WEST POINT, N.Y. - Sheltered under Storm King mountain, Bard Track and Field ventures into familiar made unfamiliar, fighting toward personal bests and school records in the season's first indoor meet. Something about the acoustics in Gillis Field House make the gun a deafening puncture, bringing out synchronized jolts from the slew of new Bard athletes. Otherwise, athletes mill around the bleachers, waiting for their event in the nearly-nine hour day. Coach Brody Smith, if not watching a race, relaxes in his natural habitat. For most sitting around the home base Bard has staked out, this is their only indoor meet; stakes are low. The pressure inexorably mounts when they step on to the track.  

First to be called up is Eanna Hauck, the only Bard woman throwing shot put today. She tosses 10.91 meters in her first attempt (school record and personal best), and it stands as her best after all throws are done. The mark lands her in second place overall, but she's still not satisfied, saying "I know I've done better in practice—" "it doesn't feel like it should be a PR." There's clearly much more in store for the star thrower, but we'll have to wait until Liberty Leagues to see it.

Johnny Henriquez and Avery Crafton, filling out the requirements to be a recognized heptathlete, also threw shot, going for 8.8 and 7.45 meters respectively, both taking until their last throw to get the mark. It's a first time for both. Henriquez also competed in high jump and pole vault, neither of which he could clear, likely excluding him from the Liberty League heptathlon, the unlucky reality of multi events. Henriquez's 60m hurdles saw a 12.21, a solid placing which mostly acts as practice for the hurdling events in the outdoor decathlon.

The 60m was packed with Bard athletes, the aforementioned Crafton, as well as Fiyin Odubanjo, Ola Olamipo, Andrii Roienko, Alina Sharaban and Loie Acton. Odubanjo records a 7.78 in his first Bard appearance, Crafton following closely in 7.87, Olamipo in at 8.10, and Roienko's first showing is a 8.19. On the women's side, Acton records 8.95, and Sharaban follows with a 9.42.  

If there were any wildcards for the day, it was certainly the pair of serendipitous newcomers in Freya Jones and Devin James. Jones, who ran through high school, and has joined the team now as a college senior, winning her mile heat in 5:52.06, landing her in sixth overall and a new school record, surpassing Abby Frazier's 5:53.77 from 2020. Alex Laskowski and Emma St. Peter, also in the mile, planned to run relatively conjoined, thus finishing in 6:32.06 (a personal best) and 6:34.59 respectively. Laskowski, unsure of her lap total during the race, was surprised when it was over, still passing two people in the final straight.

James, a convert from Men's Soccer, ran his first ever track race today, lining up for the mile with veterans Bo Hopwood and Elijah Flynn, and sophomore Calvin Thomas. Hopwood, four-year veteran of Track and XC, confided that he felt nervous for the first time in years; his last collegiate chance to break the five minute barrier. James took the heat, including Hopwood and Thomas, out at a blistering pace, but held it together to finish in 4:58.55, just behind Hopwood's commanding 4:54.84 (his first mile below five minutes), and just ahead of Thomas' 5:02.56, a ten second personal best. Flynn, running in the first heat, was simply tasked to hold on—he had missed nearly two weeks of training due to an achilles injury, but he still managed to pull together a 4:42.34. Far cry from his normal form, but good enough for ninth at the meet. 

Returning to sprints, Carina Cooke and Kai Roper ran the 400m dash together, Cooke coming in at 1:03.44, Roper at 1:11.84. Cooke's halfway split was dead on for the sub-60 mark, but the lack of competition in front of her (she was one of two in her heat) seemed to spell a slower second half. In the 800m, Chloe Desautels and St. Peter both went under three, Desautels at 2:48.16, St. Peter at 2:54.60, Desautels getting physical with an inside push during the first lap, landing the pair at tenth and eleventh. Sharaban, Acton, Cooke and Roper also competed in the 200m, Sharaban finishing her race in 32.66, Acton at 29.63, Cooke in at 28.47, Roper at 32.60. On the men's side of the 200m, Odubanjo pulled a 26.30, Roienko a 26.98, and Olamipo in at 28.19. Cooke and Olamipo analyzed the difficulties of the indoor 200m; tighter curves make it harder to accelerate—outdoor lends itself better to a powerful finish. 

James returned for the one kilometer race with senior newcomer Koei Nakamura, as they found themselves marooned in the middle of the race, everyone else either too fast or too slow for the pair, coming in at 2:59.95 and 3:01.72 respectively. Thomas rounded out the distance events of the day with the 3k, his favorite. 10:33.08 is a new best, but he "underestimated the taxing effects of running the mile beforehand." As the sun set over Storm King mountain, the women's 4x4, and a ragtag men's 4x4 banded together in a rallying finish. The women's team of Cooke, Desautels, Acton, and Roper, came in at a blistering 4:42. Cooke, first leg, was "motivated to give my teammates a headstart," pushing through the fatigue of two events beforehand. The average pace of 70.5 seconds is startling, considering that Desautels is a long distance specialist, and this is Acton's first time in the 400. Bard came into a competitive 3rd place in a tough field. Henriquez, Crafton, Azad, and James patched together a 4x4 team after three of the intended runners dropped out. The bunch pulled out a 4:09.30 for fifth place, epitomizing the central themes of the day; camaraderie and support, experience and learning.  

The Raptors will be back on February 28th, where a select few qualifiers from Bard will journey to RIT for the Liberty League championship, the others will have to wait for outdoor season to start at the Utica Almost Spring Invite, March 28th.  

Women
Shot Put
2. Eanna Hauck 10.91m School Record & PR

60m
Loie Acton 8.95
Alina Sharaban 9.42

200m
Carina Cooke 28.47
Loie Acton 29.63
Alina Sharaban 32.66
Kai Roper 32.60

400m
Carina Cooke 1:03.44
Kai Roper 1:11.84

800m
10. Chloe Desautels 2:48.16
11. Emma St. Peter 2:54.60

Mile
6. Freya Jones 5:52.06 School Record
Alex Laskowski 6:32.06 PR
Emma St. Peter 6:34.59

4x400m Relay
3. Cooke, Desautels, Acton, Roper 4:42.00

Men
Shot Put
Johnny Henriquez 8.80m
Avery Crafton 7.45m

60m Hurdles
Johnny Henriquez 12.21

60m
Fiyin Odubanjo 7.78
Avery Crafton 7.87
Ola Olamipo 8.10
Andrii Roienko 8.19

200m
Fiyin Odubanjo 26.30
Andrii Roienko 26.98
Ola Olamipo 28.19

Mile
Elijah Flynn 4:42.34
Bo Hopwood 4:54.84
Devin James 4:58.55
Calvin Thomas 5:02.56 PR

1000m
Devin James 2:59.95
Koei Nakamura 3:01.72

3000m
Calvin Thomas 10:33.08 PR

4x400m Relay
5. Henriquez, Crafton, Azad, James 4:09.30