Written by Ariel Hochman ||
SUNY Broome announced the addition of track and field on The Buzz and social media on February 17, 2022. SUNY Broome had never had a track and field team in the history of the college until now. The season will begin on March 1, 2022, welcoming any and all eligible students to join the team. Eligibility requirements include a specific amount of current credits being taken, a recent physical exam, and a certain GPA from previous semesters, if applicable.
The coach for track and field will be long-term staff member, Tom Carter. He has coached multiple other sports teams in his history working for SUNY Broome. The rise of COVID-19 became an obstacle for sports in many ways, and Carter has experienced that first-hand with the previous men’s tennis team he coached. Luckily, there are many students currently with a strong interest in joining the track & field team. Multiple student athletes who run with SUNY Broome’s Cross Country team, also coached by Tom Carter, have expressed interest as well.
There are multiple reasons why the addition of this sport is beneficial to the campus and the students. Tom Carter said that “2 big benefits of having a track team are, 1. Having a track team will greatly enhance having a good cross country team and 2. Switching from men’s tennis to track and field will add another sport for women in the program, which helps equalize men’s and women’s sports.”
Carter explained that interim Director of Athletics, Colleen Cashman, has been brainstorming new ideas for athletics and is a “breath of fresh air as far as coming in and trying to liven the campus up.” He said that he is simply the person chosen to do the job and Cashman deserves the credit for making it all happen.
There are currently plans to put turf on the soccer field and build a track around it. Carter says having the team will help fund the new track. He describes the track as a great investment for the school and community.
Carter was proud to name multiple students who he thinks will help lead the new team to success. Eric R., Jakob G., Conner S., Eric D., Claudia C., and Kalia B. were some athletes he mentioned as outstanding and guaranteed team members. Carter says “Our main goal is to get everybody, as many people as we can, qualified for the national meet.”
Tom Carter can be reached via email cartertd@sunybroome.edu for any students interested in joining the team
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