PREVIEW: Track Season Begins

On March 21, the boys and girls track teams will compete in their first meet at Northwest. Many team members have been training in the offseason to prepare for their individual events in anticipation for their first meet.

“Throw guys, a lot of them are football players,” boys track coach Tobin Ehlers said.

“The sprinters and jumpers have been with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays to do drills and running. And the distance guys have been out running.”

The girls team is looking forward to having a successful season, along with strong team bonding. With talented runners from the freshman class coming in, the team has goals to finish at the top in the district meet. Junior Jaylen Knight as high hopes for the girls team.

“My favorite part about track is how close we get throughout the season,” Knight said. “In the beginning it is a little bit weird because everyone is trying to find their place on the team, but throughout the season everybody kind of gets to know each other more and we turn into a family.”

Both teams are encouraged by their coaches to work hard. The coaches believe that the work exhibited has a direct correlation with the athlete’s success.

“The best thing about track is that you get immediate results by how much work you put in,” Ehlers said. “You may not be a state champ but you can see, ‘Oh, as I continue to work out and get in better shape, my times get faster and my jumps get longer.’ There’s a degree of success in everyone.”

Senior Jake Smith is excited for the start of the season and for the boys team to already display their hard work from their long-going preperation.

“Most of the kids have done summer running, so we’re all at our peak already,” Smith said. “We’re already ready to win. Our first two meets should be PR’s.”

Although track is competitive, the teams ultimately care the most about their individual performances and team growth by the end of the season.

“My favorite part about track is building relationships with the athletes,” Priester said. “I really enjoying seeing them improve and succeed and accomplish goals they set for themselves.”

Come out and support the girls and boys track teams on March 21 at Northwest!