As CUC track and field athletes enter the outdoor season, they look to build on their highly successful indoor season where the Cougars broke five indoor records, including a conference record.
“The records are proof we are doing all the right things. Coaches and athletes are communicating at an efficient level,” said track head coach Andrew Chizzo.
Eve Shelton, a senior, set two Concordia indoor records, including an NACC indoor record, with times of 8.59 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles and 9.05 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. Former CUC All-American Simone Wilson had previously set both records for those events in 2019. Shelton’s time in the 60-meter hurdles was also an indoor conference record.
Miguel Sanchez, a Sophomore, broke the 600-meter record with a time of 1:25.91. The 600-meter dash is an event that is mainly run during the indoor season. Sanchez’s record in this event for CUC is nearly four seconds faster than the second-fastest time.
“This is something I had planned and dreamed of accomplishing since my freshman year here at CUC,” Sanchez said.
The CUC 4×400 meter relay team, consisting of sophomore Miguel Sanchez, freshman Jamel Goins, and juniors Vinny Scarnato and Austin Knight, broke the previous record of 3:28.17 that was set just a year ago, with a time of 3:25.72.
“It felt amazing being able to make history,” Sanchez said. “That’s all that truly matters, breaking the 4×400 relay with guys I consider brothers.”
Junior Matthew Cardwell also set a new record in the heptathlon, which combines the 60-meter dash, athe long jump, the shot put, the high jump, the 60-meter hurdles, the pole vault, and the 1000-meter run. Competitors score points for each event based on the marks they hit. Cardwell achieved 3,792 points, which broke the previous record for CUC indoor men, which was 3,688, set in 2012.
The last of the CUC athletes to set a record this indoor season was junior Noor Sammour. Sammour’s high jump cleared 1.53 meters, or just over 5 feet, topping the previous record of 1.51 meters set in 2012. Sammour’s sister, Zahra, is also the current CUC indoor record holder for the women’s long jump, a record she set in 2022. Noor is also the current record holder in the outdoor high jump for Concordia and is second in the triple jump, only trailing her sister Zahra.
The track team coaches and athletes have since turned their attention to the outdoor season. Chizzo hopes to see more records fall, including Eve Shelton in the 100-meter hurdles, the men’s outdoor 4×400 meter relay, women’s 4×800 meter relay, men’s 4×100 meter relay, and Austin Knight in the 200-meter dash.
“Really right now, that’s my main goal,” said Austin Knight on the outdoor 200-meter sprint. Knight currently sits at number four on CUC’s all-time ranking for the event — just .3 seconds off of the school record.
“My primary objective is to break the open 400-meter record, as well as the 4×400-meter relay record,” said Sanchez. Sanchez already holds the open 400-meter record, and is looking to put more distance between himself and number two. The outdoor 4×400-meter relay record was set just last year during the conference championship meet on their way to winning the conference 4×400-meter relay.
The Cougars’ hosted their first outdoor meet on April 9. This was the first meet CUC hosted since before Covid. The Cougars won the meet overall by a wide margin with a great amount of first place finishes and even set a new school 4x100m relay record. The Cougars will be looking to continue their success as the outdoor season continue. Be on the lookout for more and more records to fall as the season continues for the Cougars.
