False start to the season

Junior Sam Lugo practices his hammer throw.

Britney Dixon, Sports Manager

His eyes were glued to his laptop as the sound of his professor murmured in the background. It seemed like a race of how many different college athletics pages he could compile in his search history before class ended. From Maine down to Maryland, the answers were all the same for Sam Lugo: there was nowhere for track and field to compete Saturday, March 24.

With spring officially here, the Roger Williams University men’s and women’s track and field teams knew that only meant one thing, meet week was finally here — or so they thought.

When the news broke early Monday afternoon that their season opener at Bridgewater State University had been canceled six days early due to “unplayable conditions,” it was evident that the week wasn’t going to be easy. However, track and field was not the only team with this problem. Paolino Field at RWU remained “unplayable” enough to postpone four games across the two teams the same week.

“It’s tough because of all the circumstances,” said Head Coach Sean Livingston. “We’re the only sport that waits this long to start the season and without indoor, it’s a big deal.”

A junior at RWU and captain of the men’s team, Lugo took matters into his own hands to attempt to find a way for him and his teammates to compete Saturday.

“Losing one meet due to weather, especially the first one of the season is always on the back of our minds since you never know what weather New England can give you,” Lugo said. “The majority of the team is used to weather keeping us off the track for a long period of time.”

With no telling of when spring will finally arrive, Livingston presented the team with more bad news. The Hawks’ second scheduled meet of the season was canceled as of Wednesday night — 10 days beforehand causing Lugo to continue his hunt for another competition on the 31st. On Thursday, Livingston announced that the teams would open their season that weekend at Eastern Connecticut State University.

“This has definitely been the most unexpected start to the season,” said junior jumper Jacob Mailloux.

Until then, the team will be posted up in the field house performing modified run-ups, shortened starts, and drills. For some of the team, the workouts don’t change. For the javelin and hammer throwers, and the pole vaulters, the first meet could be their next time with a full performance in their respective events.

“I think we’ve got some depth and we’ve got some talent,” Livingston said. “If you don’t win the meet, you want to be in the hunt to win it.”