March 4, 2009

By Stacy Chew - The week before the Atlantic 10 Indoor Track Championship, the energy among our team was incredible. You could sense the excitement, as everyone was ready to compete and was looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Practices were lighter during the week, and we were exempt from lifting, in order to allow our bodies to be fresh for the meet. As a long sprinter, my workout group mostly worked on our block starts and did a few short sprints to help increase our speed. Overall, it was refreshing to have a few days of easier, lighter practices, and some extra free time to prepare for our trip.

Wednesday, the night before we left, the anticipation for the meet was only intensified. I received multiple emails from teammates who weren't traveling but wanted to wish the rest of us luck. It's so touching and motivating to be a part of such a supportive team. My roommates and some of my other friends were extremely supportive as well, and I received multiple phone calls and text messages, as well as a few gift bags wishing me luck for the upcoming meet. It was an incredible feeling to know that we have so many people supporting us and cheering for us to do well.

As I was packing my things for the trip, I began getting all sentimental. As a senior, I've been to Rhode Island three times before, and it's always been one of my favorite trips with the track team. It's one of our most important meets, and I've been mentally preparing for it since our last outdoor meet in May. Actual practices didn't start until September, but as a senior I've learned that the preparation starts way before the actual practices do. I've been thinking about, praying about, and have been excited about the A-10 meet for almost a year. As I was packing, I started thinking about all of the work that I'd put in, and that my entire team had put in, and I knew that we were ready to do something amazing. I couldn't be nervous, because I knew we were ready. I could only be excited.