The Bisons and Lady Bisons track teams not only it the ground running – literally –to polish off their indoor season in February, they also set a new pace for smashing records.
Since Feb. 2, the men’s and women’s teams have combined to break and re-break 13 school records.
“This is not going to be a season of breaking someone else’s records,” freshman Tessa Hoefle said. “It’s going to be a season of making our own.”
The teams’ first February meet, the ETSU Niswonger Invite, featured three of the 13 record-breaking races.
Freshman Dani Walker stole two of Lipscomb’s records in Johnson City, taking down teammate Amanda Twigg’s records in the indoor 800 meter and mile races.
The first day of the meet, Walker posted a time of 2:15.62 in the 800, beating out Twigg’s former record of 2:16.79. On day two, Walker claimed the mile record with a time of 5:08.97, nearly a second and a half quicker than Twigg’s previous record.
Although she has made a name for herself in the Lipscomb record books in a short amount of time, Walker said her goal is not necessarily to break records.
“My focus has not been on breaking the records of Lipscomb’s past,” Walker said. “Of course, I hope that records will be broken on the way, but it’s more important to me that I’m a part of the team of the present. The only person I focus on being faster than is the girl next to me and ultimately myself.”
Freshman Tucker Peabody recorded the third school-best time of the meet for the Bisons. Peabody took down his record for the indoor 200 with a time of 22.16.
For Peabody, setting records is just a way to raise the bar for matches to come.
“It feels good to know that I’m constantly improving every week,” Peabody said. “I love setting the bar high for myself and for the others on the team. It keeps me motivated to work harder and run faster at the next meet.”
Just a week later, both teams combined to conquer four more records at the Indiana University Hoosier Hills Invite, their best indoor meet of the season to that date.
Peabody topped his record from the Niswonger Invite in the indoor 200 with a new school record of 21.89.
Walker also wrote another record in her book, this time claiming the indoor 600 with a mark of 1:33.17, taking down last year’s record of 1:37.48 set by Sara Stephens.
But Walker wasn’t finished. She also anchored the 4×400 relay team that posted a new school record of 3:55.76 — along with teammates freshman Katie Bunker, sophomore Amanda Twigg, and sophomore Stephens.
Even though the role of anchor may be a daunting one, Walker thrives under the pressure.
“It’s always a great opportunity to be on a relay team,” Walker said. “I’m the kind of person that likes the pressure of being an anchor (last leg of a relay) because I won’t let down my teammates no matter what it takes.”
The final record-setting mark of the meet was set by Hoefle.
Hoefle ran a 10:22.13 mark in the 3,000-meter run, breaking Carolyn Latham-Yates’ 10:27.20 record set in 2009.
Hoefle said the race required her to rely on her ability to trust and relax.
“My race was really about being able to trust both our training and planning enough to relax, and I felt that this was an important race in that way,” Hoefle said.
To wrap up the month of February, the teams took down six records at the Atlantic-Sun Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Lady Bisons placed fifth in the meet, topping their previous best of eighth place.
Walker started off the Lady Bisons’ record book marks by breaking her own school record for the mile with a mark of 5:06.87, just more than two seconds faster than her previous record.
Stephens broke a school record set by herself last year for the 400 with a time of 58.63. Then, sophomore Rachel Smith topped the school record, set by Stephens last year, in the 200 with a time of 26.03.
The 5,000-meter race produced three times fast enough to break the previous school record. Junior Ashley Lehman posted a time of 17:50.91, while Hoefle finished with a mark of 17:57.13, and junior Catherine Beals ran an 18:03.11. All three times beat out the previous record of 18:03.30 set in 2007.
As the teams conclude their indoor season, they will have a weekend to rest before heading to Jacksonville for the North Florida Spring Break Invite to kick off their outdoor season.