Expectations higher for weekend track meet
By Danny Gillham
Skiff Staff

The Flyin’ Frogs travel to Houston this weekend as they compete at the Houston Indoor Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Yeoman Fieldhouse.

The TCU track and field team is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation, according to the latest Trackwire Top 25 poll.

With this being the last meet before the Conference-USA Indoor Championships, head coach Monte Stratton said that the goals of the team are being increased with each meet.

David Dunai/STAFF REPORTER Junior Brandal Lawrence practices his triple jump for today’s meet at Houston. Lawrence was named Conference USA Track and Field co-Male Athlete of the Week.

“Really it’s no different than the first meet except our expectations increase a little bit with each meet,” Stratton said. “We should be a little more prepared as we go into the season. We are expecting to be a little bit sharper, a little more polished with all of our performances. And there is also the ever-present concern of staying healthy and uninjured.”

Coming into this meet, the Frogs have six members on the team who have made the NCAA provisional marks: Demario Wesley and Michael Frater in the 60-Meter Dash, Eliud Njubi in the 800-Meter Run, Brandal Lawrence in the Triple Jump, Cleavon Dillon in the Long Jump, and Monica Twum in the 55-Meter Dash.

Frater, a sophomore sprinter, said the team is looking to improve on those marks.
“There are a couple of guys underneath, so we need to get them higher on the list,” said Frater. “It would be really good if we can get some automatic times.”

Despite the possibility of a few conference foes participating in the meet, Stratton says that scouting is not a priority.

“Nobody really shows everything that they have at every meet,” Stratton said. “Its kind of pick and choose, and putting the puzzle together through a four or five week season for the complete picture at the conference meet.”

Another key to this meet is the track at Houston. Stratton said the track is exactly the same as the track in Bloomington, Ind., the site of the C-USA Indoor Championships.
“It is a flat track, and not all flat tracks are the same,” Frater said. “This one is exactly like the one we will run on in conference so it will be a good warm-up.”

After this weekend’s meet, the Frogs will have two weeks to prepare for the conference meet.

“The first week after the Houston meet will be a work week,” Stratton said. “We will work three, if not four of those days.”

The team will then take it lightly the second week before heading to Bloomington for the C-USA Indoor Championships on Feb. 22, Stratton said.

Danny Gillham
d.r.gillham@student.tcu.edu

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002