augustine's is known for their sprinters," Jones said.

"I believe in winning, our goal is to recruit like crazy," Turner said.

"I believe in covering every event from sprints to the field events."

WSSU has not won a Track and Field championship since 1960, the second year of back-to-back championships.

With the cross country team showing immediate success with their return to the CIAA, the pressure to perform well at meets is not a factor.

"I believe that with the cross country team's success the pressure has been taken off of us because as a unit we have proved that we can win championships," Jones said.  

Turner shared those sentiments along with Jones.

"I wouldn't call it pressure," she said. "I would call it motivation. It has motivated the rest of the team, and they have positioned themselves to say if cross country can win it then so can we."