Iowa women's track looking forward to security of home

By Cody Goodwin
cody-goodwin@uiowa.edu

The Iowa women?s track and field team will return home for the final time this indoor season when it hosts the Iowa Invitational at the Recreation Building today, starting at 5 p.m.

The Hawkeyes will play host to six other colleges, all from near and around the home state. Simpson College, Central College, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, St. Ambrose, and Drake will all be in attendance for today?s meet.

But the competition probably won?t matter for Iowa, because the last two times the Hawkeyes were at home ? the intrasquad and New Year?s Classic meets ? Iowa?s women tracksters performed at their peaks.

More than seven personal records were set between the two meets. And when it was actual competition, the Black and Gold won first place in the New Year?s Classic.

Being back home should only bring confidence to the Hawkeyes ? and in good time, too. The Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships are only a week away.

?This [meet] will give us the confidence we need to do better,? Nicole Erickson said.

Erickson, a senior, said she realizes how different Iowa has been at home when compared to its results on the road. And with only a short time until the conference meet, she knows Iowa is going to have to make some adjustments in order to perform next weekend in Lincoln, Neb.

The women tracksters will try to build up even more confidence for next weekend. Iowa went to a meet hosted by the Cornhuskers earlier this year, and Erickson believes the experience on Nebraska?s banked track will only help the team.

?Knowing who the team is now, and what we have to do ? and having run on Nebraska?s track before ? I think we can be a lot more successful,? Erickson said.

Coming home before the Big Tens will only help build that confidence, several Hawkeyes said. Many of the coaches believe there?s a greater sense of comfort when the team is at home.

That can only keep the team mesh, assistant coach Clive Roberts said.

?The girls are kind of getting along with each other ? not that they hadn?t before ? and having good relationships plays a part in it,? he said.

Those good relationships will prove to be vital for the team as a whole. And Roberts can see it, both on and off the track.

When the athletes are in tune and connected with one another, they tend to cheer for one another and hold a team-first mindset. When they aren?t, they?re more individual and focus solely on themselves.

?The girls are getting along now and are focusing with each other on a common goal,? he said. ?Only time will tell.?

That kind of mindset leaks down to even the younger athletes on the team. Freshman Victoria Sack believes that today?s meet can be the difference between a good and bad ending to the season.

?Everyone has to give everything,? she said. ?We need a little bit more confidence. We just have to start believing.?

And what does she think it?ll take in order to ?believe? before the Big Ten championships?

?Show effort, give everything that we have,? the freshman said. ?Sacrifice everything.?

Follow DI women?s track and field reporter Cody Goodwin on Twitter.

Source: http://www.dailyiowanmedia.com/live/2012/02/16/womens-track-looking-forward-to-security-of-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=womens-track-looking-forward-to-security-of-home

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