It’s meet number two of the young 2017 outdoor season for the ADM Lady Tiger track and field team today heading to last season’s home away from home at DC-G stadium in Grimes.

The Lady Tigers had a more than solid start to the season at the Earlham Early Bird meet on Monday, and now look to tackle the Fillie Invitational.

Even though it’s just the second meet of the outdoor season, there has been a lot of hard work and dedication that has earned the Lady Tigers success so far this season. Throughout all of that, there have been many different components that have influenced such high levels of competitive dedication and success but for head coach Bart Mueller, one in particular aspect stands out most to him. It involves the great work from seniors past from Brianna Mueller all the way to now college track standout Karina Dufoe and a baton-like exchange of a different sort.

“We’ve been really fortunate, it’s almost like a baton exchange. I’m so happy (seniors like) Brianna got to run with the likes of Sadie (Juergens) and Anna Kenny last year because I think they learned a lot about how to train and how to compete and this year they’ve come back with so much more confidence. They’re taking the baton now and they’re leading the way now in our middle distance and long spring group and then Sydney Bertman and Olivia Anderson, they saw how Karina Dufoe two years ago how committed she was and they saw how Maggi (Bjustrom) would commit and these girls now will continue that,” explained coach Mueller.

Just as much as those past leaders have influenced this year’s squad on a physical note, coach Mueller also went on to note how they went even further to influence the mental side of things as well.

“We talk about not just developing physically but mental toughness and I really feel like our girls have that. Part of that is they’ve got that from the girls previously that have graduated and what they have left behind is that whole culture of being a close team, working together, and training. I feel as coaches we don’t have to do a lot of prodding to keep working, out girls just know what it takes and they know the rewards of getting better. These girls are taking up that baton and continuing that with how we train and compete,” explained coach Mueller.

This year’s edition of Lady Tiger track and field will take all they have gained and converge on the Fillie Invitational toady beginning at 4:45 pm.