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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Track & Field | White Breaks Record, Men Climb National Rankings

Junior Joe White broke the school record in the 800-meter, finishing with a time of  1:46.44 last weekend at the Iowa State Classic. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)
Junior Joe White broke the school record in the 800-meter, finishing with a time of 1:46.44 last weekend at the Iowa State Classic. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)

 

Feb. 11, 2017, has been cemented in Georgetown indoor track and field history as junior Joe White obliterated Georgetown’s 800-meter record with a time of 1:46.44, besting the previously held record by nine-tenths of a second. White finished first in the event at the Iowa State Classic, one of the most prestigious indoor track and field meets of the season.

 

“I was pretty excited,” White said. “I turned around pretty quickly to look at the big screen on the back right, and I saw the time pop up and I got really excited. I looked over and saw one of our coaches, and he was happy for me. We celebrated for a bit after and then it was back to business.”

White’s time ranks fourth in the country this season and he admitted that the men’s indoor 800m record was always in his thoughts.
“It was always in the back of my mind,” White said. “Going into all of the 800s that I run. It’s just nice to finally get it down.”
White attributed his success to the guidance of his coaches, including Head Coach Brandon Bonsey, and constant hard work and effort during training sessions.
“Our coach — Coach Bonsey — he’s been giving us harder workouts and everything’s just been culminating workout after workout. Consistency, I think, has been the key,” White said of Head
Coach Brandon Bonsey.
White’s performance, along with those of seniors Jonathan Green and Scott Carpenter, helped the men’s team leap 26 spots in the Division I indoor track and field rankings; the men now rank 25th in the nation.
With the pressure of championship season looming over Georgetown, White explained how he manages to stay focused on himself and perform in big moments such as this weekend.
“Once you just boil it down, you can’t control anybody except for yourself,” White said. “Instead of thinking about what he’s running or what he’s running or what she’s running for girls, we are focusing on ourselves this year. We’ve had the times to compete with everybody, and we know we are just as good so if we can come out on top that’d be pretty good.”
White spoke about how his teammates, specifically Green and Carpenter, inspired him to strive for greatness after witnessing their performances the day before. Green captured fifth place overall in the men’s invitational 5000m race with a time of 13:45.73. Carpenter, continuing his momentum from cross-country, claimed fifth place in the men’s invitational 3000m event with a time of 7:51.51.
“I personally look up to Jon Green,” White said. “He’s just such a resilient guy. He’s a day-in, day-out, extremely hard worker and that’s something everybody can admire. Anybody on the team would say that. He’s a really good guy and it’s so nice to watch him run in the longer distance events because they are so hard mentally. I was really happy.”
With the Big East Championship just a week away, White realizes the importance of practice and praised Green’s attitude toward training and his race mentality.
“His training is nothing amazing, but it’s extremely consistent,” White said. “He’s always showing up to these races and doing what he has to do. I never really get nervous for him when he’s racing because I know that he knows what he is capable of doing and that he is very able to do these things, but watching him do it is still very exciting.”
The Hoyas resume competition when both the men and the women split travel sites at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame and the Penn State Tune-Up this Saturday.
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