While it may not be a sentiment echoed by the rest of the student population, at least the Wesleyan track and field team is excited to be back in Middletown. With a solid team showing in Florida and two all-time team records under their belts already, the Cardinals are ready to take on the cold weather and NESCAC competition in order to continue what’s shaping up to be a promising outdoor season.

“The trip to Tampa Bay was a good start to the season,” said Sam Grover ’08. “We got some really outstanding performances considering we were facing solid Division I programs.”

Chief among those outstanding performances were both the men and women’s javelin. Fotini Xenidis ’11 got her throwing career off to quite a start with a team record toss of 143-04 in only the third throw of her first collegiate track and field event. Xenidis’ javelin throw shattered the record, set in 1985, by over 13 feet and was good enough for first place in the Bull Invitational, which hosted seven teams from NCAA divisions one and three.

Mike Moody ’10 also set the team record with his second-place javelin bid at the Bull Invitational. A former freshman sensation himself, Moody’s toss of 188-02 merely picked up where he left off last year.

The rest of the men’s team also submitted some great performances at South Florida. Matt Shea ’08 took first in the steeplechase event, and Tommie Lark ’11 was edged out of first in the long jump by less than inch. Grover and Lark placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the triple jump.

“The men’s distance is always strong,” Grover said. “We have a few really good freshmen, and the women’s medium distance is very good.”

The women’s team put in a strong track showing to compliment Xenidis’ throwing fireworks, as Lynn Edmonds ’11 took second in the 400m and fifth in the 200m. Veterans Steph O’Brien ’08, Tameir Holder ’08, and Kiran Sheffrin ’10 each placed sixth in the 1500m, 100m, and 100m hurdles, respectively.

“We did the work we needed to do on the trip,” Grover. said “During the next couple of weeks those early performances will give us the confidence to compete against the best teams.”

Track and field heads up the road to Trinity College this Saturday for the Trinity Invitational and the first Northeast meet of the season.