WACO, Texas — The Big 12 outdoor track and field championships are set for this weekend on May 9th and ends on the 11th and our very own Baylor Bears will be the host.
This is the first time since 2018 the championship events will be in Waco. With the bears staying in the neighborhood, it brings an extra excitement for the team.
"My family gets to come — waco always brings fans every home meet. We've had a good number of fans show up. The stands are always packed," said senior player, Alexis Brown.
"That's fun to know people come to meets here — so that's exciting."
"The beauty is that I get to do what I want anytime, I feel like," Nathaniel Ezekiel said.
"I get to wake up in my own bed, get to get my own food. We don't have to like travel, you know, the old travel stress and just like coming to practice to compete — so it feels different and it feels good."
Baylor getting to host isn't just great for the community, but it also gives the competitors a new experience.
"I'm so excited — this is my first ever outdoor conference meet since I've been in college," Brown said.
"I'm excited we get to be at home. Injuries have always stopped me from competing outdoors, so it's so surreal and exciting."
"It's new for us because it's a new surface that we just got done in September," said head coach, Michael Ford.
"I think that we've done a good job and our facilities, people have done a great job."
Going to the championship meets also elevates the competition and for Baylor at home, the mentality also changes.
"Everything is a can't miss event, but I would say at least for us — the 400 hurdles is a big one," Ford said.
"Nathaniel's been running great all year, so, looking forward to seeing what he can do."
"For this, it's a championship — it's like you're ready to chase something," Ezekiel said.
"It's like, 'Okay, I have to get this, I have to get these points, you know, so it's different," Ezekiel said.
The Big 12 championships are this weekend and the Bears will look to hurdle over to the NCAA championships in June.
