Track and field made strides in the NJCAA Region III Championships

By: Liana Alford

Jr. Web Editor

The Hudson Valley Community College track and field team qualified for the NJCAA Region III Championships for the second year in a row.

“Having qualified that many people after not having a program for 23 years is a big deal [both] for the school [and] for everybody,” Jeffrey York, head coach of the track and field team, said.

The men’s team won first place in the Region III Championships while the women, with a small team of less than seven, placed third overall.

Last year, the men’s team placed seventh and the women’s team placed eleventh overall.

“Our women’s team did well because they were competing against larger teams,” York stated. “We’re going in the right direction and we’re competitive.”

Mercedes Planavsky, a criminal justice major, has been running for Hudson Valley Community College since her freshman year.

Planavsky runs the 10K, 5K, 3 chase steeple, 1500-meter, 800-meter and 4×400 relay. She was also awarded the Region III NJCAA Athlete of the Week.

Planavsky is one of the few women that aided the team to third place. She explained how she prepared for the meet stating “running is very mental” and “it wasn’t too much to train for.”

“Physically is probably the easiest portion,” agreed assistant track and field coach, Jim Bowls. “It’s the mentality: [The] ‘I’m not supposed to be here’ attitude.”

Planavsky described her experience at the starting line:

“You’re at the line and your heart is pounding and then you have cottonmouth. Who’s gonna come out today? Who’s gonna run better? It’s always that who am I running with? I always want to run better, but you show up and it’s that feeling of okay it’s my race now.”

Planavsky is transferring schools next semester. She wasn’t originally planning on going to a Division I or Division II school.

“I’m transferring to UAlbany to run and that was never thought of me,” she said.

After Planavsky did well at the Region III Championships and qualified for nationals, it became more of a reality.

Planavsky also explained how maintaining a positive team environment is important and to not push yourself to the point of injury.

“The team is great and always welcoming,” she stated. “You’re always a team no matter what, “ Planavsky continued. “It’s that family atmosphere when you go to meets, [and] knowing that people are going to be cheering for you is heartwarming, whether you’re first or last.”

According to Bowls, family atmosphere expands further beyond the physical track team.

“It’s not even the athletes or the coaches,” Bowls stated. “There are people outside of the athletes and coaches that are helping the team operate.”

“We have the support of the school,” York stated. “President Ramsammy, he’s huge on this, Louis Coplan and everyone in the athletic department,” he continued. “It’s the support that we’re getting from everyone at the highest level [and] from everybody else in between—that makes a difference.”

Though the current track and field team is small, they have a strong sense of community. With support from the school, the team has been able to not only return to the sports program but succeed as well.

York said, “As long as we can keep getting that support there’s no limit on what we can do.”