Track and field is a lot different than other college athletics. Take another spring sport, for example, baseball. In every game, no matter if it’s early in the season or late in the season, the end result matters. It’s all about wins and losses. After talking to head coach Derick “Ringo” Adamson, the Profs are taking a much different approach to start the season.

When asked about his team’s 20th place finish at the Danny Curran Invitational, he spoke very honestly.

“To be honest, I had no idea no clue that they were scoring this meet over there yesterday,” Adamson said. “And I’m just being honest with you, neither do I care [about the final score].”

He spoke to great lengths about the importance of personal improvement of team scores early in the season.

“The main emphasis is just that [personal improvement]. It’s not about the wins and losses,” he said. “That’s why you see a whole lot of track meets don’t have who won the meet and so forth.”

Two topics he stresses with his team are personal improvement and opportunity. One athlete who personifies both is freshman javelin thrower Morgan Carr.

“You just need to give someone an opportunity,” Adamson said of Carr. “If they get an opportunity their confidence builds, they find themselves and they will do good things… if things keep going the way they are, each week she keeps improving, she’s going to put up those top numbers.”

Carr herself talked about how the team’s approach to start the season has helped her overcome an adjustment period to start her collegiate career.

“[College athletics are] much higher pace, practice everyday two to three hours a day,” she said. “You’re throwing two days a week. It’s everything plus classes, it’s kind of hard to deal with [especially early on]. The coaches help you out though.”

Rowan’s next meet on Friday is one the athletes certainly don’t need motivation for. It’s the Profs first and only home meet of the season.

“Let me ask you this,” Adamson said. “If I put you in front of your parents and I tell you to do things, are you going to embarrass yourself and them? They aren’t going to come out here and be a bunch of schmucks in front of their peers, they want to put on a show! They only get one opportunity at it! I don’t even need to say much because they know what’s at stake. They want to run fast.”

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