The mental and physical grind of college sports takes its toll on athletes, and ASU track and field has struggled with injuries all season.
In part due to this, head coach Greg Kraft is resting some runners who have a history of nagging injuries with only a month left until the Pac-12 tournament. He wants to make sure everyone is healthy for the tournament and have as many athletes as possible compete in the Sun Angel Classic, which is in Tempe on the weekend of April 8.
One of these runners is junior Jenna Maack, who will be going to the Stanford invitational on April 2 as one of the two ASU competitors in the 10,000-meter race. She has been rested throughout the season so when she’s called upon to race, she’s at her best.
“I have a really big potential for injuries," Maack said. "I get shin splits a lot so we kind of delayed my start of the season for a little bit just so I don't get injured later in the season when it matters."
The team is taking these two weeks of practice seriously. Kraft looks at it as the last time to put a lot of “volume work” on the athletes, and redshirt sophomore Maggie Ewen said she has to be prepared for anything.
“It's going to be so important,” Ewen said. "Right away on Monday, got to start treating it like we have a big meet coming up that weekend because there's going to be so many big people there that you have to be ready for anything."
Related links:
ASU track and field men finish third, women place fifth in Big-10 vs. Pac-12 Invitational
ASU track and field begins outdoor season
Reach the reporter at osoussi@asu.edu or follow @omarksoussi on Twitter.
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