By Nicholas Gallo, Staff Writer
The St. Bonaventure track team hopes for a running start this spring season. Despite unpredictable weather, the team has been able to train and prepare for its second consecutive track season.
Head coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track teams, Bob MacFarlane, ‘77, is entering his seventh year at the helm.
When MacFarlane began coaching at Bonaventure, there were nine runners in total. This season, the teams have 43 runners.
2017 was the first time the Bonnies officially competed in track since 1990. Despite the weather, MacFarlane trains his runners in numerous ways.
“We prefer running outdoors during the offseason, but if we can’t, we will use the [William and Sandra A.] Richter [Center],” MacFarlane said. “We would replace running outdoors with the treadmill, the elliptical and we do aqua training once a week.”
MacFarlane said spring hasn’t really come yet, and there’s still snow on the ground and on the Olean Intermediate Middle School’s track.
“We have a meet on Saturday this week,” he said, “so I am hoping sometime this week we will be able to practice.”
He said his athletes hate running on the treadmill. They will try to run outside, but the coaching staff needs to monitor the team.
“Our runners have to be flexible because of the weather,” MacFarlane said. “It’s not like an indoor sport where there is a set time for everything. We have to watch the weather … sometimes we would have to move things earlier or later because of the weather, but it is what is, and you have to go with what it is.”
Once cross country season ends, assistant cross country and track coach, Kady Weisner, and MacFarlane have individual meetings with each student-athlete, and they go over strengths and weaknesses from the season.
MacFarlane added he has a couple of freshmen who would be able to run the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Stephanie Barry is entering her sophomore season running the 400 meter, 800 meter and her favorite, the 4×400 meter relay.
Her track season was shortened by a stress fracture. She said she’s thankful for MacFarlane’s flexibility and understanding.
“It was a difficult process to sit on the sidelines for so long,” Barry said. “In addition to my coaches, my team was also very supportive…”
“My goals this season is to get a personal record in my main events and maybe even try one that I’ve never ran before like the 1500 meter,” Barry said. “For our team, I think we are all going to focus on personal improvement and making a greater impact in the A10 conference meet at the end of the season.”
MacFarlane said he loves his athletes and knows that they are working hard in the classroom and on the track.
“To be a student-athlete means studying hard, receiving good grades and performing well,” he said. “I believe my kids have done that and that they are defining what it means to be a student-athlete.”
The track season begins March 24, as the teams head to the California Early Bird Invitational on the campus of California University of Pennsylvania.
