What would it feel like to be a high-performance automobile that was started up four months before it had a chance to compete in a meaningful race? Just ask one of our women's track and field athletes at Ball State.
The sprinters and other indoor specialists have been idling in the garage while the cross-country team advanced to the NCAA Championships, but now is the time for the rest of the team to step us as the Cardinals open their 2003 indoor track season at the Ball State Open on Saturday.
This is one of only two home meets this season. Last season there was only one indoor meet at home. This is because the Ball State facilities are not ideal for holding multiple meets.
Head coach Sue Parks knows it will be a challenge to attract fans from the home basketball game that is also scheduled for Saturday afternoon. However, "We can always count on friends and family attending," says the seventh-year coach.
Ball State will host eight other teams at the meet, including Missouri Valley Conference power Illinois State. The Cards hope to emerge victorious, because a good performance at home can set the pace for the remainder of the season.
"The key to any season is to get off to a good start," said Parks, whose team was picked to win by Mid--American Conference coaches to win the league title.
The Cards aim to bounce back from a sub-par performance last season. After graduating almost half of their meet points from 2001, the team and placed fourth in the MAC. It hopes to thrive off of the experience from a year ago and head back towards the top of the MAC.
"When the chips are down we have to step up," Parks said. "If we do that, we will succeed."
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