Track and Field

By Ashley Bryant
Special to howard-bison.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last year, Howard's indoor track team earned a number of the top ten performances in the MEAC. The Bison had top times in the 400M, 800M, mile-run, 60M hurdles, as well as a myriad of other races. But this year, the team turns to training and fresh runners to get a leg up against their competition.
 
"We're much healthier this year," said Coach Merritt, who credits the team's training for being well-conditioned for the year. "We've got a good group of freshmen. We're hoping to make an improvement in our conference standing and qualify some folks for the NCAA tournament."
 
According to Merritt, the team's use of the weight room and proper warm-ups has helped to reduce many of the injuries that runners have sustained in the past during the indoor season. The team has also increased their circuit training routine and use of the medicine ball as preventative measures against injuries.
 
To kick-off the 2009-2010 season, the Bison take a trip to Pennsylvania and suit-up against the Bucknell Bison Dec. 5. For the first match-up of the new year, the Bison travel to George Mason University for the Patriot Invite on Jan. 9 and head to College Park, Maryland Jan. 16.
 
Runners gear up for a series of invitationals and games before the MEAC and NCAA Championships: The VT Hokie Invitational Jan. 22 to Jan. 23; The Penn State Open Invitational Jan. 29 to Jan. 30; The GMU Patriots Games Jan. 30 and The Vince Brown Invitational in Newport News, Virginia on Feb. 6.
 
The MEAC Championship will be held Feb. 12 to Feb. 13 in Landover, Maryland and runners head to College Station, Texas for the NCAA Championship held March 5 to March 6.