Johanna Glaaser ’20 and Mackenzie Shoustra ’20 both set school records at the MIAC indoor track & field championships Feb. 21-23. Glaaser finished runner up by .01 seconds in the 400-meter dash earning all conference honors. Schoustra, on the other hand, won the Pentathlon with 3,425 points. They both qualified for the NCAA national championships and will look to individually represent St. Olaf in Boston March 8-9. The Manitou Messenger had the chance to interview the two, reflecting on the MIAC conference meet and understanding their preparations for the transition to the outdoor season this spring.
How did it feel to set school records and perform so well at the conference meet?
JG: Strong performances at the conference meet really speak to the training and coaching we get throughout the season. The team really buys in to all that we do and the positive environment prepares a strong foundation for us to perform at our highest potential.
MS: I am happy with my overall performance and it was really cool to set the record in the pentathlon.
What was it like to break these records in Tostrud, the same building where you’ve praticed all year?
JG: Having other St. Olaf student athletes, friends and family have the ability to come to conference created an unbelievable environment to compete in.
MS: It was nice not having to travel at all, and there were so many people who came out to support.
What are your expectations and goals for nationals?
JG: Qualifying for the national meet has been in the back of our minds all season, and actually doing so puts us both in really strong positions to compete with the top athletes in the country. I think now it comes down to trusting our training, competing and having confidence to see how far we can go at nationals.
MS: I want to have the same mindset I had going into conference, which was focusing on each individual event as it came up. I hope to work on and focus on the technical cues I have for hurdles, high jump, shot put and long jump.
How much different is the indoor track & field season compared to outdoor?
JG: I had a high school coach that always said that “indoor was like nascar,” because the track is smaller and you have to take on more turns.
Running two laps inside instead of one outside definitely requires a different mentality when it comes to racing. Most people drop time when they get to the outdoor season and it’s always nice to be outdoors when it starts getting warmer!
MS: For the multis, the pentathlon indoors turns into the heptathlon outdoors. Aside from that, they are pretty similar. I know I am looking forward to warmer weather and competing outside.
Does your training and preparation change when running and competing outdoors?
JG: Actual workouts don’t change too much, but we actually move locker rooms from Skoglund to Porter. The change of scenery helps mentally shift gears between seasons.
MS: For my events, the 60m hurdles becomes 100m hurdles outdoors, so I will incorporate more hurdles into the drills that I have done for indoors. Additionally, I will be adding the javelin and 200m to the five indoor events. As training for the 200m is incorporated into sprinting workouts, I will be practicing javelin more as outdoor season approaches.
As two-sport athletes, how do you manage playing two sports, schoolwork and being involved in extracurriculars?
JG: I really enjoy doing two sports! Hockey and track are totally different in terms of the team dynamics and I’m very lucky to have such strong support systems with each. In terms of schoolwork, playing sports forces me to have a lot of time-management to get things done. It also helps that a lot of my friends are on sports teams too so we all have similar schedules and routines.
MS: Competing in two sports is hard and demanding, but the passion I have for soccer and track makes it all worth it. Also, I feel like I have definitely learned to manage my time well.
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