The Plattsburgh State track and field team traveled to New Hampshire this past weekend to compete in the Dartmouth Indoor Classic and saw great success.
“Everyone did so well,” senior distance runner Emma Deshaies said. “It’s so fun when everyone does well because the energy level is at an all-time high, which unties the team as a whole.”
Head coach Nick Jones said hard work and dedication is key to be on the Cards. On and off the track, Jones trains PSUC to be strong academically and physically, urging students to multitask training their mind, bodies and souls to compete against what he considers great competition.
Last Saturday, the Cards proved what hard work and dedication does, seeing multiple team members achieve either SUNYAC championship or ECAC qualifying marks.
“Competition at Darthmouth is pretty good being that they are a Division I college and we are Division III,” Jones said. “There are a lot of competitive standards, but we’re very excited and up for the challenge.”
Sophomore Ibukun Charles finished in fifth place in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:21.96. Junior Stephanie Boucher finished fourth during the 1000-meter run with a time of 3:00.21. Senior Emma Deshaies came in third in the 3000-meter run with a time of 10:26.60, and junior Lauren Perschetz came in fifth with a time of 10:33.88.
During the event, juniors Ethan Vinson and Zach Grandy, as well as sophomore Ben Wells and freshman Brian Fabian took, third place in the 400-meter relay.
Fabian is part of a freshmen class that Jones enjoys seeing develop, work and learn about competing at the college level.
“We really make an effort to include freshmen in all of the team activities, making them feel as comfortable as possible,” Deshaies said. “We all have the same goals and we’re all trying to reach them together.”
Freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, the Cards encourage unity as a strong element to prosper as a whole. It’s all about working together and motivating one another to achieve the same goal.
“We support and cheer for each other even if it’s not our specific event,” Deshaies said. “We are all getting along very well, and our bond has grown tighter.”
PSUC constantly trains to be great no matter the teams they may compete against.
Junior distance runner Ethan Vinson considers this an essential mindset.
“Confidence and a high energy level is the key to constantly improving in order to head in the right direction of success,” Vinson said.
The Cards head to Boston to compete in the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational two-day meet today and Saturday, and Deshaies has a lot of confidence in her team going into the weekend.
“We are stronger than what you think,” Deshaies said. “We are not just a little Division III team.”
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