Despite controversy last year, FIU runners march on

Aniela Cabrera | Contributing Writer

Last year, FIU runners reported poor conditions and a lack of facilities to train. A year later, here is what’s changed.

The program is returning back to the track with a past year full of multiple wins and school record breakers, and bringing with it new and hopeful members.

The 2023-2024 season concluded with the team earning three All-American Honors in hammer, discus and Javelin.  Michaelle Valentin set the Haitian national record in both hammer and discus, and Christiana Ellina joined Valentin at the NCAA Outdoor National Championship. 

In addition, they set a program record with 10 student athletes qualifying for the NCAA East Region First Round.

Ryan Heberling has been head coach for roughly 11 years and has made it his goal this season to continue moving the “needle of success” forward after back-to-back years of growth. He’s accomplished this by creating an inclusive atmosphere that acknowledges how improvement takes time, especially with student athletes. 

He tries to validate their success and hard work that, supposedly, might get discouraged from the lack of an on campus track as well as the “lack of journalistic coverage from PantherNOW and the Department of Athletics,” Heberling stated in an interview. 

When asked about any changes to the facilities, Ryan stated that there were “updates and renovations to the men and women’s track locker rooms and storage space.” Unlike last year, the team now has their own athletic trainer, George Fernandez.

He made no further comment on the condition of the tubs or water treadmill mentioned in last year’s article.

The program has recruited both in-state and out-of-state athletes this year, with 3 coming from out of the country. Amongst the group of new athletes are freshmen Micah Neese from Arizona and Chrsitiana Rosica, from New Jersey. 

Neese suffered an injury prior to his senior year of high school. The track program offers him a chance to improve through coaching as well as an opportunity to utilize the athletics facilities. He stated that teammates had been using the tubs recently. 

In order to beat the heat, the team has daily morning practices at 5:45 a.m. every day but Saturday, to target their endurance and speed as they prepare for the cross country fall season.  As Rosica starts the year she is excited that the team is “positive and a good group of people,” she feels motivated to get up early and improve with each day. 

Their first meet is set for August 30 at Florida Atlantic University where the team hopes to continue last year’s successful run. 

The program will have to continue traveling to practice locations. This includes the nearby Tamiami Park, running in the surrounding neighborhoods of FIU, and taking vans to Tropical Park for practice. Despite this setback, the team sees this as a “minor” inconvenience that inhibits their performance.

PantherNOW reached out for comment to the Athletics Department regarding improvements to their training facilities. The department did not respond for comment.