Track and field athletes return from injury

Senior Danielle Brock led the North Carolina track team in day one of the UNC Invitational. The first-place finish in the 60-meter hurdle race came in 8.52 seconds on Friday, but the circumstances of the victory made it all the more important for the Tar Heel veteran and her personal season.

“(Friday) I ran pretty much the same time as last week,” she said. “But I wasn’t even originally going to run hurdles this week because I was going to take it off. But I wanted to do it so that I could just keep in the feel of it.”

Although she was not able to make a noteworthy improvement on her time in the event, Brock is comfortable with the win and sustaining her finish time from week to week.

“Right now I’m being really consistent, which is okay because I know what I need to work on,” she said. “From three meets it was the same thing, so I feel really confident with where I’m at. I know that I have a long way to go but I also know it’s doable.”

For Brock, this season marks the first time in her college career that she has been able to post consistent results.

“(The consistency) is definitely something that has not been there my whole life,” Brock said. “Usually I’m all over the place or dealing with injuries — mainly that’s what my first three years here have been, is the injuries.”

One example of an injury that effected her performance on the track was when Brock split a tendon in her left ankle in three places after simply tripping over a root during a run in the woods.

“Another time, I tripped over a hurdle and was completely out for three months,” she said. “We just realized that my ankles were just really, really bad. It was freshman year, sophomore year, junior year.”

Brock’s ankle injuries, which came from a variety of mishaps, have affected some of her performances in the past. But this year, Brock and her coaches found a way to allow her to benefit and compete with the team, while minimizing physical pain.

“I changed my events because I used to be a heptathlete. Now I stick with the multis,” she said. “That was a coaching decision too, just because of my injuries. The jumping from the heptathlon would just keep pounding on my ankles. So not jumping has allowed my ankle to become stronger.”

Switching events has relieved Brock of physical and mental pressure alike. The hurdle events, which incorporate jumping, are a relief because Brock is able to lead with her stronger leg.

“The hurdles is kind of different because it’s not like I have to put a lot of pounding into the ground, “ she said. “Since it’s my trail leg (that’s weaker), it’s not even coming down to the ground first off of my hurdles, so it’s a lot easier.”

Kwabena Keene, a red shirt junior thrower, also gave a noteworthy performance on Saturday as he took third in the men’s shot put. Keene competed on Saturday for the first time since having wrist surgery in December and after taking all of last year off.

“This first meet was kind of like an icebreaker,” he said. “I have six throws total, so it was those first two that I had to think about strategically. I had to think that I had to get a mark, and I had to see how my wrist feels because we have ACC season in just a few weeks now.”

While he said he wants to shake the cobwebs off and head forward from there, Keene also did feel the effects of the post-injury return this weekend.

“My first few throws came out a lot easier than the last few,” he said. “I started to get a little bit sore in the last throws. But I’m definitely comfortable with where I am right now, my body was on point, and I’ve had a lot of rest to get stronger. “

Fellow senior Chris DiLorenzo placed second in the shot put, adding fuel to the friendly competition that exists between the two, dating back to the beginning of the competitors’ high school careers in New Jersey.

“I’m definitely using the excuse of my wrist hurting for the reason why I didn’t beat Chris,” Keene said.

Coach Josh Langley believes that the competition between teammates is definitely a positive aspect of Keene’s return.

“Keene’s been a great leader from day one. I don’t think there’s anything that he does lightly,” Langley said. “I think he takes everything seriously and people feed off of that.”

Langley said there’s no way of hiding that Keene had a down year last season, that the results reflect the drop from his sophomore year. But for the coach, the dynamic of having such a strong competitor back, not only benefits the team in terms of ability to score points, but also in that Keene’s return stirs up competition among his teammates.

“Having him back in terms of scoring points makes the other throwers realize that some of their main competition is right in front of them, on their team,” he said. “Seeing (Keene) excel makes them, everyday in practice, have more of a sense of urgency. It has them thinking ‘Okay, he’s getting better. He’s back in the mix this year. I gotta step my game up a little bit.’”

From a coaches perspective, having both Keene and Brock compete well during the weekend reflected an overwhelming positive. Not only were strong finishes an encouragement, but the ability to bounce back from injury also proved that UNC has a firm foundation.

“I think that gives you faith in your athletic training staff and what they’re doing,” Langley said. “In their ability to put the kids in the right rehab program, get them healthy and get them back on the track as fast as they do.”