The 2022-23 Rams Reflect is the eighth in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of Suffolk teams have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Suffolk.
For a complete listing of past and present Rams’ Reflections, click here.
Michael Power, Men's Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field | Hometown: Southbridge, Mass. | Major: Global Business & Accounting
It's hard to imagine my time at Suffolk without track and field. I attribute a lot of personal growth to the challenges our teams have overcome in the last five years.
I was never recruited to come to the University. I met Coach Feldman at accepted students day. I said I threw in highschool and two weeks later I had a spot on the team. Being a part of the first track and field team was certainly not what I expected, as a student with a tendency to have a good time, 6:30 a.m. bus departures to the track were not ideal. It's a struggle every track athlete has to share. Our team consisted of maybe 30 kids for both men's and women's. We casually took home second to last in the GNAC, the only school we beat was Newbury, which is now closed. I remember leaving the meet and just about everyone was irritated with how it went. All we could do was prepare for the next season.
In the history of the GNAC there had never been an indoor conference championship due to the lack of teams. With Suffolk being the newest member, the conference met the qualifications.The meet would be at Boston University where we were a long shot. Four hours later we won the indoor conference championship on the last event of the day. We had by far the longest odds with the smallest and youngest team competing.
Red Auerbach once said, “Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.”
If there is one thing about Suffolk track and field is that we are not good losers. The next season was Covid and there was no conference championship. This was fuel for those who stayed. The 2022 team was the most successful sports team I’ve been a part of. We won the GNAC by over 100 points and CCC by 15. We were the best team in two conferences respectively. A feat that to my knowledge no other school has done.
Track is unique because of its duality. It's as much of a team sport as it is an individual sport. We typically have 10 meets a year and we only compete as a team for two of them. The other eight you competing primarily against your past marks. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite as sweet as the taste of a PR, but you can't PR every weekend and that is why it’s such a humbling sport. A basketball team can measure its season on how many wins and losses it has. Track we measure the team once, so if that PR didn't come in a conference championship it didn't really matter. It's a beautifully tense atmosphere; tightrope walk on a straight razor if you will. It made winning incredibly important.
It’s easy to look back and enjoy the good times, but it wasn’t always winning. This final year we failed to finish higher than second place. Sure it’s not a bad finish, but it's a “if you aint first your last” situation. This year collectively the team took a step back. I don’t think this is a bad thing. Sometimes you have to move back to move forward. The problem was primarily with the size of the team. Every event group was improving over the course of the season and that’s really all you can ask for. Winning championships is difficult, if it wasn't everyone would have one. Being a true champion isn't only about winning. Some days you just don't have it, simple as that. It’s how you act when you don’t have it, that tells what kind of team you are. Everyone should be upset, but also be able to appreciate the work put into a season. You have to be kind to yourself.
I’m walking away from the sport with gratitude. I’d like to say thank you to my coaches and my teammates for being committed to a cause greater than themselves. I have no doubt that the track and field team will bring more championships to the University in the coming years.