Track team hosting UCA Open this weekend

The UCA track and field team has been constantly running and training to prepare for the UCA Open this weekend.
The meet begins at 10 a.m. at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex. After this past weekend at Ole Miss, track and field coach Richard Martin said the goal for the team is essentially to do great at the conference meet in May.
Martin said he has been mixing up the kinds of practices the team does to prepare for the UCA Open.
“We’ve been doing some interval work,” Martin said. “We might run 200s, 300s, 400s, 500s or 600s at one practice.”
Martin said that he his expecting the team to succeed at the UCA Open.
“I’m expecting them to do pretty good in all of the events,” Martin said. “This is the first year I can say that.”
Assistant coach, Beau Theriot said in the track season, the team wants to do well at every meet, but the main focus is the championship.
“We’re going to compete against Division I, Division II and Division III schools at the [UCA Open],” Theriot said.
Theriot said there will be quite a few teams from in state, such as the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. There will also be teams from Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma.
Martin said that all of the relay teams are expected to perform well at the UCA Open.
“Our 400 meter dash, 4×100 and 4×4 relay teams should do well,” Martin said.
This is the first and only meet at UCA of the season. After the UCA Open, the track and field team will have only two meets until the conference meet.
Theriot also said that he is expecting the relay teams to succeed at the home meet.
“Right now, we’re expecting the 4×400 meter relay team to do really well,” Theriot said.  Theriot said senior Sage Raphael is one of the top runners in the nation. Raphael is a sprinter from Tampa, Fla.
Theriot said he wants to encourage anyone that is interested, to come out to the meet on Saturday. For more information about the track and field team or schedule, visit ucasports.com.