The track teams will make their debut on Dec. 6 against Arkansas State University.
According to head coach Steve Guymon, one of the main goals he has for this year is qualifying as many athletes as possible for the conference meets.
“Our goal each year is to see how many people we can qualify for the conference meet,” Guymon said. “We have two conference meets, one indoor in February and one outdoor in May.”
For senior sprinter DeAnna Wallace, her biggest goal for her last season is to keep improving.
“As a whole, I just want to improve my time, do better with my diet and exercise outside of practice, that’s a big thing,” Wallace said.
According to Guymon one of the things that helps the team get through every season is the teamwork between himself, coach Bryan Philips and graduate assistant Meghan Kessler.
Guymon said he is also proud of the hard work his team shows during events and in the classroom.
“I’ve been very lucky, we have motivated athletes anyway,” Guymon said. “We’ve got a large team but they work hard, they’ve been working since September. They motivate each other, and they’re also motivated in the classroom.”
For Wallace, her love for her teammates keeps her motivated.
“Just being here at Harding with a team at a Christian school taught me how to love others,” Wallace said. “I’ve never met a group of people so loving and encouraging, and the team is like my family. I couldn’t imagine these four years without them.”
Guymon said that coaching a team at a Christian university is one of the things he enjoys most about his job, and that working with student athletes has taught him to be a better person.
“They’ve taught me patience, and they keep me young,” Guymon said. “I may not look it but they keep me that way. They motivate me, and seeing the passion they have to succeed makes me have the drive to figure out ways to help them get (to where they want to be).”
