The track team looks different this season – it’s showing a little more skin than in years past.

Coach Wayne Stacy was busy during the offseason ordering new red uniforms for the team. The men’s uniforms are similar to the black uniforms that track fans are used to seeing.

However, for the women, the red uniforms have significantly changed.

“We are the only team in the conference who look like we’re running in swimsuits,” sophomore sprinter Nina Ward said.

The women who run longer distances and those who throw the shot also got new uniforms, but their new outfits aren’t as noticeably different as the red sprinter’s uniforms.

“The sprinters’ speed suits show off more skin than us long distance runners,” senior 1500-yard runner Emily Fuerstenau said.

The sprinters had to adjust to skimpier uniforms, but some say they’re used to them already.

“The new uniforms made me self-conscience at first,” freshmen sprinter Jen Irvin said. “They definitely attract more attention than our old, black, wrestling singlets do.”

Some sprinters would like to have an entirely different uniform.

“I dislike both of our uniforms,” Ward said. “The black uniforms are bad because they are warm and manly. I would really like to have a two-piece like all the other school’s sprinters have.”

Freshman sprinter Suzi Anderson, Ward and Irvin all agree that the new uniforms don’t distract anybody when it comes to race time.

“Everyone on the team is professional enough to focus on the race and not get distracted by running in swimsuits,” Anderson said.

The sprinters don’t appear to have been slowed down by showing off more skin – Ward, Anderson and Irvin all placed either third or second at the Wartburg Midweek Invitational.

“It doesn’t affect me; it is just a preference thing,” Ward said. “Even though the uniforms are new to us, they are still old-fashioned.”

Fuerstenau said the sprinters should have the option of wearing a uniform they’re comfortable in.

“We get to wear what we want and the sprinters should get to wear what they want too,” Fuerstenau said.