Spring is in the air, and so is another season for the men and women’s outdoor track and field teams.

After a long, cold winter of indoor competition, the teams are ready to move to the full-size track and prepare to compete again in the America East Conference. This winter has been good for the Catamounts, with multiple athletes making a name for themselves.

Martin Kallur, a senior hurdler and sprinter, recently finished another indoor season, being honored with an America East Elite 18 award, as well as finishing with the most points in the America East Indoor Championships. “I’m really excited for the Outdoor America East Championships,” he said. “The last few championships our team has been steadily on the rise — the men’s team finished fourth indoors this year while the women finished second outdoor last year, which are both the best finishes in many years. ”

Kallur also expressed optimism in the development and growth the team displayed the past few months indoors. “It was great to see many fellow team members take the crucial step up to the next level where we have a solid group of athletes well within reach for conference championship titles and all-conference finishes,” he said. “Keep supporting each other and keep putting in hard work in order to build off the momentum from this and last year’s success,” Kallur said.

On the women’s team, competitors like senior sprinter Sara Roderick help lead the way. A co-captain of the team this season, along with senior Sydney Durand and junior Dana Gaetani, Roderick praised the success of the team that she attributes it to their work ethic.

“Track athletes don’t always get the credit they deserve. For both teams, the perseverance and motivation to be on 100 percent of the time can be really hard,” she said. “However, both the men and women find a great balance and continue to impress me year to year with their work ethic and desire to get better. It’s the little things that make a difference on the big stage.”

In regard to what it would take for the teams to have a chance to win the America East Championship this year, Roderick focused on the ability of the team to develop skills that work. “After having to train in a really individualized setting during the offseason, it was really great to be able to see and hear at meets what was working for the team,” she said.  “Our lifting program was really strong this year and I hope that it carries through to outdoor.”

The track team’s first scheduled meet was cancelled. The team opened their season April 4 at the American International College invitational in Springfield, Massachusetts.  The men’s team took first place while the women’s team took second place, according to UVM athletics. The track team’s next meet is April 11 in Princeton, New Jersey.