Averett University has officially finished its first indoor track season in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Indoor Championship held at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. While at the track meet the Averett’s student athletes were able to break 11 school records. They also were able to finish the season with 22 personal bests. Both coaches and players are looking forward to competing in the spring for the outdoor track season.

Kameron Blanding, the coach of Averett University track and field, was very pleased with the outcome of all of his track and field athletes and how they competed during the indoor season.

With the transition of different coaches during the indoor season Blanding has seen a lot of improvement since coming to Averett University. Blanding believes that confidence played a big part in how the team was able to break school records.

“One of the biggest things I saw was a lot of self confidence from the team,” Blanding said. “When I first got here it was a rough transition for the players but when players saw personal records get broken it gave confidence to the players. That will definitely carry on over into outdoor season and they will continue to break more school records.”

With finishing the indoor track and field season the coach has high expectations as they get ready to compete in the spring.

“One of the biggest things is just to take it all in and it’s our first ever season so it’s really special,” said Blanding. “We just need to make sure we enjoy the moment and with having such a great indoor season it will carry over to outdoor.”

Blanding has high expectations from the team because of the way they prepare for the spring season. Players are expected to have that same mindset from the indoor season when it comes time to compete in the spring. He expects his current players on track to keep this mindset so that the next incoming freshmen track players adopt this same mindset as well.

“What is really gonna help is the standard we are going to have and the culture we started to create this year as long as we carry that over and have that consistency from the start,” Blanding said. “It’s gonna give us that head start next fall so that the newcomers know what to expect.”

Saida Bangura, a junior that competes in the 200 meter dash, had seen personal improvements since the beginning of the indoor track season. Bangura and the team look forward to breaking even more school records as they get prepared for the outdoor track season.

“It feels really good, breaking and setting records as Averett ‘s first track team,” Bangura said. “It just motivates me to work harder and harder.”

In the middle of the indoor track season, there was a change in coaches and a change in how players were going to be coached. Coach Blanding had to prepare the players to compete while also being able to build a connection with the team at the same time.

“He was there to not only provide encouragement but he really helped with my technique, and technique is what makes you a great runner,” Bangura said.

With the indoor track came its conclusion Averett University track and field players are looking to compete in the spring. They plan on continuing to use what they learned from the indoor track season and apply it to the outdoor track season.