MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho track and field splits up this week, with student-athletes headed to four different meets. The first group gets started tonight at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, hosted by San Francisco State.
Andrea Condie will take on the 10k at Stanford on Friday, and another group will take part in the Mondo Challenge at Sacramento State on Saturday, the host of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships First Rounds. Finally, a group will head to Missoula for the Al Manuel Invitational on Saturday.
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The outdoor season is up and running, with the second weekend of competition on the horizon. For one of Idaho's seniors, the most exciting part of this weekend lies in competing in her favorite event.
"Running the 800,"
Kaleala Bass responded quickly when asked about what she's looking forward to in Sacramento. "It's been a few weeks since I got to race in it. So just going out and competing and having fun with it. We'll see what happens."
Last time she ran the 800 was in Bozeman at the Big Sky Indoor Championships. On that day, Bass placed third overall and earned a spot on the podium at a championship event for the first time in her collegiate career. With that experience behind her, she's looking to carry that momentum into outdoors.
"Just the excitement of medaling, and it was a really crazy race at the conference championships. So I'm just feeding off of that energy going into the outdoor season. Just training hard and being ready.
"It's just a lot different, mentally. I don't notice the laps, per se, indoor versus outdoor. In indoor you're always just right next to somebody. I guess you do notice that there are more corners, because you're not supposed to pass on the corners because it takes more energy. But you just kind of get grouped up more. In outdoors, there's still that competitiveness, but you can kind of run your own race. You're not as boxed in as you can get indoors."
With one outdoor meet under her belt, Bass can see the training paying dividends.
"It was fun to go out in Spokane and run the 400 and the 200 with no expectations. It was nice to see that coming along as well."
But it wasn't just Bass taking the meet by storm.
"Everyone is starting out super strong. Everyone who ran in Spokane, they're even faster than where they were at this time last year, or they're starting out with PRs. It's incredible for the very first meet."
What's worked for Bass? Well, that's another quick answer.
"Everything. I know it's a cliché answer, but I know my coach has helped a lot. He knows what he's doing, he has a plan and I follow it."
The plan has Bass scoring again for the Vandals at the outdoor championships, something that she has done in the 800-meters at each of the last four conference championship events. With her success at indoors, Bass now also has her eyes set on another prize.
"I'd really like to qualify for First Rounds. Besides that, get to the 2:08 mark, which is about two seconds faster."
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