The spring semester is here, and that can only mean one thing for Coach Andy Canegitta: track season is back.
In 2011, Vanessa Righeimer, mass communications sophmore, and Abraham Thacker, finance junior, qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship while Sarah Tortorich broke three Loyola records for 100, 200 and 400-meter races. Canegitta and his runners hope to continue improving on the success that they had last semester with their distance runners and last year’s track record with their sprinters and jumpers.
“Our runners need to continue to improve their strength,” Canegitta said. “Strength is the key component for our athletes to have any success.”
When asked if the Wolfpack considered any other schools to be a threat, there was only one answer: no.
“We don’t have any schools that we consider a threat, but there are teams that we want to make sure we beat,” Canegitta said.
Those schools include local rivals Dillard and Xavier universities, along with other teams in the NAIA.
“Our main competition is the clock,” Canegitta said.
Last season, the ‘Pack ran with 16 members. This semester, the roster has increased to 25 runners.
The Wolfpack’s top runners consist of distance runners, political science freshman Henry Gerbracht, and last season’s NAIA national qualifier and Vanessa Righeimer. Other top competitors are sprinter and visual arts junior Sarah Tortorich, and top jumper and psychology junior Alexandra Lain.
“I’m happy to see other runners step it up this season. That means they want to improve,” Tortorich said.
Loyola does not have home track meets. Most of the meets that the Wolfpack will attend this year are fairly close. The track team will compete at the Louisiana State University relays in Baton Rouge and at the Southeastern Invitational at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
“With more track meets scheduled this year, our team will all have more opportunities to do well in their events and hopefully, hit qualifying marks for Nationals,” Righeimer said.
The ‘Pack will be running in Birmingham, Ala. on Jan. 26 for the Birmingham Invitational Indoor Track Meet.
Chelsey Richter can be reached at [email protected]
