Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks to compete in PL Championships
2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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It all comes down to this, one weekend in February, for all the bragging rights at the Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Championships in
“I’ve been nervous all week,” Lehigh head coach Matt Utesch joked. “If we do what we’re capable of doing and we perform like we should, we can achieve our goals. Nothing spectacular needs to happen for us to get there.”
Utesch said his teams have two goals: one that should be attainable, and one that is a bit of a reach. The Mountain Hawks would like to ensure a spot in at least the top four, but Utesch said both the men’s and women’s teams feel capable of finishing in the top three when the weekend is finished.
While Utesch joked around that he could sense the pressure, he said his team has had other things to worry about to keep them occupied going into the big weekend.
“They’ve been able to be distracted by exams all week, so that’s actually not a bad thing,” he said. “They focused on their school work through the week, and I told them that now is the time to let their No. 2 priority be important for a short period of time.”
The week will be long for several athletes, with events spread out over three days in
Utesch said the team will meet every night to discuss the day’s events and to refocus for the next day. By having the entire group on the road, the coaches know the athletes will be focused and will know what they have to do.
Utesch and his coaching staff stress that their training prepares them for strenuous weekends like this, so they have no fear in sending athletes out to compete in multiple events.
“They’ve trained for this weekend for more than 20 weeks,” Utesch said. “They’re ready for it.”
The action kicks off at noon in Annapolis on Friday with the start of the men's heptathlon, which will wrap up on Saturday. Individual track and field events start up on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. and continue through Sunday.
Keep an eye on…
Khalil Uqdah: The junior pole vaulter hasn’t competed since the Lehigh Covert Classic on Jan. 23, but he still has the highest vault of any Patriot League athlete this season (16’ 3/4”).
E.J. Schuck: No one in the league has topped his 4,998 point total set in the Covert Classic. Schuck must manage a heavy workload over the weekend to come away with a title.
Women’s 4x800 relay: Sarah Serwo broke the school record in the 800 with a time of 2:13.23 last week. Jen Therkorn broke the previous mark and finished just behind Serwo at 2:13.51. And by the way, Jillian Randolph and Alex Neville each finished in the top 10 at the Virginia Duals in the 800, giving Lehigh four standouts in the event.
