The Westside track and field team has some big goals for their athletes this year, and a good culture to help reach their goals. The girls track team has a veteran team, while the boys team has some bigger holes to fill. Junior sprinter Ty Dingman is looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited to get to be with the track team again and improve my speed,” Dingman said. “My goals this year is to possibly beat the school 100 meter record and place at state, and cut times on all my events.”

Dingman has struggled with hamstring injuries over the past year. He hopes to regain his top form on the track.

“I’m looking forward to overcoming some previous injuries and developing better running form to help prevent anymore from happening,” Dingman said.

Junior Curt Cubrich was a key player on Westside’s state runner-up football team as a linebacker. The sprinter has big aspirations this spring.

“My main goal this season is to make districts so we will have enough to qualify for state,” Cubrich said. “It will be very challenging, but I want to push myself as hard as I can to make the most.”

The girl track team has plenty of depth in the distance events. Last weekend Claire White broke the indoor school record to get second place in the 3200 at the College of Saint Mary’s Indoor Invite. The sophomore has very big goals for the Warriors this year. 

“I know as a team we can make it really far,” White said. “For districts our goal should be top two. We are starting to have a really balanced team on distance and sprinting sides. So our season really has no limits this year.”

Cubrich believes the positive culture that boys head track coach Justin Haberman has built gets all of the athletes involved in the program.

“The culture on the team is really good, Coach Haberman does a great job bringing the team together as a whole. He makes every athlete feel they have a place on the team, and the whole coaching staff does a great job making personal connections with athletes, so you are excited to come to practice,” says Cubrich.

White also believes the strong culture on the girls team will help lead the Warriors towards success this season. 

“The culture on this team is like a second family,” White said. “The distance girls that I practice and compete with, are my favorite people and are truly my best friends. Everyone just supports each other on this team and I think that is something so important for a team wanting to go far within the season.”

The next meet for the Westside track and field team will be at the Doane Invitational on Friday, March 25, in Crete.