After the holidays, it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things quickly. Senior Bryan Baldwin and the rest of the Elizabethtown College men’s track team knew this going into Ursinus College’s Collegeville Classic last Friday, Jan. 23. Baldwin mentioned that he wanted to make sure everyone could get back into their rhythm. He also expressed concern over the nonattendance of the distance runners, meaning that some first-year athletes would be participating in their first collegiate events. The team knew that they would have to work hard at this meet in order to get over the holiday lull.

Any nerves or inhibitions present were quickly dispelled as individual performances at the meet began strong and maintained momentum. Great results came in from many different events. Sophomore Max Mahan once again showed his talent through his performance in the high jump, tying his all-time best with a score of 1.9m.

Two first-year athletes, Christian Villarosa and Jaime Ramos both pushed their personal best numbers. Villarosa secured a spot on Etown’s all-time list with a 10.76m triple jump. Ramos bested his individual record within the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 10.25. Another first-year, Matt Pysher, also pushed his own best distance in the shot put to a new high, throwing 10.54m.

First-year sprinter Mitch Schlegel also continued to push himself after breaking his personal record, which he set the week before. In the 60-meter dash, Schlegel shaved off another three-hundredths of a second, improving to a time of 7.42 seconds, and solidified his name on Etown’s all-time list. Both he and his coaches wanted to improve his form. Schlegel said the team has been having great workouts lately and making sure that everyone was staying healthy during time off. It was a career day for many of the team’s participants, especially the younger athletes who performed at a high level.

However, the veteran athletes’ performances should not be ignored at Ursinus. In addition to the successes of the first-year and sophomore team members, junior Sam Brooks helped put points on the board for the Blue Jays, placing fifth in the mile. Junior Graeme Kennedy also performed well, showing improvement in his form, as Schlegel said.

Overall, Etown’s endeavors at the College Classic amounted to a nine-point total, setting them at a placement of 20th out of 24. It is not the ranking in the event that team members seem to be focused on, however. Baldwin and Schlegel both said that the team had performed well, and have been continuing to improve as a whole.

Moving forward, the Blue Jays might look at Friday’s meet as a stepping stone. Baldwin said he feels like it is still early in the season. “We’re still driving and fighting for every little spot we can,” he said. Baldwin went on to say that the team must continue to improve, but the path that they are on is a great place as the conference championships loom just about a month away. With an established, high-morale squad that has demonstrated the potential of its younger athletes and the bulk of the schedule ahead of them, Etown should look forward to what else this team can accomplish this season.

The Blue Jays head to Tufts University for the Tufts Last Chance Meet on Friday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.