The Wichita State Track and Field team held a second scrimmage of the fall semester with competition taking place throughout the week. Some of the coaching staff discusses below how the event came together, their thoughts on being in a competitive setting and the improvement the athletes are making.
 
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Steve Rainbolt
 
On how the scrimmages came together
"We had thought about it back in the spring when the season got canceled to try to create some kind of way for the athletes to recapture some of those missed experiences. This is an attempt to do that. We have had some good performances, but it isn't the same as a meet. There's no other team and no automatic timing. I could name a ton of differences between this and legitimate meets, but the athletes have looked forward to it and they've done a great job of competing."
 
On if the scrimmages will make a difference when the season comes along
"Yeah I think this gives them a sense of where they're at and what they nee to work on. Where they're at is one thing, but they can also see some technical issues on film. We can look at that and see what we need to do to get that form correct. This will help during the season for sure."
 
Assistant Director of Track and Field and Sprints Coach John Wise
 
On how he thought the 300-meter hurdles went
"It was good. We don't usually do stuff like 400-meter hurdles in the fall, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Maybe it is good to have those athletes doing something like a 300-meter hurdles race. We're progressing toward the 400-meter hurdles, and you get better at that race every time you do it , and the only way to prepare for it is to do it. Antonio Norman and Yuben Goncalves are both good hurdlers so it was fun to watch them compete. On the women's side, they're good and are ahead of where they've been in the past."
 
On getting back into the competitive spirit
"It feels great. I think the athletes are having fun. It has been needed since they couldn't compete last spring. It's feeling a little bit more normal every time we do this. It's also nice because it gives us something to shoot for. It keeps them focused and excited to come to practice.
 
Throws Coach John Hetzendorf
 
On how it feels to be back in a competitive setting
"It feels good to be back on a beautiful day. It's good to be back doing something. It feels almost normal. With our Throws Pentathlon getting canceled due to COVID, it's a good way to do something similar and see where we can get better."
 
On the improvement he is seeing
"They're getting better. Its not where we want to be, but we're getting better. We're doing things and we're getting better. It's a good first step."