Struggles with team size have been evident for the Ball State University women's track and field team so far this year. The Cardinals travel this weekend to the Meyo Invitational in South Bend to compete with a roster of sixteen members in a meet that hosts dozens of top-notch teams.
Senior Alison Zuidervliet said the important thing for the Cardinals is to make the most of what they have and rely on their strengths.
"Sometimes you can take quality over quantity, and we are doing that because we don't have depth," Zuidervliet said. "[You] just have to deal with what you are given and make the most of it."
Coach Randy Heisler said reasons for the decreasing roster are mainly to athletes wishing to compete another year.
"With the inherent size of the team, some of the kids have decided to [redshirt] and stay another year," Heisler said. "It's good for them in that they can compete another year, but it really makes the season short. However, we're doing as well as we can."
The opportunity to run at the Meyo Invitational is important to runners, especially due to the size and quality of the facility. The Loftus Center at The University of Notre Dame has a 1/5 mile track and is one of the largest facilities in the country.
Heisler said the meet gives his players a chance to set their best marks of the year.
"The main reason to go to the meet this weekend is to get a number of the kids to compete against the best competition in the country," Heisler said. "This is a place where the kids will run lifetime bests and maybe not even win."
In the Cardinals' first scoring meet, the team finished third out of four teams in the Bowling Green Quadrangular.
Ball State didn't win an event in the field competition and won six of 21 events overall in the invitation.
Heading into this weekend, the team is happy with the way the season is unfolding, Zuidervliet said.
"I would have to say that I have enjoyed this season the most. With having Coach around, it reminds me a lot of my freshman year when the boys were still here," Zuidervliet said. "Coach has been great, and we're all enjoying him and the season."
The meet starts 5 p.m. Friday and picks back up at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
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