Utah Track and Field Looks for a Final Push Before Championships
The University of Utah’s Track and Field team during the Women’s 4×400 Meter Relay in an NCAA Track and Field meet at the McCarthey Family Track and Field Complex in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 13, 2019. (Photo by Curtis Lin | Daily Utah Chronicle)
February 20, 2020
The University of Utah track and field team has been on a tear the last couple of weeks, with big records being set at the Don Kirby Invitational, the Weber State Invitational and the Husky Classic. The Utes hope to bring their record-setting ways with them as they compete in more events this weekend.
Things start off this Friday, Feb. 21, when the team will compete at the JDL DMR in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and the UW Last Chance in Seattle.
The JDL DMR is being hosted by Wake Forest. One runner to watch out for from this Demon Deacons team is Isabelle Dutranoit. She set a new Bermuda National record in the 3,000-meter dash with a record time of 9:50.80. This is one of many examples of the Utes facing off against the best of the best in the nation.
The Utes have competed in Seattle a few times this year and are hoping to cap off good performances in the state. Kolbi Sims will be the lone Ute competing at the UW Last Chance. She has been posting remarkable times all season and is hoping to continue the trend.
Following these events, the Utes will begin preparing for championship events. This will begin with the MPSF Indoor Championships in Seattle on Feb. 28 and 29. A few weeks after that on March 13 and 14 will be the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Utes have been competing at a remarkably high level all year and will need to continue the effort in order to finish these next few weeks in the way they want to. The Utes have never been in a better position to compete in national events, and now is the time for their last push before those championships.
It can be easy to overlook certain events when looking forward to national competitions, so in many ways this may be the most difficult week the Utes have faced yet. They will need to focus to ensure that they continue running at a high level before the championships. Luckily, if history is any indicator, the Utes will be focused and ready to do what they need to do.
After all is said and done, in the next few weeks the team will turn their focus to the outdoor season and will try and take the success they have found in this indoor season and put it to the test.
