With men’s and women’s cross country under wraps, Head Coach George Watts is starting to prepare for the upcoming track and field season.

George Watts

Last year, both the men’s and women’s teams produced conference champions and the teams themselves both finished 4th overall.

“I was pretty pleased with the overall year and certainly the outdoor season,” Coach Watts said.

Katrina Seymour (New Providence, Bahamas) was the first representative of ETSU since 2009 at the NCAA Track and Field Tournament. Seymour placed eighth in the 400M hurdles at the tournament. While it wasn’t a top finish, it was something to be proud of as Buccaneer.

Getting ETSU contenders into the NCAA is a goal that Coach Watts wants to set for both teams now and in the future.

Coach Watts said they have recruited for the women in the areas that were lacking last season. Those areas are mainly in the throwing events and middle distance, 800M and 1500M, races.

Watts and his recruiting team are bringing in six new throwers, five freshman and one transfer.

“I think our women’s team is going to be better than it ever has been since I’ve been here,” Coach Watts said. He’s hoping that this will make a difference for the team at the conference level and how some of these players have the potential to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

The main goal for the women’s team is to improve their team place, as they have the potential to be the best they have been within the conference.

On the men’s side, the team is going to be smaller than last season, but there are talented athletes returning.

Coach Watts also mentioned that there will be at least three football players joining the men’s team which will add to their depth as well.

The schedule has not yet been released, but the track and field teams have already begun their pre-season practice.

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  • Kathryn Norungolo

    Kathryn Norungolo is a freshman pursuing a journalism major and a double minor in Spanish and merchandising. Norungolo hopes to find a career in the media world after graduation. Specifically, she would like to work for a magazine or some other publication that allows her to travel and make use of her studies in merchandising. In choosing a career path, she was inspired by her love of writing, fashion, and a trip to Spain.

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