Good off to record-breaking start at Mansfield

Caitie Good, a freshman for Mansfield University’s track and field team and an Elk Lake graduate, runs the 60 meters at the Cornell Relays on Dec. 5 where she broke the Mounties’ school record finishing in 8.13. TIMES-SHAMROCK PHOTO/BRIAN FEES

BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Mansfield University freshman Caitie Good is off to a good start for the Mounties as she already broke the two of the school’s records at her first two meets.

Good, 19, an Elk Lake graduate, broke the 60 meter record with a time of 8.13 at the Cornell Relays in Ithaca, N.Y., on Dec. 5.

From there, Good went on to compete in the team’s second meet of the season at the Golden Flash Invitational at Kent State University, setting a school record in the 200 meters.

Good set the record with a 26.23 finish in the event.

“The season is going really well so far,” Good said. “I was initially back and forth about competing in track, but once I got here (Mansfield) I really missed it.”

Having turned down an athletic scholarship from Mansfield, Good planned to focus on her studies as an elementary/special education major.

However, she realized once at Mansfield that she was equipped to do both and talked with Mansfield’s coaching staff.

“I went and talked with the coaches during my first two weeks here,” Good said. “And they were glad to let me run.”

Good is currently competing in the 60, 200 and 300 meters and hopes to run on the 4×400 relay team during the team’s outdoor track season.

She said she’s currently running times similar to what she did in high school, and is improving.

“I was surprised how well I could compete at the college level,” Good said. “Having good coaching in high school really prepared me.”

In the coming weeks as the Mounties finish up the indoor track season and look forward to the PSAC Championships, Good is looking to break more records.

“I’m really close to breaking the school record in the 300,” Good said. “So hopefully I can do that.”

Good said that her favorite part about competing in track in field is the excitement.

“The thrill of competing is my favorite part,” Good said. “It’s exciting to me.”

While at Elk Lake, Good was a district gold medalist in the 200 meters with a time of 26.05, and went on to take 14th at the PIAA Class AA state championships. She also qualified for states in the 100, finishing behind Montrose’s Julia Koloski in 12.79.

The Mounties compete in their next indoor competition on Friday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Bison Invitational at Bucknell University in Lewisburg.

Mansfield is an NCAA Division II school that competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.