From sweeping the Sun Belt Outdoor Conference Championships to ranking inside the top 25 in the nation, the Texas State track and field season has been a success.
The Sun Belt Conference Track and Field Coach of the Year John Frazier believes that the team’s success stems from consistency.
“It’s a lifestyle, no one is perfect but if you are doing the right things most of the time, you are more likely to be successful,” Frazier said. “Getting to bed early, eating right, making good decisions, staying on top of studies and going to the training room, all of these things play into the team’s success.”
With this mentality at the forefront, the Bobcats were able to reach new heights, such as the aforementioned sweeping of the Sun Belt Outdoor Conference Championships. This marked the first time in program history that both the men’s and women’s team won the outdoor championship in the same season.
A Bobcat who made a huge impact this season was multi-sport athlete Drew Donley. In his first season of collegiate track, Donley earned the Sun Belt Men’s Newcomer of the Year honor.
“I went straight from football season to track season, me and all my track teammates worked really hard, it’s not just me, we all pushed each other to be better,” Donley said. “I didn’t really come in with any expectations because I had no idea what to expect, instead I just worked as hard as I could and prayed to God about the season. It has been a blessing and a lot of fun but we aren’t done yet.”
Donley emphasized that winning in a team setting was a little sweeter than just winning a solo event such as the 200m.
“Both men’s and women’s side, everyone had a really good meet [Conference Championships Outdoor] and it was just cool to see everyone doing good at their own event and it coming together as a team,” Donley stated. “Honestly it felt better winning as a team more so than just winning the 200 or the one, it was really cool to see the hard work that the team put in pay off and win as a team.”
Melanie Duron, a shot putter and the only Bobcat to ever win the shot put at the Outdoor Championships in back-to-back seasons, described the team as more of a family rather than peers.
“There are a lot of track teams that are divided but we are really united, and the support that each and every one of us gives one another is amazing,” Duron said. “After seeing the hard work and effort being put in by both the women and men, I had no doubt that we could sweep the Outdoor Championships.”
