A handful of Idaho track and field athletes will travel to Bozeman next week to compete in the Big Sky Indoor Championships.
For senior sprinter Ben Ayesu-Attah, the journey to reach this event has been anything but easy.
Last season, Ayesu-Attah was sidelined with Achilles tendinitis, a common injury for runners who increase the intensity of their runs.
“It hindered my performance and what I was able to do last year,” Ayesu-Attah said. “Since then, I wanted to be able to focus on being good for the whole season so I can compete better every time I race.”
Idaho track and field head coach Tim Cawley said he has not seen any negative impact from the injury since Ayesu-Attah returned to the team.
“He’s been pretty motivated for the most part since returning,” Cawley said. “When you take a year off, it makes you miss it and want it more.”
Ayesu-Attah has already had a significant indoor season. His times in the 200m (21.90) and 400m (47.82) races at the Vandal Indoor Invitational were just the beginning of a noteworthy season. He was one of the first four Vandal athletes to qualify for the conference championships.
In Ayesu-Attah’s most recent meet at the Husky Classic in Seattle, the senior finished sixth in the 200m dash and earned third in the 400m with a time of 47.76 seconds.
The sprinter’s best performance this season came during the Husky Invite, when he won the 400m and and set a personal best of 47.22 seconds.
Idaho coach Tim Cawley said Ayesu-Attah’s performance this season has been incredible.
“He’s very confident, works hard and bought into what (assistant sprints) coach Cathleen (Cawley) is doing and we’ve seen the result,” Cawley said.
Cawley also said Ayesu-Attah’s times at the Husky Classic showcase the difference between indoor and outdoor racing in the 400m.
“It’s easier to run the 400 outdoors than indoors,” Cawley said. “You run the same lane outdoors while indoors you’re running your lane for half the race and then there’s a break in the second half.”
Cawley said that the sprinter had a slower time than usual because of the fact that Ayesu-Attah was racing indoors.
“This past weekend, we were primed he would run a faster time,” Cawley said. “But when the break came in, another guy slipped under and he was boxed behind two guys. He couldn’t get around them and that’s not going to happen outdoors.”
Ayesu-Attah said his main goal in preparing for the conference championships is to remain healthy.
“Taking care of your body is the most important thing at this point of the season,” Ayesu-Attah said. “I’ve been practicing hard and eating healthy, so I want to be 100 percent ready at conference and be mentally prepared on getting better for my races.”
Ayesu-Attah said he wants to go out with a bang in his final season for the Vandals.
“I want to try and prove that I can win conference this year,” Ayesu-Attah said. “I focus more on my starts and maintaining my form throughout the race.”
The sprinter has been a member of the team since his freshman year, when Idaho was part of the Western Athletic Conference. Ayesu-Attah said his favorite moment came during his freshman season, when the Vandals won the conference title in both indoor and outdoor.
“We came out there and won by three points indoor and we dominated outdoor,” Ayesu-Attah said. “It was definitely one of my favorite moments and an overall great year for the team.”
The senior said there were some noticeable differences between the Big Sky Conference and the Western Athletic Conference.
“It’s my first year in the Big Sky, but the competition is tough,” Ayesu-Attah said. “We’re more cohesive and supportive as a group. We’re going to bring it in the Big Sky championship.”
Cawley said opponents will be watching Ayesu-Attah because the sprinter is ranked No. 1 in the conference for his events.
“He can’t rest on the number one position because those guys are coming after him,” Cawley said. “They usually run pretty solid when it comes to Big Sky runners. There’s a lot of good coaches and athletes, so for him to win the conference will be great.”
Cawley said that he will measure Ayesu-Attah’s success at the Big Sky championships by the effort from the senior.
“For Ben to go out and run some solid races, hopefully win some races will be successful,” Cawley said. “But success isn’t necessarily wrapped up in the outcome as much as him racing and seeing him put out everything out on the line.”
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TheLTFiles
(Photo courtesy of Spencer Farrin)