The indoor track and field team kicks off its season tomorrow at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open and the Early Bird Open at Defiance College.

These are the only meets they will compete at in December, as the rest of the season will be in January and February.

Though the team is essentially the same between indoor and outdoor, there are some events that differ between seasons.

For the throwers, the weight throw is similar to the hammer throw but shorter and heavier. The sprinters run the 60 meter dash and 60 meter hurdles. Distance runners take on the 600 meter, the one kilometer, the mile, the three kilometer and the distance medley relay. All of these events make the indoor season unique.

Jacob Friesen, a junior history and education major and a member of the DMR team, explained that indoor track also differs from cross country because of the relays, which he said helps to encourage the feeling of being a part of a team and working together.

Beyond just the distinct events, the style of running also differs to a degree.

As Rustin Nyce, the director of track and field, said, “The tracks are smaller so it makes things happen a lot faster and more crowded. And it is loud! Everyone is inside a packed, tight space, yelling and cheering.”

This is also the time of year for many of the team members to shine.

Nyce identified various athletes that he believes will have an exceptional indoor season, including throwers, sprinters and distance runners.

Friesen echoed that this is a good time of year for everyone since almost all the team members contribute to the overall score.

He said, “Everyone is trying their best, and that is part of the fun of track: everyone is going to have personal bests and be contributing to the team.”

Nyce explained breaking records is not the teams only focus — though they consistently break them almost every year.

“Records are broken because it is part of the process of improvement. When the athletes focus on doing things correctly, consistently, daily, then we may break records, we may not; it doesn’t matter,” Nyce said.

He sees the goal as getting better and having fun doing it, anything else that gets achieved is a result of accomplishing those ideals. “Breaking records isn’t a destination; it’s part of the journey. So, we probably will, but that’s not the goal. The goal is self discovery and loving what we do.”

This sentiment is true for Friesen in his own personal goals. He said, “It’s always my goal to have a lot of fun and enjoy running at the college level.” He also looks forward to running the DMR again, as three of the four All-American runners will be returning from his team that went to nationals two years ago.

Nyce hopes that more students will take an interest in the success of the athletes, as they don’t have any home meets, so it can be difficult to show school support in the same way as other sports. In particular, because the track and field program is historically so successful.

One action he recommends to show support is to “find a track athlete, ask them about their events, how they are doing and what their goals and dreams are. That sentiment of support is meaningful.”

Friesen also said that if you can find the time to go and watch a meet somewhere it would mean a lot “to have a familiar face cheering for us when we are running.”