After last season was abruptly ended due to Covid-19, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s and women’s track teams resumed competition in January.

When preparing for the season, head coach George Pincock said the 10 months between the premature end of last season and the start of this season was a really long wait.

“Leaving Alabama in March when the pandemic started was tough,” Pincock said. “All our group wants this year is the opportunity to compete.”

Both teams have competed in two meets, the Crimson and Gold Invitational and the Washburn Open. Neither team posted a team score in the Crimson and Gold Invitational, but both teams posted team scores at the Washburn Open, which saw the men’s team finish tied for second place while the women’s team finished 14th.

Notable men’s results from the Washburn Open in the track events included Dorian Andrews finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles, Cameron Maken finishing fifth in the 60-meter hurdles, Lamarion Arnold winning the 200-meter dash, Delan Edwin finishing sixth in the 60-meter dash and seventh in the 200, Nicodemus Rotich finishing sixth in the 3,000 meter run and fifth in the 5,000 meter and the men’s 4×400 relay team finishing fourth. 

Notable men’s field results included Mickey Ferdinand and Dakari Hill tying for second in the high jump, Ferdinand finishing seventh in the pole vault, Trayveon Franklin finishing third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump, and Ryan Amador finishing seventh in the shot put.

Notable women’s results from the Washburn Open include Atiana Alexander finishing sixth in the 400, Iniuto Ukpong finishing third in the shot put, and Candesha Scott finishing fifth in the shot put.

The men’s team was recently ranked seventh nationally in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association ratings index. 

This season, the Lions Track teams will only compete in four meets prior to the Lone Star Conference championships. George Pincock said that he would have liked to compete in a few more meets but will take what he can get.

“I am fortunate to have a staff that truly understands the sport and our teams will be ready to compete in the championship meets,” Pincock said.

Both teams’ next meets are scheduled for Feb. 12 and 13 when they will compete at the 6th Annual Gorilla Classic and the Ichabod Invitational. 

When strategizing which athletes will compete at which meets, assistant coach Trent Phelps noted that the tracks at Pittsburg State and Washburn University are made up differently.

“Pittsburg State has a 300-meter indoor track and Washburn has a 200-meter banked track,” Phelps said. “We will have distance runners run at Pittsburg State and sprinters running at Washburn while the jumpers and throwers will compete at both meets.”

The 6th Annual Gorilla Classic will take place at the Robert W. Plaster Center in Pittsburg, Kan. The Ichabod Invitational will be held at the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility in Topeka, Kan.