While campus activity typically slows in January, St. Olaf’s indoor men’s and women’s track and field teams remained in full swing, competing in meets throughout the month.
Unlike outdoor competitions, indoor meets are held inside a gymnasium, creating a more condensed atmosphere for athletes and spectators. At St. Olaf, all home events take place in Tostrud Center, where runners, jumpers and throwers compete within a single shared space.
“You’re all in one space, so it’s nice to be all together for indoor [events],” Isabel Wyatt ’26 said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
Wyatt has been involved with the team in all four years during her time at St. Olaf, and she has been involved with the sport since fourth grade. During this indoor season, Wyatt participated in the 600-meter, 800-meter, 1,000-meter, and the 4×400-meter relay events.
To prepare for the events in the season, the teams train for five days a week during January. Typically, during the fall outdoor season, the teams work on long-distance training. Cross country season ends in November, which transitions to workouts focused on lifting and running.
“In January, we do a lot of our bigger workouts. We have one to two big workouts a week, depending on if we’re racing or not… with lifting heavy and stretching,” Wyatt said.
Additional preparation for the demand includes personal efforts to maintain shape.
When asked about her personal routine treatment, Izzi Jaeckle ’28 said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger, that takes it seriously.
“[I am] super intentional about any rehab I can do, like recovery, nutrition, sleep, and hydration. I think that can give me a competitive advantage,” Jaeckle said.
Jaeckle participates in the 200-meter, 400-meter, and occasionally the 1,600-meter during the indoor season. This is her second year on the team, and she has participated in the sport since high school. Jaeckle included that her plan for the month also included lifting, cross training, and whatever else she can do to stay in shape.
“I definitely trained super hard, and was super intentional about my practices and the little things I can do,” Jaeckle said.
All the preparation leads the teams to the meets. St. Olaf hosted two meets over the course of the month. Home meets provide an opportunity to showcase skills surrounded by community. Jaeckle set a program record in the 200-meter dash, then broke her own record the following meet.
“Both of these were from a home meet, and I had a lot of teammates cheering me on,” Jaeckle said. “… my family was there too, so it was definitely a super supportive environment; I was super happy to go out there.”
Wyatt ran the fastest MIAC 1,000-meter run this season, and set the overall MIAC 1,000-meter run record in the 2024-25 academic year. Honing into the end of the season, Wyatt reflected on how she wants to live out the season.
“I’m just trying to enjoy every moment and be really present with myself and my teammates in practice, and just be[ing] grateful for every moment,” Wyatt said. “Just staying focused and appreciating every opportunity that I get to race.”
The team culture is what brings this sport together.
“My favorite part is the team atmosphere. I’ve found my best friends. The bond you create with your teammates is so much more,” Wyatt said.
Jaeckle similarly stated her feelings toward the community that track holds. Jaeckle highlighted team efforts with a shoutout to her teammates in the 4×200-meter event: Claire Stein ’29, Evangeline Sappington ’29, and Eleanor Semple ’29 — who also broke a school record in the event.
“It’s an individual sport,” Jaeckle said. “But you really can’t do [it] without your teammates.”
