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Winston-Salem, N.C.----The Wingate University track and field teams will look to bring home hardware from the South Atlantic Conference indoor championship meet Saturday and Sunday at the JDL Fast Track. The Bulldogs have waited patiently for this weekend, as the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad athletes last competed in the SAC indoor championships 726 days ago when the men finished second and the women placed fifth at the 2020 SAC indoor meet.
 
Questions & Answers with…
Graduate student Thomas Nulty (hurdles, Raleigh, N.C.)
 
Q-How are you reacting to the two-year gap between SAC indoor meets?
 
A-It is hard to believe that it has been two years since our last SAC indoor championship meet. Only a handful of us are still in the program from the last time we had a conference meet, but weirdly enough, it doesn't feel like we skipped a whole year. I remember the last time we had an indoor season was literally the week before the whole world was shut down due to Covid-19.
 
Even with this long gap between championships, nothing much changed our mindsets. Competing for Wingate is always a pleasure for myself and everyone on this team and I know many of us are eager to represent Wingate Bulldogs this weekend. With Covid-19 being in play the past two years, there have been many obstacles to overcome, but nothing discourages us and our goals. The countless hours and adjustments being made to accommodate how life is today compared to two years ago has only made us better as a team and stronger individually.
 
I know I am very excited to finish my last indoor season where it started for me, at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem. I remember my first time running track & field as a junior in high school and never imagined where it could have taken me. Now ending my indoor collegiate career where it first started makes my journey a great full circle moment for me. The competitive spirit for everyone who is competing is going to show and show loudly knowing that all of the hard work that was put in this season can show this weekend in Winston-Salem.
 
Q-What are motivating factors for you and your teammates? (Talk about your hard work since the 2021 indoor season, etc.)
 
A-Finishing second in our 2021 SAC outdoor championship meet…I think really put a bad taste in many of our mouths. I believe after that, many of the returners took it a little personal and worked even harder through this past summer and winter season in the weight room with our strength staff, at practice with our event coaches and even recovery-wise with our athletic trainers.
 
Our men's and women's XC teams really demonstrated this mindset throughout their season in the fall, with both squads winning conference and placing the highest-ever as a team at the national meet. The track & field team has witnessed what it really takes to be great watching the men's and women's XC teams navigate their historic seasons.
 
This whole offseason has not been the most traditional for us, with our new facility being under construction the majority of the year, but that did not slow us up too much. We want to carry the success XC started into this SAC indoor championship meet and throughout outdoor season. I am proud to say this is one of our mantras moving forward.
 
Q-Who are some teammates you are looking forward to seeing compete this weekend?
 
A-Some men's teammates I am looking forward to watching and supporting this weekend are Tanaka Nzombe in the high jump, Chase Franklin in the 60 meter hurdles/400 meters/4x400 relay, Tom Kalliske in the shot put and Jan Bayona in the mile/3000 meters.
 
On the women's side, I am looking forward to watching and supporting Abby Heath in the 400 meters/4x400 relay, Valerie Daehler in the long jump/triple jump/high jump, Carly Pratt shot put/weight throw and Mollie Scott in the 3000/5000 meters.
 
All of these individuals have put in the hard work prior to the meet and are in great positions within their own disciplines to move up during this weekend's competition to help the team's overall performance. They all have a very bright future in this sport and at Wingate. I can see them down the road upholding and representing the values and mentality that Coach Matt van Lierop has and wants for this program.
 
Coach Matt has been working very hard to slowly mold and shape this program into another winning team on this campus to add onto Wingate's rich tradition of success…I believe we are one step closer to achieving this dream every time we compete. Coach Matt has brought everyone on this team together for a purpose and believes in what our capabilities are or can be. I am excited to see how these young student-athletes develop during their time at Wingate and all the success they will bring.
 
Q-What are you expecting in your event(s)?
 
A-This weekend, I am going to be running the 60 meter hurdles. I am looking forward to getting a personal best in this event and hopefully bring some additional points for the men's team. With getting DQ'd (disqualified) in the 110 meter hurdles last SAC outdoor (meet), I have a chip on my shoulder to give it all I have.
 
As I mentioned earlier, this can potentially be my last indoor competition as a Wingate Bulldog and I want to leave it all on the track. If I am called up to run in a relay, I will be ready to step up and do what I have to do to keep my teammates in contention within the race. For me, I am excited and eagerly waiting for this weekend to come so I can make up for the last outdoor championship and carry that momentum into this year's outdoor season!
 
Questions & Answers with…
Senior Ashleigh Thomson (distance, Concord, N.C.)
 
Q-How are you reacting to the two-year gap between SAC indoor meets?
 
This indoor season is just like any other season, including last year without indoor conference. Our coaches really stress, that while indoor conference is important and exciting, we are an outdoor team. We train for outdoor season. We don't want to peak for indoor conference because then outdoor would be affected…outdoors is the ultimate goal. For example, on the distance side, we won't go down too much in mileage in order to rest for indoor conference, but we will for outdoor, because we don't want to mess with our training block.

Q-What are motivating factors for you and your teammates? (Talk about your hard work since the 2021 indoor season, etc.)
 
A-Our team has been working hard all year. Our distance side gets two breaks a year for around 10 days each break, after outdoor track and after cross country. And our other event groups work really hard during their off-season to prepare for their two seasons. This year, the team atmosphere of cheering and getting excited for every event group is evident and is extremely important going into championship meets.

Q-Is there anyone who you would like to give a shout-out?
 
A-I'd like to give a shout-out all the coaches. All the coaches except Coach Matt are still relatively new to coaching and have done a tremendous job in every aspect of their roles and Coach Matt is doing a great job at continuing to help shape these coaches and his athletes for the betterment of the Wingate track and field and cross country programs.

Q-What are you expecting in your event(s)?

A-In my events (the 3000 and the 5000 meters), I'm honestly just expecting to improve my times, not be negative and just be more positive for my teammates. I've been having a really tough season, where I'm not running what I should be running and I know I am more capable than what I've been running, but I just haven't put it all together mentally.
 
I've been talking with Coach Pol (Domenech) and Coach Matt at getting better with this because racing is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental, so one can be physically super fit, but if they're not mentally fit as well, then the racing won't go as planned.
 
This meet is important, but (is) also setting the tone for more goals and what we want from ourselves for outdoor. We set goals for the track season and after indoor conference is a good checking point to re-assess these goals before going into outdoor, which is why we train so hard.
 
Wingate women's indoor track and field
Student-athletes seeded in their event's top 3
 
Mile
2nd - Meg Rapley - 4:54.29
3rd - Anna Torras - 4:58.29
 
Shot Put
1st - Danielle Crawford - 13.30 meters
3rd - Carly Platt - 12.20 meters
 
Triple Jump
2nd - Ennessey Sorrells - 11.28 meters
3rd - Valerie Daehler - 10.99 meters
 
3000 meters
2nd - Gemma Rebollo - 9:43.52
 
5000 meters
2nd - Gemma Rebollo – 16:42.09
 
Wingate men's indoor track and field
Student-athletes seeded in their event's top 3
 
Mile
1st - Jakob Rettschlag - 4:07.40
 
High Jump
3rd - Tanaka Nzombe 1.95m
 
Shot Put
3rd - Tom Kalliske - 14.87m
 
Triple Jump
2nd - Darius Weathers 14.54
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.