There was no rest over spring break for the Colorado College track and field teams, especially for senior Rabbit Barnes ‘26 and sophomore Oliver Smeal ‘28, who set historic marks in their respective events over the break.
On March 14, Barnes made history when he finished second in the nation at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. Barnes finished with a time of 4:14.39 in the men’s mile, earning him first-team All-America honors, second overall in the country, as well as the second-best finish for a male athlete in Colorado College history in an individual sport.
“First of all, I’m feeling so much gratitude for the people and support systems that got me here; my coaches, friends, and especially my teammates,” Barnes said in an interview with CC Tigers Athletics.
He also spoke on the upcoming season and the goals he has set. “It is hard to be upset with a runner-up finish, especially given my inexperience on the indoor oval,” he mentioned in the same interview. “But of course, my appetite for D3 gold is yet to be satiated; I will be carrying the lessons and gratitude from today forward with me into my final outdoor season.”
The next weekend saw history made again, this time at the Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Meet, when Oliver Smeal ‘28 broke the school record in the javelin. Competing in Pueblo, in a field that included several Division I athletes, Smeal not only set the school record with a throw of 209′ 7″, but also won the meet outright.
Winning the meet was not the only prize for the throw, which bested the previous school record by almost 28 feet, as it is also currently the best throw in all of Division III.
“The meet overall was awesome,” Smeal said. “I came into it knowing I had the ability to extend the record, but honestly, I was not expecting to have opened the season so well. With a new throws coaching staff, we’ve really been pushing for 60 meters, which brings me within range of a national qualification. However, leaving the meet yesterday with a high ranking in division 3 was surreal.”
Smeal also highlighted goals that he, as an individual, has for the rest of the season, as well as the track & field team camaraderie and high hopes.
“For the rest of the season, I’m looking to improve on this weekend’s performance and push higher in the 60-meter range while also pushing on the track in my individual events and relays. We have a really great group this year, and I’m very excited to see what’s to come.”
As the season begins to quickly ramp up, the Tigers will travel to St. Louis, Mo., this weekend for the Distance Carnival Meet at Washington University to compete against some of the best competition across the country. They will use that meet as momentum as they look towards the Southern Collegiate Athletic Championships (SCAC) in late April, which will be held in Abilene, Texas.