Matt Gad – Sports Writer
Two weeks ago, Southern’s women’s indoor track and field team saw a great performance on the feet of their 4×400 meter relay team at the Valentine’s Invitational.
“We had good chemistry for a seamless relay,” Georgette Nixon said. “The high energy that we make sure to have really helps us perform at our best. We qualified for Nationals and now we want to solidify a spot in going.”
The 4×400 meter relay team is comprised of four senior student-athletes: Nixon, Christine Volz, Adrianna Carassco and Shatajah Wattely, all of whom will also move on to the outdoor season very soon.
“This team has been growing together all season and our performance at the Valentine’s Meet helped us prepare for the conference championships,” Volz said. “Our team’s performance was full of PRs [personal records] and we pulled together and worked really hard last weekend for our runner-up finish at NE-10s.”
The indoor team recently competed in the Northeast-10 conference championship meet, where the women finished as runner-ups and the men walked away with the trophy.
“This was just a glimpse of how we can pull individual talents together and become an awesome team. I can’t wait to see what the outdoor season has in store for us,” Volz said.
“These past two performances have been great,” Adrianna Carrasco said. “Everyone’s mindset is definitely in a better place to wrap up the indoor season. We’re all hungry and ready to get after it.”
The Valentine’s Meet took place at Boston University and the NE-10 championships were in Roxbury, Mass. The New England Conference Championship will also take place in Roxbury Feb. 24 and 25 and the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships will occur in Birmingham, A.L. March 10.
“The Valentine’s Meet was great for everyone,” Shatajah Wattely said. “A lot of my teammates and I PR’d in our events. It’s always expected (of you) to run fast and drop in time every meet.”
Wattely also said that the 4×400 performance at the Valentine’s Meet helped show where the team stood for the season. She said it allowed them to run a fast time and prepare for the conference and New England meets.
“The chemistry on the team is definitely vibrant, to say the least, Carrasco said. “We’re all high energy and hyped to run faster, jump higher and throw harder this indoor season.”
She said that at this past weekend’s NE-10 Championships the team “gave it their all.” Carrasco said they are a young team with a lot of work that needs to be done but that this past week “swung momentum” and was “an eye-opener.”
The common goal among the team is to put themselves in the position to win championships. Overall, the entire relay team described chemistry as being strong both within the confines of their team of four and with the entire women’s track and field squad as a whole.
“We are heading into the peak period where we are expected to run fast and jump high and far,” Nixon said. “We are just getting ready for New Englands next Friday and Saturday.”
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications
