Samford’s Indoor Track and Field Team left the Southern Conference Championships in Lexington, Va after completing a victorious sweep for the fifth year in a row. While this year marked the fifth straight title win for the men’s team, the women’s team collected their ninth straight conference crown.
Entering the championship weekend after a highly successful season, the team was feeling confident about their odds. Adeline Haisch is wrapping up her first season as a Bulldog.
“We knew based on the individual results during preseason, that we had the highest chance to win,” said Haisch. “We also knew that only the results during the championship counts. So, everyone went into their competition to achieve the highest individual place, to get as many points for the team as possible.”
This mindset proved to work, leading the team to glory. One of these personal records came from freshman Samuel Werner, who dominated the men’s heptathlon, scoring 5,380 points.
“Everyone cheered for each athlete in Samford gear over the two days,” said Haisch. “That created a great team feeling and an atmosphere where it was possible to set lots of individual records.”
The success of the team is largely attributed to its stacked roster; it is rare to find a group comprised of such talented individuals.
“One of the main differences between our team and the others is that we have a deep team,” said Haisch. “Twenty-five athletes can start per gender and on the women’s side we had more than 30 girls who would be able to score high points for the team. So, we are all interchangeable and you will only compete if you are 100% fit to perform well.”
Samford has the freedom to put forth the best of the best since anyone on the roster can perform at a high level.
“That’s probably one of the reasons why the team was able to win the championships over the last nine years, they have [had] a strong team competition and many athletes behind who also can score for the team,” said Haisch.
Sinkenesh Parker has competed for the Samford Track team for the last three years and said the atmosphere at the championships contributed to the team’s success.
“The competitive atmosphere had our team on fire,” said Parker. “We came to win, and we did. Teammates were competing for a common goal: winning the title and doing so by glorifying the God who gifted us with these abilities.”
Beyond competing and winning, sharing this experience with a team develops stronger bonds between teammates.
“Traveling, developing friendships and rooting for one another is just a glimpse of what it is like to be a part of the championships,” Parker said. “Because our track team is one of the bigger teams at Samford, we don’t really get to know every single teammate. The extended time we get to spend together gives us an opportunity to bond with people we may not talk to every day.”
The team’s momentum isn’t set to slow down anytime soon. Each win spurs them on to pursue greater challenges and glory.
“The community established on the track is one of the things that drives our team to perform for each other,” Parker said. “People before us have set a respectful foundation of what is expected out of this team and when you become a part of it you want to be part of the team that continues to show up, work hard and win.”
Staff Writer
