2008 Woodie Awards
Roos prepare for track season
Hillary Gieseman
Issue date: 1/9/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The UMKC track team will soon compete against the other Mid-Continent Conference teams in indoor track-and the season looks promising for the Kangaroos.
Students to watch this season include sprinter Stephanie Williams, sophomore. Williams set a personal best last year in the 60 meter (7.91) and 200 meter (25.93).
Another sprinter/hurdler to keep an eye on is Maggie Bruggeman-Butler, senior. Butler set her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles (9.19) at last year's Mid-Continent Conference Indoor Championships (MCCIC). Sprinter/ hurdler Mikala Marquez, sophomore, also set her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles (9.42) at last year's MCCIC.
On the men's side, Nathan Buie, sophomore, is a promising sprinter. He holds the ninth best time in UMKC history (50.49) in the 400-meter sprints, which he set at last year's Mid Continent Conference Championships. Nick Kramer, sophomore, and seniors Damian Alexis and Roland Hemmings are also among those to watch.
The favored team in the conference is Oral Roberts University for both the men's and women's teams. Other worthy competition comes from Southern Utah University, Valparaiso University and Western Illinois University.
UMKC is projected to finish fourth in men's and fifth in women's.
The Roos have a young team this year, and Head Coach Theo Hamilton hopes to prepare the team to compete as best as possible.
"I would like to get to the top three in the conference," said Hamilton.
Last year, the team finished fifth on the women's side and sixth on the men's.
The indoor track season is very similar to outdoor track, with a few exceptions. Indoor track athletes run 60-meter hurdles instead of 100-meter hurdles. They also run the 600 meter indoors, not outdoors. Otherwise, the events are much the same.
While some track events are well known-sprints, hurdles, jumps, marathons-other events are less familiar. The discus, shot put, hammer and javelin throws are events most sports fans can barely describe.
The discus, hammer and shot put events are held in a seven-foot-diameter circle. The goal of each of these events is to throw the object as far as possible.
The discus is a Frisbee-like plate of metal and wood. The hammer is a heavy ball attached to a handle with wire. The shot put is a ball thrown from the contestant's shoulder.
Javelin throw is another important event in field competitions. The athlete runs full speed down a runway and releases a spear into the air, hopefully before crossing the throw line. The distance where the tip touches the earth is recorded. If the javelin tip does not enter the ground first, the throw does not count.
The best way to become familiar with track and field events is to attend one.
The opening event for the UMKC Kangaroos is the Missouri Invitational this Friday in Columbia, Mo. The Kansas Invitational is scheduled for Jan. 28 in Lawrence, Kan.
hgieseman@unews.com
Students to watch this season include sprinter Stephanie Williams, sophomore. Williams set a personal best last year in the 60 meter (7.91) and 200 meter (25.93).
Another sprinter/hurdler to keep an eye on is Maggie Bruggeman-Butler, senior. Butler set her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles (9.19) at last year's Mid-Continent Conference Indoor Championships (MCCIC). Sprinter/ hurdler Mikala Marquez, sophomore, also set her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles (9.42) at last year's MCCIC.
On the men's side, Nathan Buie, sophomore, is a promising sprinter. He holds the ninth best time in UMKC history (50.49) in the 400-meter sprints, which he set at last year's Mid Continent Conference Championships. Nick Kramer, sophomore, and seniors Damian Alexis and Roland Hemmings are also among those to watch.
The favored team in the conference is Oral Roberts University for both the men's and women's teams. Other worthy competition comes from Southern Utah University, Valparaiso University and Western Illinois University.
UMKC is projected to finish fourth in men's and fifth in women's.
The Roos have a young team this year, and Head Coach Theo Hamilton hopes to prepare the team to compete as best as possible.
"I would like to get to the top three in the conference," said Hamilton.
Last year, the team finished fifth on the women's side and sixth on the men's.
The indoor track season is very similar to outdoor track, with a few exceptions. Indoor track athletes run 60-meter hurdles instead of 100-meter hurdles. They also run the 600 meter indoors, not outdoors. Otherwise, the events are much the same.
While some track events are well known-sprints, hurdles, jumps, marathons-other events are less familiar. The discus, shot put, hammer and javelin throws are events most sports fans can barely describe.
The discus, hammer and shot put events are held in a seven-foot-diameter circle. The goal of each of these events is to throw the object as far as possible.
The discus is a Frisbee-like plate of metal and wood. The hammer is a heavy ball attached to a handle with wire. The shot put is a ball thrown from the contestant's shoulder.
Javelin throw is another important event in field competitions. The athlete runs full speed down a runway and releases a spear into the air, hopefully before crossing the throw line. The distance where the tip touches the earth is recorded. If the javelin tip does not enter the ground first, the throw does not count.
The best way to become familiar with track and field events is to attend one.
The opening event for the UMKC Kangaroos is the Missouri Invitational this Friday in Columbia, Mo. The Kansas Invitational is scheduled for Jan. 28 in Lawrence, Kan.
hgieseman@unews.com
