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The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Varsity Sports on Track

Taking a glance down West Pine and through Forest Park, one thing is evident-St. Louis is a city of runners. From the prospective marathoners to those going for a jog with their dog, just about everybody in St. Louis, it seems, loves to go for a stroll. Saint Louis University has jumped on this bandwagon, as the athletic department ended months of speculation last week with its announcement that the track team will no longer be a club but a varsity sport.

The addition of a track team will greatly help the cross-country team. The ability to train and compete at high levels throughout the year will close the gap between SLU and its Atlantic 10 brethren. Both the men’s and women’s squads finished in the lower-tier of the conference this year, but the men’s team only loses one senior while the women’s team returns its top six runners from the conference meet-four of whom were freshman in terms of eligibility. Track will not only ensure that the team will come back next season in optimum condition, but also keep their competitive edge, which can sometimes fade away from one season to the next.

The establishment of a track program will also give the St. Louis metropolitan area its lone Division I track program. Although this may seem a footnote, in a way this is a cultural landmark for the city. Saint Louis University will in effect be carrying on the tradition for a city with a prominent background in the sport; track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, arguably the greatest female sprinter ever, calls East St. Louis her home. SLU could then attract some of the area’s finest athletes to come run for the only team in the city. This would bring a whole new set of athletes to Midtown. Not only distance-runners, but sprinters, hurdlers, throwers, and jumpers would opt to attend SLU over other schools.

The move was met with controversy, as it was also announced that both golf teams would no longer be varsity status. It is sad to think that a sport dating back to the ’60s at SLU, men’s golf, will no longer be, and that a sport in its second year of existence, women’s golf, will never get a chance to excel. But we must take into account not only what we will be gaining with track and field, but how the other sports will benefit from the funds previously spent on golf. However, it is important to consider that this is not a tradeoff of sports. The addition of track and the subtraction of golf were completely independent of each other. It was determined that golf was no longer economically feasible for the University. The track team will not need new facilities in order to succeed, and outside of travel there are relatively few expenses. Athletic Cheryl Levick not only did the city a favor, providing a new source of entertainment,but did so in a fiscally sound manner for the University.

The team already seems to be paying off dividends. An enthusiastic group of walk-ons have already filled up the necessary roster spots for the team. Sprinters and hurdlers who thought they lost their competitive outlet at high school graduation will now get a chance to represent their University at the highest level in collegiate sports.

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And with pride always a matter of concern for the Billiken body, this is evidence that a new era may be upon us. Making a varsity sport of track keeps us on the track to student pride.

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