2008 Woodie Awards
Nerves, inexperience keep Bell out of race final
Amy Azzi
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
As the lone representative of the Warhawk women's track and field team, freshman sprinter Brooke Bell competed in the 55-meter dash in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships at Ohio Northern University on Friday. However, she did not advance to the finals in her lone event.
"I was really nervous, and my nerves got to me," Bell said. "This was my first experience at nationals."
Bell ran in the first heat and finished 13th in the preliminaries with a time of 7.31 seconds, but it wasn't enough to qualify for the finals. Ebony Barnes of New Jersey City University was the fastest in the 55-meter dash, with a time of 7.21 seconds .
Despite not making the finals, Bell has had an incredible season. She holds three season records, including her time of 7.21 seconds in the 55-meter dash. Bell also holds the team's season-best time in the 200 meter dash, having finished the event in 25.43 seconds on March 1 at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. Bell also qualified for the national meet in her first season at UW-Whitewater.
Bell said her first trip to the national competition will help her in upcoming meets.
"It will prepare me for future competition," Bell said. "Next time I will be able to prepare myself mentally and physically."
Bell's indoor season is over, but she still has the outdoor season to look forward to this spring. The spring season starts in Memphis, Tenn., at the Spring Break Meet at Rhodes College on March 29.
"My goal for the outdoor season is to stay motivated, to accomplish more than what I have done in the indoor season and [to] work on things that need to be worked on," Bell said. "I want to perfect myself in areas that I know I can excel in."
Although Bell didn't win at nationals, she remains optimistic.
"I didn't make it to finals," Bell said. "But to me, being a freshman and going to nationals is a big accomplishment. It was a fun experience."
"I was really nervous, and my nerves got to me," Bell said. "This was my first experience at nationals."
Bell ran in the first heat and finished 13th in the preliminaries with a time of 7.31 seconds, but it wasn't enough to qualify for the finals. Ebony Barnes of New Jersey City University was the fastest in the 55-meter dash, with a time of 7.21 seconds .
Despite not making the finals, Bell has had an incredible season. She holds three season records, including her time of 7.21 seconds in the 55-meter dash. Bell also holds the team's season-best time in the 200 meter dash, having finished the event in 25.43 seconds on March 1 at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. Bell also qualified for the national meet in her first season at UW-Whitewater.
Bell said her first trip to the national competition will help her in upcoming meets.
"It will prepare me for future competition," Bell said. "Next time I will be able to prepare myself mentally and physically."
Bell's indoor season is over, but she still has the outdoor season to look forward to this spring. The spring season starts in Memphis, Tenn., at the Spring Break Meet at Rhodes College on March 29.
"My goal for the outdoor season is to stay motivated, to accomplish more than what I have done in the indoor season and [to] work on things that need to be worked on," Bell said. "I want to perfect myself in areas that I know I can excel in."
Although Bell didn't win at nationals, she remains optimistic.
"I didn't make it to finals," Bell said. "But to me, being a freshman and going to nationals is a big accomplishment. It was a fun experience."
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