Men's Track & Field Opens Season at Maryland Invitational
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (Mar. 17, 2019) – Mother Nature has been playing a cruel joke on the Mid-Atlantic region this year. One day its 28 degrees and snowing, while the very next day all the snow melts under a bright sun and clear skies of 68 degrees. Such was the case this weekend. On Friday, the weather was 77 degrees warm and sunny. The Cardinal T&F team was hopeful that the weather would be similar the next day for their season opener. Saturday morning, the team arrived at the University of Maryland under cloudy, cold and a windy 39 degrees. It was a tough way to compete outdoors.
Wearing long tights, long sleeved shirts, hats and gloves; the brave athletes who started competing in the field events at 9am did the best they could without any sunshine to at least brighten their morning. Coach Pryor asked his athletes to do the best they could under the adverse conditions. Unlike other outdoor sports, Track & Field meets are rarely postponed and only delayed due to lightning. Last year's edition of the Maryland Invitational was held in the cold & snow.
Freshman Johnny Miango took all 3 attempts in the long jump but could only record 1 fair jump as the other 2 were fouls. The triple jump was even more difficult as Miango fouled all 3 attempts. Sophomore Stephen Joseph was sick with a sore throat. Coach Pryor decided it was best for him not to compete and not risk getting any worse. But what the athletes did later in the day showed their commitment to excellence.
Once the jumping events were concluded and the sun fought through the clouds, CCBC Catonsville jumpers returned to the pits and practiced their approaches and landings so that they could perform well at the next scheduled track meet.
Freshman Dalon Harris was scheduled to compete in the 400m and 200m events. The plan was simple, run strong for the first half of the race and then finish. Harris executed the plan to perfection, leading the race thru 200 meters. As he rounded the final turn into the homestretch leading and looking to record the team's first victory, he felt some tightness in his hamstrings and eased off for fear of an injury. Coach Pryor was worried but later relieved that Harris only experienced tight muscles due to the frigid conditions.
So while the results may not show it, Coach Pryor was pleased. Today was the first day in a long journey that started for his team back in August. The execution was evident but the conditions made it difficult. Coach Pryor was cautious in his approach today so that his team would not suffer any injuries in the beginning of the season and prevent them from seeing all their hard work unfulfilled. Its early but the Track & Field team can't wait to compete again.
The next scheduled competition will be on Saturday, March 23rd at the Goucher T&F Classic in Towson MD hosted by Goucher College. The field events start at 10am. Running events are set to start at 11am.
Link for Official results of the Maryland Invitational:
https://www.tfrrs.org/results/59472/Maryland_Invitational/