Written by Chris O’Dell
Harding University junior Blake Arnold is off to a quick start in the 2009-10 indoor track season. At last weekend’s Arkansas State Kick-off Klassic Blake set a new school-record in the 200 meters. The junior sprinter ran the event in 22.39 seconds to finish fourth place in the event and break the previous record of 22.41 set by Kreg Kell in 2008. Arnold said the achievement didn’t come without lots of practice.
“It was nice,” Arnold said. “It was good to see the amount of work I put into it pay off.”
Arnold, who competes in several different events for The Bison track team, has broken the same record more than once now. After breaking the Harding record in the 200 meters earlier in his career, Arnold had the record broken by his teammate soon after. Arnold has been working with head track coach Steve Guymon to ensure he has the best chance possible at once again claiming the record.
“He pushes us to be the best runners we can be,” Arnold said. “He is always supportive and just telling us to keep working.”
Despite a good amount of success from the Anchorage, Alaska, native and his teammates, Arnold said that the team can sometimes get overlooked by the massive success of the cross-country team as of late.
“We get kind of overshadowed by their success, but we’re really trying to push ourselves to have that same kind of success,” Arnold said.
However, the success of the cross-country team also has its benefits for the track team.
“It works really well for us because teams know us because of them,” Arnold said.
Each member of the team has team and individual goals. Arnold said he has one goal in mind for the upcoming season.
“I would really like to make nationals by myself this year,” he said. “It would mean a lot to make it by myself instead of with the relay team.”
If Arnold’s results at the Arkansas State Kick-off Klassic are a sign of things to come,then Arnold could do just that. The junior runner has improved his time in the 200 meters each year as a Bison runner.
In 2008 Arnold ran the event in 22.52 seconds, then improved to 22.48 in 2009 and completed the pattern with a time of 22.41 seconds. If the trend continues, Arnold should be able to post a time good enough to make the trip to the national meet.
During his career, Arnold has also competed in the 400 meter, 200 meter, 100 meter, 60 meter and the 55 meter events. If the 20-year-old junior can keep improving and working with Guymon, the recent broken record could be a sign of many things to come for Arnold and the Bison track team.
