One of Azusa Pacific’s successful athletic programs is looking to carry a proud tradition into the NCAA.
“We don’t know what to expect other than difficult competition because everyone else is raising the bar too,” said APU Director of Track and Field Mike Barnett.
The men’s and women’s track and field program won a combined 30 indoor and outdoor national championships in the NAIA. The Cougars left the group as perennial championship contenders and entered a three-year transitional period into Division II.
“We have been planning for three years and sitting down and thinking, ‘What [does] the future look like?’” Barnett said. “At the beginning of each year, we set that bar for the athletes, and each year they’ve reached that bar.”
The three-year transitional period is over and the Cougars are ready to make their mark in the NCAA.
“We can really get ourselves out there and make a statement in the NCAA,” said senior multi-event athlete Megan Van Winkle.
The most difficult aspect of the transition will be finding the depth to continue to compete across the board.
“Our top people are still our top people. They’re still gonna be able to be impactful at the national championships,” said men’s coach Kevin Reid. “But that middle- to lower-range athlete has to realize what it’s gonna take to get to the meet, let alone make an impact at that meet.”
Two Cougars looking to make an impact are senior multi-athletes Van Winkle and Tomek Czerwinski.
Van Winkle redshirted last year so she could compete in the NCAA this year. In 2013, she won an individual NCCAA national title in the heptathlon.
“Having that year off was really awesome. I think it was necessary. It helped me to build up physically and mentally to compete at the next level, and I really wanted that,” Van Winkle said. “I’m expecting personal records and a better mentality.”
Much of this year will be focused on building toward the future. The teams hope to continue historical excellence on the new level, but they also recognize that it will take time.
“There are a lot of people looking at us because of what we did in the NAIA. We all want to go out there and represent the school,” Czerwinski said.
The Cougars know that they aren’t going to be at the same level as they were when they left the NAIA.
“I think we have to hold ourselves accountable. We’re used to winning, and we’re not going to win at that level right away,” Barnett said.
The team is looking toward the future and how this year will affect that, both with recruiting and within the culture of the program. The seniors on the team are looking to leave behind a legacy for the younger members.
“We just want to lead by example. We want to work hard and show how dedicated we are on the track in practice,” Van Winkle said. “We want everyone to see our mindset going into the NCAA and show how passionate we are.”
The coaches feel that the transitional period has gone well, and helped rather than hurt the program.
“Having the NCAA on the logo on the stadium and website is gonna get the athlete that didn’t want to be here because we weren’t NCAA,” Barnett said. “We’re building a program, and it’s not going to take too long now.”
The proud APU tradition of excellence in track and field is transitioning with the Cougars. While the program leaves behind many national championships, with it comes a reputation of success.
“If I’m being honest, they know that Azusa Pacific is also coming, and that’s a cool feeling,” Barnett said. “They realize it’s not going to be much longer for us to get on to the podium and to start competing at that level.”