Written by Elumba Cathyvonne Ebenja
Track team member Callie Jo McAllister set a personal record in the Distance Medley Relay during a meet in Lawrence, Kans., April 16-17.
McAllister, a sophomore nursing major who competes as a sprinter on the team, ran a 400DMRsplit time of 57.1 seconds, beating her previous best record of 58.6 seconds in the open 400. Even though her parents, who usually attend every meet, weren’t present for the Lawrence meet, McAllister said she wanted to do her best.
“I was nervous because it was a big meet, and I didn’t want to let my teammates down,” said McAllister, who admitted that the 400 is not her favorite race.
McAllister, who hails from Little Rock and attended Central Arkansas Christian school, has run track since middle school. She holds records in the 200, long and triple jump at CAC.
Despite her personal best performance, McAllister said her year of training has been frustrating. About this time last year, McAllister said she saw personal improvement and put up personal records at each track meet. This year, however, she hadn’t improved as quickly as anticipated.
At the Bison Invitational, which takes place on the Harding’s track each April, McAllister participated in the 400-meter dash and the 4×400-meter relay. She ran a 58.3 that day.
“Finally,” McAllister said, “I ran well at the home meet and things got better from then on.”
Head track coach Steve Guymon said he has watched McAllister grow as an athlete and a teammate, and he enjoys having her on his team.
“I can tell you this, if I had to give a member of the team an MVP award it’d be Callie,” Guymon said. “She is determined, dedicated and team oriented. She has been the bright spot of the team.”
The track team is doing a lot better this year compared to previous years, according to teammate Richard Glenn, a 400-meter sprinter who also long jumps. He credits McAllister for some of the success.
“Callie is getting more experience on the track team and moving around a bit more,” Glenn said. “She has made obvious improvements from her freshman year.”
As a freshman, McAllister said the intense college competition made her nervous at every meet — so much that she vommited at each one. Now, however, McAllister said she is more comfortable.
McAllister has a nearly two years left at Harding, and she said she plans to stay on the track team. Her goal is to break the university’s indoor and outdoor record, which is 57.1.
“I’ll run as long as they let me because it’s what I do,” McAllister said.
This weekend the track team will be traveling to Alabama to compete in the regional track meet. Anyone who meets the qualifying time will advance to nationals. McAllister will run the open 400-meter dash and the 4×400 relay with three others. McAllister said she plans to break her personal best in Alabama.
“It’s a never ending challenge to get better,” she said.
