Greatest Expectations for UK Women Come from Within
Edrick Floréal remembers this time two years ago like it was yesterday.
The Kentucky women’s track and field team carried a No. 1 ranking coming into the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as well as the bullseye that came with it. Unable to cope with the pressure, the Wildcats finished 11th, well below expectations.
A couple years later, UK is ranked fourth at the same stage. It’s a welcome change for Floréal and the Cats.
“We’re not ranked number one and that’s like, ‘Hallelujah and amen,’ ” Floréal said.
The rankings might not suggest it, but Floréal feels even better about the talent and makeup of his team as he takes his team west to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, for the 2018 championship meet. And in spite of not being labeled the team favorite, there’s still plenty of pressure.
“I think we’re a little bit better of a team as far as experience and savvy,” Floréal said. “When people expect you to score 20 points, that kind of stings a little bit and that makes it really tough. When your coach is asking you to do things perfectly and he won’t take anything less than perfect, that makes it difficult. But that’s the business we’re in. When you’re dealing with young people with a lot of pressure, trying to do something that’s never been done before, that’s what you get.”
What Floréal and the Cats want to do is win the national championship, which would of course be a first in program history. And make no mistake: They have every reason to believe they can do it at a meet that starts Wednesday and lasts through Saturday.
“The expectations are not based on what other people think about us,” Floréal said. “The expectations are based on what we think about ourselves and what we know we can do as a team.”
Sydney McLaughlin is no stranger to expectations.
In addition to running on UK’s 4x400m relay team, the phenomenal freshman will be the heavy favorite in the 400m hurdles, having already set the collegiate record in the event in winning gold at SEC Outdoor Championships in May. She also has experience at Hayward Field, where she qualified for the Rio Olympics nearly two years ago in the 400m hurdles.
“I’ve run on that track a few times,” McLaughlin said. “Great track, great atmosphere. Lots of people in the stands. Just a great place to run. I think NCAA nationals will be a great one to add to the list. I’m just excited to be back there.”
This weekend, in all likelihood, will be McLaughlin’s last as a collegian. She wants to make it count.
“Being able to have a track team that has the potential to win a national title, it’s really exciting for us, especially knowing our girls have worked so hard,” McLaughlin said. “Not everyone we needed to make it made it, but just knowing that we’re going to do our best to represent our school. We have each other’s backs regardless what happens.”
UK might have missed on a couple qualifiers, but the Cats will still have 13 entries. Among them is junior Olivia Gruver, who will defend the pole vault national championship she won at outdoors a year ago.
“It doesn’t change anything for me,” Gruver said. “I’m still going to go in there like I’m on the bottom and trying to be on the top. It’s great to go in there knowing I can go back on top and defend my title again.”
Gruver feels as good about her team as she does herself.
“I feel really confident about this year,” Gruver said. “I think if we can all stay focused on our individual events and stay calm, it’ll be a really good championship for us.”
In the final days before the first athletes step into the starting blocks, Floréal is making some final tweaks with exactly that in mind. The Wildcats have done the work physically. Now it’s about making sure they’re prepared mentally to deal with everything about to come their way.
“I feel good about the potential and the talent,” Floréal said. “I feel good about the training. I just think we gotta take a deep breath and kind of get ourselves together and just embrace the challenge as opposed to seeing at as pressure or a burden.”
