“It was a very joyous, exciting day,” says Pria Parker ’25 in reference to their record-breaking run. In the recent indoor track and field season, Parker ran a 5:05.67 mile, breaking a 37-year-old school record previously set by Olympic runner Gwyn Hardesty-Coogan ’87.
Parker wasn’t the only star of the track and field season: among their amazing teammates is first year Kerry Seekamp ’26, who finished second in the pole vault at the Tufts Last Chance National Qualifying meet, with an astounding mark of 3.66m (12 feet). This finish granted her a spot on the All Region Team for Pole Vault.
Going into the meet, Seekamp said that she felt prepared with the sole goal of personal improvement. She felt that staying calm and present in the moment was the key to her success. Parker recalled feeling excited yet unsure what the team was capable of in the indoor season. However, she wanted to take advantage of the situation of “having so many fast people around (her) on a really fast track”.
These results did not come easy to Parker, nor Seekamp. Parker’s biggest challenge of the season was an ongoing battle with achilles tendonitis, which remained in the back of their mind in the short, but constant competition season. As for Seekamp, the first year recounts a tough transition from Sky brand poles, which she used in high school, to UCS Spirits. The two brands are notoriously different, and the switch forced Seekamp to get more precise in her timing, which she feels is evident in the progression of her vaults.
Despite these setbacks, both Parker and Seekamp said that a supportive team and athletics department have been their biggest assets this past season. Though track is largely an individual sport, Parker argued that her teammate’s contributions towards their common goal made all the difference. Similarly, Seekamp shared that her transition to college athletics was made easier by the family she has found here through the Smith Athletics community.
Looking ahead, the Track and Field team is gearing up for the upcoming outdoor season, which began April 1 at Tufts Snowflake Invitational. Parker said they are hoping to accomplish a new 4×800-meter relay school record this spring, while Seekamp said she is striving to keep her focus and momentum to finish what she started in the indoor season.
