Today was the first meet of the last indoor my collegiate career. Coming off a long cross country season, it's sometimes hard to find the motivation to get right back into the competitive spirit, but the excitement of being around both new and old teammates is usually enough to get everyone on the team energized.

“Win humbly, lose graciously.” That's what graduate assistant coach Gus Schmader told us in the Stokes-Twyman room the night before the race. I really liked that quote, as I felt it really embodies what this team is all about. Through good or bad performances, everybody is always around to congratulate each other or pick each other up. This sort of “feel-good” team atmosphere is something I've always enjoyed about running track at SFU. After the rest of the coaches offered their thoughts on the next day's meet, Father Jonathan St. André, our team chaplain (and a runner himself), led us in a team prayer for a safe and successful day of competition.
    
Red Flash track and field is no stranger to Bucknell University's Gerhard Field House. Since my freshman year, I can't even begin to count how many laps I've ran around that bright orange two-hundred meter track, how many warm-up minutes I've ran around the streets of Lewisburg, or how many teammates I've cheered on from the metal bleachers which line the tight turn leading into the home stretch. The first meet of the year is always unique, though. It's an opportunity to work out the early-season kinks, yes, but it's also a chance for the team to show what countless hours of conditioning, drills, and workouts have yielded. After the first meet, there's always a lot to be excited about.
    
Overall, it was a good day for the Flash in Lewisburg. “First meet of the season, we came out of the blocks in a great 'drive phase,'” said head coach Gordon Thomson. In track lingo, Coach was implying that the team exploded into the season with some great performances. Apparently, there were seventeen “PR's” or personal records, set by Red Flash student-athletes. PR's or not, everyone I saw competing looked great for such an early point in the season. Senior thrower Terry Bookhammer had an awesome day in the weight throw, freshman Evan Falbo (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) had some nice looking vaults for his first collegiate meet, the girls 4x400 meter relay competed really well in the fastest heat of the event, and distance runners Tim Wertner and Chris Fischer (Altoona, Pa./Altoona ) dropped me pretty hard in the 3k, so I can only assume they were running pretty fast.

“I was pretty happy with my 3k, considering it's so early in the season,” Tim told me during the bus ride back. I think this basically sums up feelings for the day. It's the first meet, and things will only get better from here. I'm really pumped to see what I can bring to the table during the next few months, and I know my teammates feel the same. Here's to a great indoor season.

Zachary Burns (Milford, Pa./Delawre Valley)
Burns is a senior on the Saint Francis track and field team and has several academic honors in his time at Saint Francis including SFU acdemic honor roll Northeast Conference academic honor roll honors as a English/Secondary Education major.