Mississippi State University track and field team will kick off its 2019 outdoor season this weekend with the Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays. It will be a rare opportunity for the Bulldogs to run in front of a home crowd at the Mike Sanders Track Complex, an opportunity the team is ready for according to head coach Chris Woods.
“It’s gonna be a great atmosphere here. It gives our kids an opportunity to perform in front of a hometown crowd,” Woods said. “I think this is the best weekend to do it when we have so many sports going on. We’re excited to have as much foot traffic as we plan on having here.”
For senior Logan Boss, a high jumper from O’Brien, Florida, it will be her last time to jump in Starkville.
“I’m particularly excited for this weekend, just because this is my last home meet here,” Boss said.
Boss did compete in the 2019 indoor season and redshirted during the 2018 outdoor season, but she is ready to get back into action.
“It’s been a year since I’ve represented Mississippi State and jumped, so I’m excited to get back into it, and start the outdoor season off on a good note,” Boss said.
Marco Arop, a sophomore middle distance runner from Edmonton, Alberta, is more excited for his teammates.
“I’m just super excited to watch my teammates compete at their home field,” Arop said. “It’s gonna be really fun to support them in front of the home crowd.”
The MSU men’s squad will start the year off ranked 12th nationally after a strong indoor season they hope to continue to build.
“The indoor season helped in the development of several of our athletes, like Marco (Arop) and several other of the 800 (meter) guys,” Woods said.
Arop finished second nationally in the outdoor 800m, but Woods made it clear this race alone will not be enough to push the Bulldogs to their team goals.
“To reach our goals nationally, we have to identify a few more events that we can score in, and I think as a coaching staff we have done that,” Arop said. 
With a strong javelin program led by Curtis Thompson and Anderson Peters joining the already successful indoor track athletes, MSU appears to be capable of finishing better than ever.
“Both on the men’s and women’s side, I think nationally, we can finish at a place higher than we’ve ever finished before,” Woods said. “If we can put it all together at the end of the year when it counts the most, I think we can do something extremely special.”
With a team led by Boss and sprinter Alon Lewis, from Lake Worth, Florida, the women are on track to have an impressive season as well. Lewis said her team can thrive outdoors.
“Outdoor (season), I think that’s where we all perform at our best,” Lewis said. 
The excitement about the start of the season is something Curtis Thompson, a senior from Florence, New Jersey, said the team will have to carry with them in order to reach their goals.
“To get to Top 5 nationally—that’s the goal, that’s the mindset we all have,” Thompson said. ”That’s how we’re gonna start it off and carry it to every meet.”
Friday is the beginning for both teams with high aspirations, as they will be competing at North Carolina State University and the University of Texas next weekend.