The women's indoor track team, which spent the last two weeks of Winter Break training at Bowdoin, easily defeated Colby, outscoring them 90 to 56 on Saturday. The team won the last three team event meets that they participated in.
"We have really come together as a group after spending the last two weeks of Winter Break together," said Christina Argueta '11. "I think everyone is united in trying to do what is best for the team even if that means running their second-choice event or sitting out an individual event in order to be fresh for a relay."
Team members believe that they are improving, and the results are reflecting their confidence.
"So far this season, we have been very strong and I believe the only place we can go from here is up," said first year Molly Harkavy. "The team did a great job on Saturday. Everyone is beginning to peak at just the right time."
However, Argueta looked at last weekend's meet as a tune up for the upcoming state meet.
"We want to win the state meet this weekend," she said. "Colby is our biggest competitor and we are really focusing on scrambling for every point, especially in the field events."
The team's focus this week is simply to run its best and to gain every point possible.
"Some of us don't know what to expect this next meet," said first year Madeline Lamo. "But my goal is to run a personal best in any event I participate in and to score points."
"My purpose in the upcoming events is to continue to drop my times and to simply contribute to the team as much as possible," Harkavy agreed.
The team is excited for the upcoming meet, and morale is high after the Colby victory.
"Our team has a great atmosphere," said Harkavy. "Everyone is really happy for their performances but even more so for everyone else's."
For first year Madelena Rizzo, the support of the crowd and the team keeps her going.
"It is amazing to hear so many people cheering us on every step of the way," she said. "I simply love being part of such a cohesive and supportive unit. I believe that the women's indoor track team is founded on dedication and encouragement."
As the season progresses and the team gets closer to bigger meets, it must work to avoid the injury bug.
"In order to avoid injury, we perform certain drills and exercises that strengthen different muscles. We weight lift and also run in moderation," said Rizzo. "Becoming a better runner is as much about working as hard as you possibly can as it is about recognizing the necessity to rest and recover."
"We have been training at a high level and we are ready for the championships," added coach Peter Slovenski.