April 5, 2018
By Alyssa Palfey, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Last year, the men's 4x100-meter relay team set the No.2 all-time school time in that event a total of six times.
This year, the 4x100-meter relay that ran last weekend clenched the No. 3 all-time school time with a time of 39.69 seconds. With members including senior Xavier Smith, junior Anton Porter, freshman Terrance Laird and senior Malik Moffett, the relay improved upon its season opener of 39.77.
The relay is hoping that this No. 3 ranked time will only improve from here. Members of the group say that clean handoffs at exchange zones are the main focus as they continue to prepare to run faster times throughout the season.
"First and foremost, we just have to get the stick around. We have to have clean exchanges. We're all fast enough and we're up and ready to run so I think stick exchanges are a big part," Smith said.
"We have a great chemistry together. We have really fast people on this team, if we just have really clean handoffs I don't see why couldn't be All-American in this event and get the school record," Moffett said.
Good, clean handoffs are a priority for this relay team as they reach to break the school record this season.
"Our goal is to always go out and run the best that we can, so I think every time we are on the track for 4x1 that we're destined to have the school record," Smith said. "We just go out, get the stick around. I know if we get the stick around and get out well then the school record is always in reach."
Sprints, hurdles and relays coach Erin Tucker knows that messy handoffs lead to losing momentum which results in slower times, so he always teaches his relay members to pass the baton in the middle zone.
"You want to get to a point of comfort where you don't even have to say stick because a guy gets in the middle zone and they put their hand back," Tucker said.
Coach Tucker also has the relay members practice every day. He even has them working on handoff drills during their warm up laps.
"We're always doing stick handoffs. We practice giving good exchanges. It's nothing too elaborate or too extreme we just go out and practice our stick handoffs," Tucker said. "It's all about moving the stick. You put people in the best position to be in to move the stick. That's what we work to do in training. That's what we work to do in meets."
Moving the stick is a big part of the 4x100-meter relay, and this is something that takes a lot of practice. This becomes even more difficult when new members are added to the relay. Seniors Moffett and Smith say having new legs in a relay team require some adjusting at first.
"It's a lot different from high school to college, so we're trying to get them to learn the basics of college 4x1. They're freshman and they are used to being the stars of their 4x1, but we have so many good people that we don't really need a stand out person, we just need someone who can get the stick around as fast as they can," Moffett said.
"It's a little bit of a transition because when they come from high school, they're the fastest kids out there so they're used to being anchors. They just want to get the baton and run," Smith said. "Now, you have to work on receiving a handoff and giving a handoff and worry about where your steps are. You have to tell them to stay calm and stay controlled and when they get the stick to just run."
As the group continues to grow and improve they can only expect bigger things and faster times to come.