On Saturday, April 6, Wheaton College Women’s and Men’s Outdoor Track and Field teams competed in a tournament in which they placed first and fourth overall respectively among their divisions, hosted by Amherst College. The teams are looking to finish strong in these last few weeks. Individuals and the team as a whole are looking to make their way into the NEWMAC playoffs at the end of April, and the New England Division Championships.
Photo retrieved from athletics.wheatoncollege.edu.
With a new personal record of 52.54 meters, javelin thrower Bobby Pedersen ‘19 placed first and qualified for the New England Division III Championship at the last meet. When asked about how Pedersen ‘19 felt about his performance at the last meet and how he has performed personally this season he said, “I had been hitting marks around the same distance in my first two meets but was able to put a couple more things together in my approach and reach a personal and season best.” Pedersen ‘19 was not the only athlete to set a personal record at the last meet, although he was the only one on the Men’s team. On the Women’s team, there were two other personal bests in their respective events, set by Katie Brown in the 1500 meter and Natalie Laliberte who had her best jump with 5.16 meters.
“Every week someone seems to qualify for the postseason…” Pederson ‘19 said, and this was proven to be true at the last meet. Six individuals qualified for the New England Division III Championships at the last meet, and with more meets left there is a good chance others will qualify.
Pedersen ‘19 cites the size of the Men’s team in the past as one of their weaknesses, their small size making it harder for them to score points which would help them place better in the standings. The team is improving and it’s the camaraderie of the team and encouragement for each other that is the strength of the team and is what will push them through the remainder of the season.
Pedersen ‘19 is looking forward to the progress that the team will make as a whole and individuals will make in their own events. They want to stay competitive and continue to improve so that as many people as possible make the Division III Championship and the NEWMAC Playoffs. Their season will end mid-May.