“I’m kind of like the older brother (of the team),” Strickland said. “They look up to us. We talk to the freshmen and make sure their heads are straight, and if I see someone that’s struggling or having difficulties, I’ll talk to them to make sure they can get through the practice or the meet in a positive way.”
So far this season, this has been his primary role — helping younger runners improve off the track. But Saturday, Strickland will have an opportunity to lead on the track in IU’s first dual meet of the season against Tennessee at Gladstein Fieldhouse.
On the track, Strickland’s numbers set the example themselves. At the Hoosier Open in December, he ran the 60-meter dash in 6.75 seconds, a new career best, and the sixth best 60m in school history. He also has the seventh best 200-meter dash record and the third best 300-meter dash record in school history.
“I made some improvements (before the Hoosier Open),” Strickland said. “Working with my coach, he helped me concentrate more on my blocks and my driving space, and to make sure that I just trust the training, and to make sure that I focus just on my race and nobody else around me.”
Despite those big numbers, track has not always come naturally to Strickland. In his freshman and sophomore years of high school, he tried the sport out but didn’t like it, so he quit.
“Then junior year, I saw how people actually love this sport, and the hard work that it takes to get faster, and that a lot of events it’s only based on yourself, and you don’t have to rely on anyone else,” Strickland said. “So I kind of fell in love with it my junior and senior year.”
Strickland places some emphasis on the mental aspect and making sure his mind is in the right place leading up to the race.
He said he often likes to listen to chill, laid-back music before racing because it relaxes his mind and helps him stay focused just enough without overthinking anything.
He also credits three teammates, senior Nathan Pierre-Louis, junior Diquis Manley and senior La Toya Williams with helping him stay calm before races.
“They kind of keep my head on straight when they find me struggling or if I’m getting mad at myself or something,” Strickland said. “They tell me just to relax and trust my training, and that I’ve been training for a while so it’ll all fall in place.”
At the Hoosiers’ next meet, Strickland is aiming to continue improving his 60m time, adding there’s always room for improvement. He’s also hoping to set a new personal record in the 200m. His current PR in the 200m, 21.32 seconds, is from his freshman year at IU and he wants to lower that time to around 21.10 seconds or lower.
