LINCOLN, NEBRASKA—Kicking off the indoor track season, the Creighton track and field team competed at the Graduate Classic last weekend. The meet, hosted by the University of Nebraska, included a diverse field of over 40 D1 teams from various conferences.
“With teams like Oregon and Minnesota here, that really sets the tone for the year.” assistant coach Matthew Fayers said.
Despite the presence of powerhouse programs, Creighton rose to the occasion. Impressive distance running defined their performance, with Taylor Rorick and Ryan Montera securing wins in the 5000-meter events. The duo was part of a broader team effort, including eight top-10 finishes and seven personal records. Junior Carly Manchester placed eighth in the 1000 meter with a time of 2:59.66, her personal best.
“There are always some nerves getting back into [track season], but I did PR, which was good.” Manchester said. “I feel like I did have a bit more to give, so hopefully I can work on improving on that for future races.”
Senior Henry Slagle placed ninth in the 3000 meter with a PR of 8:39.21. Fayers was uniquely impressed by his performance, as Slagle was placed in the wrong heat and wasn’t running at full strength.
“[Slagle] didn’t run much in the cross country season, as we’re just trying to get him back to being healthy,” he said. “He paid his dues to see a performance that paid off. He’s a fantastic leader that’s able to have confidence and rally guys around him, which is super important.”
Slagle credits his standout performance to his training over winter break.
“Track is such a different sport than cross country, especially with the team dynamics,” Slagle said. “It’s basically a different sport because the distance is so different. So the winter [training] block while we’re away at home is super important, and this is where you find out if you did it correctly.”
Fayers says this first meet was a helpful benchmark to initiate progress for the rest of the season.
“By no means do we want to be at a perfect place at the beginning of January. It’s a bit harder for the middle distance runners, because they haven’t been doing mile work since last May,” Fayers said. “For the distance crew—yes, they’re running a bit slower, but they’re [running with] the same principles because they raced 5k’s just a month or two ago.”
Manchester is excited by the new opportunities track season brings, including the challenges of middle distance running. She says the team will be able to grow together as they prepare for the outdoor season.
“I think we have a good chance of putting together fast DMR (distance medley) relays for both indoor and outdoor conference. My goal is to be a part of those and to push my teammates to work together well.”
Fayers reiterated that the team’s long term focus is on racing outdoors, especially at the Big East championship in May.
“The indoor season is short and fast, and then we go right into outdoor [season]. It’s imperative that we’re staying healthy and progressing to our goals. Ultimately, our goal is May, which is a long time from here.”