Despite some early scheduling problems, Simpson’s men’s track team is eager for the 2012 season with a new track surface.

Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the track team this year. They had a meet and trip scheduled for the first week of classes in January in Orlando, Fla. that had to be postponed due to NCAA violations.

According to the NCAA, students cannot miss that much class when it isn’t technically a competition.

Freshman Tyler Kenny said the news was disappointing, but he had no control over it.

“I’m kind of bummed out, but couldn’t change it, so there wasn’t really a point in getting all worked up about it,” Kenny said.

Kenny still plans on attending the trip and meet when the track teams head to Florida during spring break this year. Some other track participants are now no longer able to make the trip because of conflicting schedules.

Regardless of these scheduling conflicts, the team is still working on competing well and having success early on in the season for good morale.

Sophomore middle distance runner Leif Jepson is hoping to have success with new teammates from other athletics, and is excited about the possible outcome for the upcoming season.

“I think we have a great group of guys coming back, and got some news guys joining the team from other sports,” Jepson said.

Jepson and the team have set their focus on steady improvement and aren’t letting pressure get to them.

“It was a typical week of practice, we are coming into this meet confident and relaxed,” Jepson said. “We know this isn’t the conference tournament, so we are just trying to improve.”

However, the addition of the new track surface to the Simpson campus this past year gives the team a much better facility to train and compete.

“It’s great,” freshman Rob Logsdon said. “The best I’ve ever (run) on.”

The new track and the renovation of Bill Buxton Stadium is exciting for the athletes, and is also a great recruiting tool for future athletes. New runners to the Simpson track team are excited to finally get their first bit of action in the new season.

“I’m a little nervous just because I know I’m not at my peak yet, but with training I know I’ll be able to catch back up,” Logsdon said.

Simpson has high hopes for this upcoming season, and is expecting great performances out of returning runners such as: seniors Ryan Edwardson and Matt Stone, junior Ted Heying and sophomores Cole Reese and Brad Vogel.

These runners hope to guide the newcomers from different sports and freshman alike. Junior multi-events teammate John Cord is also looking to have another successful season after finishing seventh in the triple jump last year at the conference tournament.

The Simpson track and field team next competes at the Dubuque Open on Jan. 28.