The upcoming weekend is a big one for the Syracuse indoor track and field team.

For some it’s an opportunity to showcase their talents on the big stage. For others it’s just another step en route to the spring season. For all of SU’s seniors, though, it will be one of the last times they’ll be running collegiately.

Syracuse will head to Clemson, S.C., for the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship this weekend — and it means something different for each participating senior.

“I truly believe that we, the seniors, are getting hot at the right time,” sprinter Jaquan Holland said. “Right now it’s all about not doing those things you can do to get worse, and just maintaining what you have been doing all season.”

Depending on whether or not certain seniors will use another year of eligibility, Syracuse could have as many as 21 runners leave the team at season’s end.

For those that could leave, it will be their first and last year competing in the ACC championship.

Robert Molke has spent five years running for Syracuse, and is just experiencing all the changes and developments that have happened throughout his time.

“It’s cool to be competing in a new conference, especially being a fifth-year runner,” Molke said. “I’ve gotten to see changes that’s going on, the switch in the conference and everything.”

After years of competing in the Big East Conference, Syracuse opted to join the ACC before this season. However, the different conference doesn’t seem to affect or intimidate the Orange.

Head coach Chris Fox simply described it as “the same thing,” and his runners — including senior hurdler Donald Pollitt — agreed with their coach’s statement.

“There really isn’t much of a disparity (between the two). The only difference is the title, the conference name,” Pollitt said. “Whether it’s the Big East or the ACC, you’re still going to be going up against a few fast people, tough competitors.”

Senior distance runner Molly Malone believes the team is ready for this weekend, and credits the coaching for a recent peak in success.

Malone believes the schedule Fox and his assistants constructed has set them up for success at the conference championship.

“The coaches lay out the program for each season in a way that we will peak at the time that we need to,” Malone said. “The ACC (championship) is a point where we’re going to take a lot of rest which means we’re going to have a lot more fuel in our system to get to the times and places that we need.”

This past weekend at the Cornell Marc Deneault Invitational, seniors Holland, Polland and Michelle Riley were all able to win their competitions. At the Notre Dame Alex Wilson Invitational on Saturday, Malone led the women’s distance medley relay team to a third-place finish.

And in just the past few weeks several seniors, including Malone, Riley, Pollitt, Molke, Reed Kamyszek and Sarah Pagano, all set new personal records in recent competitions.

Fox is pleased with where the team is and has been very impressed with his seniors’ performance so far.

Now the team will look for continued success from the group at a pivotal time.

“Everyone wants to be remembered for something,” Holland said. “At a school like this, I definitely want to be remembered when I leave and go on to the next level of my career.”

Published on February 26, 2014 at 11:33 pm