Over Block Break, the Colorado College Track & Field team travelled to the Pacific Northwest, with athletes competing in indoor meets in Spokane and Seattle, Wash. The Tigers set three new school records in the Evergreen state, with seniors Alison Mueller-Hickler ‘26, Abby Goodfried ‘26 and Rabbit Barnes ‘26 all setting historic bests.
On Friday, Alison Mueller-Hickler ‘26 competed in the Husky Indoor Classic, breaking her own indoor 5k school record by more than a minute and a half. Mueller-Hickler, racing in a field of over 30 Division I runners, ultimately finished in 17:05.19, placing 27th overall. The time broke her own record, set in 2023.
While competing against DI runners, Mueller-Hickler entered the race prepared for the challenge ahead.
“I feel like at this point in my collegiate career, I know what to expect out of races within my own division, but competition against teams in other divisions can be different,” she said, “I felt confident and controlled during the race [and] I’m really happy to have had that experience.”
Mueller-Hickler heads into the outdoor season looking to cap a successful running career at CC, after being named an All-American in the fall cross-country season.
Saturday, Feb. 14, saw two more record-breaking races.
Barnes also competed in the Husky Indoor Classic, breaking a 38-year-old school record in the indoor mile. Finishing in a time of 4:04.95, he bested the almost 40-year-old record by almost 18 seconds. But while on paper the race looked perfect, Barnes emphasized that the prerace conditions were far from ideal.
“My pre-race was far from smooth,” Barnes emphasized. “I threw up out the window of the moving van on the way to the meet and again during warm-up. The race itself was a blur… I came through four-fifths of the race on pace for 4:01, but my legs tied up in the last lap. It was a brutal last 300 meters as I slowed down significantly. It felt like how running feels in a dream, but very, very painful.”
Despite race conditions that one would describe as anything but ideal, Barnes shattered the record, speaking to the determination that has emphasized a strong running career so far. Last spring, he was named an All-American, as well as the SCAC men’s track athlete of the year, and he’ll look to use that momentum toward the spring season.
“I can’t wait to put my guts on the line at nationals,” he said. “But what I’m looking forward to the most is the training days and travel meets with my teammates. As much as the sport itself inspires me, it’s the daily process of sharing successes and failures with my closest friends that motivates me to work hard.”
Seattle was not the only place in Washington where a school-record was broken, as Goodfried set a school-record in the indoor mile. Competing in the Whitworth Invitational in Spokane, Washington, the senior, running in her home state, surpassed the previous record by more than six seconds.
Finishing in a time of 5:07.77, she beat a record previously set by her former teammate, Sydney Rankin ‘25, in 2023.
In the fall, Goodfried was named to the All-Region cross-country team and will look to use that momentum, as well as a strong indoor season, especially at this distance, as she looks towards the spring.
“[I’m] excited to focus on the 1500 during outdoor season,” Goodfried said. “As a senior, my number one priority is to focus on supporting my teammates and having a positive team culture.”
As a team, the Tigers will now set their sights on the spring, hoping to break even more records.