Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Track Opens Season in Gainesville
1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Jan. 9, 2007
BOCA RATON, FL - Florida Atlantic University's track team will head to Gainesville this weekend to compete in the Florida Intercollegiates.
The Owls set six school records at last year's meet, which is hosted by the University of Florida. Youth will be an issue for the Owls, who have just four seniors on the roster, but Head Coach Alex Smolka says his team will be ready.
"Our program, in just its seventh season and my fifth, is definitely in a rebuilding stage," said head coach Alex Smolka. "While each year the individual talent is much stronger and the team continues to progress, we are in our second stage of development and look forward to the new facility to expedite our growth."
The Florida Intercollegiates will be FAU's first indoor meet as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, but after the women's cross country finished third at conference championships in the fall, coach Smolka believes the track team can be equally successful.
"I was pleased with the success we had in the fall," Smolka added. "It is a new season and we have new goals for both the individuals and the team. We will need to overcome the lack of experience and depth to experience the same success."
The meet, as always, will feature some of the best track programs in the nation, and will provide an early measuring stick as to how well the Owls will fare in their new conference. It will also be the first of three trips FAU will make to Gainesville, as they will return in April for the Florida Relays and again in May for the NCAA Regional.
The Florida Intercollegiates will be held on January 13.