With the recent announcement by the SUNYAC that spring sports will begin on March 20th, it seems pertinent to take a look at how teams are preparing for their seasons in the midst of the chaos stemming from COVID-19. One such team that has begun preparing is the Geneseo women’s track and field team who look to continue their dominance of the SUNYAC in recent years.
The team just started practicing last week, according to junior mid-distance runner Tess Duignan.
“We started practice last week and the team can only practice a few times a week, but it’s good to be back together and support each other,” Duignan said.
Spring sports across the school are practicing in limited fashion due in large part to the restrictions placed on the team by the SUNYAC and the college, but even with these restrictions in place, the team has still managed to keep their spirit and their drive to win.
More than anything, teams are happy just to be back and practicing with their friends after such a huge layoff. Senior Kristen Zarcone, the co-captain of the team, echoed this sentiment.
“Even though we’re not going to have as many fans or the big meets we’re used to it’s been really nice to see everyone and to have the team spirit and the camaraderie of seeing everyone,” Zarcone said.
This theme is one that has been found often from interviewing players from teams across Geneseo. Student athletes cherish the time they spend with their friends and teammates and the identity that comes from being united as a team. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and forced people to use extreme caution as much as possible, but even then, it isn’t enough to distract from the benefits and happiness that comes from being around people that care about the team, plus making sure that people have someone to talk to and to learn from.
This is perhaps the biggest reason why Geneseo has been on another level compared to the rest of the SUNYAC. This is especially true for the women’s track and field team, as every year the team manages to assert itself above the rest of the league with its strong play and several All-American team leaders.
Zarcone expanded on this theme. “Everyone’s so committed. The coaches give their all and the students totally buy into making themselves better and the team better,” Zarcone said.
It’s clear that what makes the team so successful is not just their talent, but their ability to buy in and support each other like a family. This attitude is what makes players so happy to finally be able to return to their teams.
More than just identifying with the team as a whole, many team members form tight knit bonds with a few others on the team that only add to their success.
“It’s me and a handful of other girls on the mid-distance side, so we really get to know each other well,” Duignan said. “We get to know what makes each other tick and we’re able to really encourage each other in a more powerful way because of it.”
The team has been relegated to mainly participating in regional meets with teams from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester among others. Because of this, the team will spend more time training in Geneseo, only furthering the strong bonds that have made the team so successful in the past.
The Knights’ season begins on March 20 in what should be another dominant year led by Zarcone and the camaraderie that has propelled them to victory year after year.