UVU senior aims for another trip to nationals

In his final season at UVU, Trac Norris wants to return to nationals and bring a few teammates along.

UVU distance runner Trac Norris has had an impressive start to his final season with the UVU cross country and track and field teams. At the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, Norris won the individual WAC title in three events (800m, mile, 3000m) and was named the WAC men’s outstanding track performer. Despite all of the success Norris had personally at the WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, the UVU men’s team fell just short of capturing a second consecutive indoor WAC title.

The senior from Panguitch also finished ninth at the WAC cross country championships and helped the UVU men’s cross country team win its third consecutive title.

Even with all the success that Norris has seen during the 2015-16 season, he has his sights set on the ultimate goal for the outdoor track season: a return to the NCAA Nationals.

“I’ve set several goals this season to try and get a qualifying time to make it back to nationals again this year and hopefully walk away as an All-American,” Norris said.

During his junior season, Norris qualified for the NCAA Nationals in the 3000m steeplechase and got to run at the legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Norris finished his junior season ranked 22nd in the country and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors.

“Competing at Nationals had been a dream of mine ever since I started running,” Norris said. “It was awesome to run at such a legendary track against the best runners in the nation.”

Norris and the UVU men’s track and field team are also looking to win their second straight WAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship. In 2015, the UVU men won the title by 53.50 points over Grand Canyon. Norris doesn’t feel any pressure to repeat but more of a hunger to win after UVU placed second at the Indoor Championships.

“It’s not so much that we have pressure to win the outdoor championship,” Norris said. “But we are more confident and even hungrier to win now that we were beaten in indoor.”

Returning to nationals and being named a first team All-American are personal goals that Norris has set for himself. But he also wants to see his team succeed with him.

“I always love it when my teammates succeed as well as when I succeed,” Norris said. “Many people think track is such an individual sport but you can’t win without great teammates.”

Trac has the mentality of staying healthy for his final season at UVU. He aims to get a qualifying time to return to the NCAA Championships as well as helping his teammates qualify for Nationals..

“I want to prove to my teammates that we can get multiple people to Nationals,” Norris said. “And that we are talented enough as a program to compete with the best of the best. It would be awesome if I could make it back to Nationals and bring a few of my teammates with me.”