P-BHAK’S CORNER

The UC Riverside track and field teams got off to a great start this past week as they put on a very solid performance at the indoor University of Washington Invitational. For their success, the men’s team has found itself ranked 10th in the West Region ahead of all rival Big West schools. The Women’s team also ranked 13th in the West Region poll.

We will see a very competitive  squad  this season as there is a lot to look forward from the track and field program especially with their newly-built track stadium. The new track has finally been built after years of waiting. On March 10, UC Riverside will finally be hosting its first meet in a long, long time in a dual meet against Big West rival UC Santa Barbara. A home meet is something I think the athletes will look forward to as it is always special to compete on home turf; it’s something these track athletes have not had a chance to do.

The biggest benefit of the new track for the program as a whole is that a track and field athletes will finally get to master their craft on a world-class facility which should yield some great results at meets. In the latest track meet, we saw four school records being broken with ease, and I am sure we will see many more throughout the season. As for winning a team title like the Big West conference title, we will have to wait and see how all aspects of the team perform. A sport like track and field has so many events and it is always difficult to gauge it. But I am very confident that the overall team will be successful this season thanks to a new track and their world-class talent.