Seattle University Track and Field competed in their second meet of the season at the University of Washington in the UW Invitational this past weekend. The two-day meet featured new personal bests and improvements – creating an optimistic mindset as the team gets ready for indoor championships.

Junior Olivia Stein was the highlight of Friday night’s competition as she set a new personal best in the 3000m (10:10.41), good for seventh place in her section. “I was pleasantly surprised with how well my race went, because I’ve been coming off an injury and haven’t been training super well,” Stein said. “So starting off the season with a PR, despite all the lack of training, was a confidence builder.”

Angel Cheema opens up his stride in the final 50m of the 200 meter dash.

As things got underway Saturday, the team saw more stand-out performances, even from some freshmen. “Lance as a freshman, putting himself in the position from the gun and running really hard and just competing was really fun to watch,” assistant coach Chad Pharis said. Lance Slichko shaved three and a half seconds off his time in the mile from two weeks ago, setting another personal record as he too finished seventh in his section.

Sophomore Siobhan Rubio continued to improve on an already impressive beginning to her season from two weeks ago. She finished second in her section of the 800m, with a time of 2:14.35.

Looking at the more sprint-focused races, senior Keith Beasley also had a stellar performance. “Keith just raced really, really hard. He had a good kick to move up so it was fun to see a 400 runner have a lot left in the tank,” Pharis said.

“I stay humble, but at the same time keep the hunger because even if you do well, you have to keep that hunger because enough is never enough,” Beasley said. “It keeps you focused, I want to leave a legacy that lasts longer than my physical body.

This is track and field’s first year with Kelly Sullivan as the head coach. “As I team, I’ve got to say that ever since we got Coach Kelly, the culture and shift and level of support for everybody and every athlete has made going to meets so much more fun,” Stein said.

Sullivan’s biggest goal planning for conference is to “get everybody mentally confident and prepared. The work is done, now it’s the trust and little more precision as much mentally as it is physically.”

Track and field will attend the Husky Classic Feb. 9-10 as well as the UW Open on Feb. 11. These will be the last two meets before the team travels to Idaho for the Western Athletic Conference indoor championships.

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