Athletes gear up for great race

On Friday and Saturday, Rose-Hulman will host the 2007 Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship. Over four hundred athletes from twenty-eight states will be competing. Students began arriving Wednesday for the event.

Thursday evening, Rose provided a banquet for all participants, coaches, and others affiliated with the championship. The dinner was held in the Hulbert Arena of the Sports and Recreation Center. Men dressed in suits and ties, and women dressed in cocktail dresses enjoyed a dinner of fruit, salad, rolls, pasta, chicken, and other dishes. A stage with two large screens on both sides supplied the evening’s centerpiece. The screens displayed impressive photographs of competing athletes, as well as videos of races. Rose-Hulman’s Track coach Larry Cole gave an inspiring speech to the audience on the temporary stage.

The competition will begin at noon on Friday with the women’s long jump, and will end Saturday at 4:45 P.M. with the men’s 1600 relay. Competitors hold amazing times for their events: the threshold to conquer for men’s 55 meter dash is 6.34 seconds, 55.85 seconds for the women’s 400 meter dash, and 4:47.42 for the women’s mile run. It is a little-known fact that NCAA Division III is the largest of sport divisions, and it also has the most diverse student population. Senior Ryan Schipper, a civil engineer, will be the only student representing Rose-Hulman. A ticket for the meet is five dollars at the door, or free if received prior to the event in Student Affairs.