Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
The women̢۪s track team broke in the new Fred and Madeline Memorial Track and finished 2-1 at the Run for the Dream event at the Save Mart Center on Monday.
The event used a dual meet format that, according to Fresno State track head coach Bob Fraley, gave the team a chance to have individual meets with all three of the competing college teams and a chance to pick up three wins.
Fresno State competed against Cal Poly, Hawaii and Cal State Stanislaus.
In Fresno State̢۪s two-win effort, several athletes stepped up and took first in their respective events.
Fresno State won in the 55-meter dash, shot put, one-mile run, 4 x 160 relay, 4 x 400 relay and the weight throw.
In the track̢۪s opening event, Cal Poly̢۪s Thalia Amanakis won by a slim .03 second margin over Fresno State̢۪s Krystina Jackson in the 55-meter hurdles.
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Fresno State̢۪s first victory on the new track was sprinter Rayna White. After winning the 55-meter dash by only .11 second, White crashed into a dusty barrier, which was one of the track̢۪s many obstacles that made running it a new experience for the athletes.
“It kind of sucked because I hit it really hard and the dust flew up,â€Â White said. “I half-way expected it so it wasn’t that badâ€Â
White also ran on the winning team in the 4 x 160 relay and said the track had required racers to slightly adjust to the new terrain.
The long jump and pole vaulting competitions were held on slim runways with considerable drops on both sides. The actual rounded track featured huge drops on the outside of the track and steep embankments on the turns.
“When it’s banked like that you have to run it a certain way or your feet are going to lift off the track,â€Â White said. “My coach said if you don’t have a low center, then you’re going to go flying up. Then you’re going to have to recover from that, it makes it a lot harder.â€Â
Cal Poly̢۪s Jessica Eggleston, winner of the triple jump and long jump competitions, said she liked the runway and it had enough room to run, but had one problem.
“The only part of the runway we didn’t like is it didn’t give back to us, it wasn’t as springy and bouncy, so we didn’t get that extra pop,â€Â she said.
Despite having a drop on the inside of the track, the part of the area the athletes use most often, Cal Poly̢۪s 3000-meter run winner Bride McCarey said that the track forced racers to comfortably race a little bit higher on the track.
Despite the track̢۪s visual hazards, most athletes said they felt considerably comfortable on the new track.
The track̢۪s donator, Fred Arnold, was at the event as a pole vault official.
Arnold said that many of the athletes came to him personally and expressed their gratitude.
A win against Hawaii, a formidable WAC opponent, was something to be happy about, Fraley said. Fresno State had impressive performances in the mile run, both relay events and both strength events.
“We had a girl throw 63 feet, which is big time, that beat everybody in WAC,â€Â Fraley said about Rosario Sanchez in the shot put. “This is great to win this meet, and it’s going to give [the track team] a lot of momentum.â€Â