Senior sprinter Adam Herrera, right, passes a baton to sophomore sprinter Malachi Barendilla during the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 17 at Maverick Stadium.
As the spring semester vaults into action, UTA track and field gears up for its indoor season this week. The team will begin the season by traveling to the Arkansas Invitational on Friday at the Fowler Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Head coach John Sauerhage will lead the charge once again, having done so since 1996. Last season, Sauerhage conducted the team to eight selections at the 2025 NCAA West Preliminary Round in College Station, Texas. Sauerhage has pushed his teams, serving as a major contributor to player performance and camaraderie.
“The coach plays a huge role in our success; they set the tone for our work ethic, our expectations and making sure that we’re bonding with each other,” senior Krianne McBride said.
In the program’s previous season, UTA put on a solid performance on the first day of the Western Athletic Conference indoor championships. The men’s team finished with several podium winners, and the women’s team followed suit with junior Eliza Lemberga securing a silver medal in the women’s pentathlon and junior Matro Jepkemboi taking a bronze medal in the women’s 5,000-meter.
The Mavericks continued to put their talents on display for the second day of the WAC indoor championships. A few more performances stood out, with four Mavericks from the men’s team taking home a gold medal in their respective events. On the women’s side, sophomore Winnie Kipsang won the gold in the women’s mile by breaking the conference record. She took the gold in the 800-meter as well, with sophomore Emilia Mandl trailing her for silver with her own personal record.
McBride said the sport helps hone the body and the mind and emphasized trusting the process and implementing the coaching.
“It’s helped me become stronger, more disciplined and being more in tune of my body and knowing what’s wrong and know what things I do that work together to help me be my best,” she said. “I’ve been running for 10 years now, and it’s taught me to push through when things get hard; it’s helped me stay focused under pressure.”
“For this season, I really want to build on what I did last year,” McBride said. “Since this is my last indoor season and outdoor season, I just want to perfect the little things.”
Looking ahead, the indoor postseason will take place at the end of February, with the WAC championships being held Feb. 27-28 in Spokane, Washington. The program will close out the season with a national competition March 13-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
@z0.diac_