TRACK : Eaton looks to cap record season with indoor national championship this weekend
Jarret Eaton has yet to finish anywhere other than first place this season. He and his coaches would love that trend to continue this weekend.
‘He’s going to do a great job for us,’ head coach Chris Fox said. ‘As long as he makes the final, it’ll be semi-satisfactory for everyone. He’s represented us so well all year, and he’s put Syracuse indoor track on the map.’
Eaton will look to continue his winning streak at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Boise State in Nampa, Idaho, Friday and Saturday. He has consistently been the nation’s best in the 60-meter hurdles this season, winning each of his five meets and two Big East Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. His 7.49 time at the Penn State Invitational in late January ranks first in the nation this year, second in collegiate history and fifth worldwide this season.
Even with the success he has enjoyed, Eaton doesn’t get too carried away with his past results.
‘I’m confident. On a scale of one to 10, I’m at nine and a half,’ the graduate student said. ‘I don’t want to be overconfident and say that I’ll win, but I know if I run a fast race and everything is clicking, I should have no troubles.’
Fox said Eaton’s mindset and demeanor have remained constant. They said he stays composed, never feeling overly excited or nervous about what lies ahead.
Fox said Eaton’s past experiences at the national championships help maintain his steadiness because he already knows what to expect. Eaton is returning to the national meet for the third time, after competing in 2009 and 2010.
‘It’s made me more determined,’ Eaton said. ‘I’ve been there twice, and I’ve come in last or second-to-last twice (sic), so I think that getting kicked in the mouth a little bit made me more hungry. I know what it feels like to lose, and now I want to know what it feels like to win.’
To prepare his body for this weekend, Eaton’s practices have been slightly less intense than usual to keep his body in the best condition for the meet. But he’s still running sprints and undergoing treatment to stay healthy.
Eaton will face heavy opposition at Jackson’s Indoor Track on Friday. Fox mentioned Illinois senior Andrew Riley as Eaton’s biggest threat.
Riley will try to become the third athlete in the 14-year history of the 60-meter hurdles to repeat as national champion, placing first last year with a time of 7.58.Like Eaton, he has placed first in every 60-meter hurdle he has competed in this year. Riley set the Fighting Illini school record at the Tyson Invitational in February with a 7.53, which is second-best in the country to Eaton’s 7.49.
Eaton said he isn’t worried about any particular opponent, but he recognized he’ll need to be on his A-game to come out on top.
‘I can’t give you a definitive time,’ Eaton said. ‘But I do know that I want to have the fastest time at the meet.’
Fox said an approximate time of 7.60 should put Eaton in a good position to win. The head coach said the hurdler won’t have to run his best time, but he needs a very good one.
And regardless of where Eaton places this weekend, his coaches are thrilled with the season he’s had, and they know he will represent Syracuse well on a national scale.
‘What he’s done to this point makes him an accomplished guy,’ said assistant coach Dave Hegland. ‘We’re very proud of him, and we’re really lucky to have him. If you have the talent that he does and you’ve had to work as hard as he has, good things happen.’
To cap off a season in which he has broken his own school record twice, a win on Saturday will be his most notable mark on Syracuse’s record books. Eaton has the chance to become the Orange’s first individual athlete to win a national championship in an indoor track and field event.
And Fox has already decided where he thinks Eaton would stand in Syracuse history.
‘If he happens to pull this off this weekend,’ Fox said, ‘I would call him the best track and field athlete ever at Syracuse.’
