The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
With Rio de Janeiro hosting the 2016 Olympic Games this summer, there has been an overwhelming interest in new sports for UWSP students to participate in, with the utmost interest being in race walking.
Last fall, UWSP students polled to choose which new sport they thought should be added to the Pointer varsity athletics roster and race walking passed with flying colors.
Starting in the fall of 2016, race walking will officially be a varsity sport offered to all students at UWSP.
Suzanne Skipper said she is an advocate in race walking, as she competed in the sport for 13 years when she grew up and even won a national title when she was 16.
“My mom and dad were interested in getting me into sports when I was little and race walking was quite popular in my area,” she said. “I participated in various meets across the country and even won the national championships when I was 16.”
Skipper said she thinks of herself as a team leader and will do everything she can to create the most efficient, talented group of race walkers.
“After we hold tryouts and select the athletes to represent UWSP, we will practice everyday—sometimes up to five hours each day—to ensure that we will be the best collegiate team in the country,” Skipper said.
Calvin Walker has been a race walking coach for the last 12 years and was called up to lead the Pointers as head coach.
“I have vast experience leading and coaching different athletes in my 12 years as coach,” he said. “I hope we can garner enough interest in the sport to qualify our athletes for national and even international meets.”
In the long run, Walker said he hopes the Pointers can host the 2016 national championship meet this summer on the UWSP campus.
“The MAC and surrounding areas would be the perfect environments to play host to such a prestigious meet and I hope we can all train hard enough and prove to everyone in the community that the Pointers can earn a national team title in race waking,” Walker said.
Skipper said she has heard a lot of rumblings about how popular the newly offered sport will be.
“I have heard from a lot of my friends and their friends that people are quite eager to be a part of the team,” she said.
Currently, there are almost 300 people signed up on the list for tryouts.
Tryouts for the men’s and women’s varsity race walking teams will take place prior to this semester’s final exams, May 10 to 12, for several hours each tryout time.
While the waiting list for tryouts is lengthy at the moment, Skipper and Walker both encouraged everyone who has even the slightest interest to attend.
“I believe that after a couple of years, race walking will become the most popular and most successful sport at UWSP,” Walker said.
Kylie Bridenhagen
Sports Editor
kbrid305@uwsp.edu
