The elevated level of collegiate competition can be hard for athletes to adjust to, but for freshmen hurdlers on the men’s indoor track team, the bar is literally raised.

Moving from 39-inch hurdles in high school to the collegiate standard of 42 inches is a significant change that hurdlers are learning to adapt to.

“It’s kind of a big jump, since the hurdles go up 3 inches,” freshman Matt Confer said. “It’s a new feeling, but we’ve all adapted pretty well and quickly. We’re all kind of at the same place it seems. We have our own goals and help each other when we can.”

Except for sophomore Dan Moloney, this year’s group of athletes specializing in hurdles is all freshmen, all of whom are just beginning to find their rhythm in competition.

“Hurdles as a race is all about finding a rhythm,” Moloney said. “It’s hard to find that rhythm after they bump up the hurdles another notch ... and some of our hurdlers haven’t even found their rhythm yet, and that’s why this team is looking really strong.”

With 10 top-10 finishes collectively as underclassmen this season, the young hurdlers’ success can be attributed to working as a cohesive unit in practice and alongside at meets.

“I’ve ran next to Dan [Moloney] at least four times based all on luck,” Confer said. “It makes it a lot more comfortable knowing you have someone next to you who’ll push you and you can push them. It’s really cool because in high school I was the only one who did hurdles.”

With several freshmen coming from high school teams where they were the only hurdler, working with other athletes who have had a similar experience encourages individual development.

“Last year I was the only hurdler on my team,” freshman Ian Tapler said. “This year I have all of the other guys, so if I’m screwing up on something, they can help me with it, and I can help them with something.”

A willingness to help one another develop a better understanding of how to improve, from the weight room to the track, has brought the group together and raised the level of competition as a whole.

“The freshmen are always asking questions; they always want to know exactly what’s going on and how to improve themselves,” Moloney said. “I, as a sophomore, don’t always know the answer. We’re all in the same boat, and that’s why we work together.”

One aspect of practice that the freshmen are adjusting to is the Covino workout plan. Implemented by Chris Covino ’09, the workout involves several Olympic-style lifts called the snatch and the jerk.

An athlete lifts a barbell until their arms are at 90-degree angles from their body, then rests the bar on their shoulders by bending their hands backwards toward their body, as one part of the power-training routine.

“I don’t know much about working out, so [Covino’s workout plan] was brand new,” Tapler said. “All the upperclassmen say that it works, and I’ve improved from it. It’s a lot of weird lifts that I haven’t heard of before.”

The team’s preparation is already translating to success for the freshmen, with Confer tying the school record in the 55-meter event at the Tufts Invitational on Feb. 6 and qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships halfway through the season.

“I wasn’t really expecting it to be honest,” Confer said. “It kind of came as a surprise. It’s really neat to see all the hard work I’ve put in pay off.”

Every athlete continues to improve from week to week as the season winds down. With two meets left before ECACs, each individual’s success will help motivate the team in the future.

“We have a lot of fun together, but they’re competitive too,” Moloney said. “We’re pushing each other and encouraging each other, and we’re just going to keep improving year after year.”