Quincy University’s track team will be competing in the Clark Wood Invitational in Louisville, KY.

This is the last regular season meet, a last chance to hit the time or mark to qualify for the GLVC conference championship. The Clark Wood Invitational will be held on Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30. The upcoming conference meet will start on May 5 with most finals taking place May 7. 

“My season so far has been okay, not the best season, but it’s been pretty consistent. I’ve been improving as the year wraps up, so hopefully I can hit those times before the year is over,” Athena Lesiotis, a middle distance runner, said.

Due to COVID-19, many student-athletes such as Lesiotis have returned for an additional season. However, seniors aren’t the only ones having success on the track. QU freshman Faith Haggard has gained momentum throughout the season.

“My season has been going pretty good, I’ve been making progress time and time again during my races. I’ve made it to conference, right now I’m sitting at fifth in the 100 hurdles and 16 in the 400 hurdles,” Haggard said.

A majority of both the men’s and women’s teams have qualified for the conference meet. However, the main goal for many of the athletes is not just to qualify for conference, but to go to nationals. 

“The season is going very well, we started to make some big strides going into the last part of the championship season. Last weekend we had a provisional qualifier in the shot put. We also had an automatic qualifier in the 100m dash. We are looking to kind of build upon that success this weekend when we go to Louisville,” Randy Overby, head track coach, said. 

Transfer students Paden Lewis and Herman Chongwain have already qualified for nationals. Lewis previously competed in the indoor national championship earlier this year. Chongwain will also be attempting to qualify for the 200 meter dash this weekend.  

Overby stresses that this invitational meet should help drop times and create opportunity for farther distances, as this is a highly competitive meet. 

“I just know that it’s a big meet and we have to go out there and put our best foot forward. No matter what the other teams bring, we have to bring it 10 times harder to get where we need to be for conference next week,” Haggard said.

Just as some are excited for the closing of this season, some carry other sentiments going into the end of the year.

“I just want to go out there and finish my track career, especially my college track career really strong. So whatever happens I just want to end it on a positive note,” Lesiotis said.

Lesiotis will not be returning next season because her eligibility will have finished. Making these last two track meets the last of her college track career. She will be competing in both the 800 and 1500 for her last conference meet.