After winning the Sol Butler Invitational in Dubuque, Iowa, the men’s track team look to repeat as champions at the Midwest Invitational at Monmouth College this Saturday.
For the beginning of the season the team looks to see where they stand.
“In all these early meets, we’re looking to find: one, for kids to get experience,” head coach Paul Olsen said. “And two, to find athlete’s best events.”
Having won the Midwest Invitational last year, the boys focused to repeat as champions leading up to the meet on January 22 at Monmouth College.
“The practices are quite hard,” Olsen said. “There are fewer days of rest and recovery.”
Through all the mental preparation he uses for his athletes, Olsen is confident that his team will win the Midwest Invitational again this year.
“Our team is confident, individually and with each other,” Olsen said. “Everytime you turn around, Augustana is going to be in the hunt to win.”
The following teams will be competing in the Midwest Invitational:
Augustana College, Ashford College, Aurora College, Dubuque College, Loras College, Monmouth College, Millikin University and St. Ambrose College.
Olsen’s practices and lessons are based all around confidence.
“We try to make everything we do become a confidence builder,” said Olsen.
Part of the confidence has led captain Kyle Cluver to be optimistic about this meet.
“I am super excited about this year’s season. This season is going to be special, very special,” Cluver said. “After coming off a tremendous season last year, we lost a great senior class that led the team in conference and to the national meet. This year we have a lot of younger guys that are stepping into the big shoes that were left after last year.”
Cluver believes that the team should appreciate the moments they get to share this season.
“Our team lives on that fact that if we ‘celebrate life’, then the times, distances, heights and performances will come.” Said Cluver. “When we celebrate life before, during and after the meet, we will be able to also celebrate the performances that took place during the meet.”