Girls track team make run to Metro and District titles

The Westside girls track team is ready to outrun the rest of the competition in Class A this spring. The Warriors won the Metro Championship last year and hope to claim the title again this season. Westside is welcoming a much younger team, but the team is excited to see how much they will improve.

Someone that will be exciting to watch is Claire White. The Westside junior has won nine NSAA medals over her high school career. Last year she took fourth place in the 3200 meters and sixth place in the 1600 meters in the state meet at Burke Stadium. White explained what her goals are for this season. 

“My goal is to get a 4:55 mile and a 10:50 two mile,” White said. “I think it’s in my cards to get those times as long as I stay healthy.” 

Westside girls track head coach Jon Priester has the same goal as every year, to win the District championship. The Warriors have been runner-ups or champions 11 times over the past 18 years. Priester reflects on what the athletes and coaches are focusing on this season.

“We focus on development throughout the season of our athletes,” Priester said. “Then put our team in the best position to win the District meet and have the highest finish we can at the state meet.”

White has improved a lot this indoor season and feels like the sky’s the limit. White finished 52nd in the mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston on Sunday, March 12.. White shares what she is most excited for the season.

“I think I’m most excited to get some of the times I’ve always wanted, my fitness is just at a different level this season and I feel like it’s going to be really awesome,” White said. “I want to motivate my teammates to want it the same as me and hopefully we can all get better together.” 

The Warriors also return Lademi Davies, who was the state champion in the long jump, with a leap of 19 feet and 6.25 inches. The senior will also be a threat in the sprints, where she finished as the state runner-up in the 200 meters. 

After having a big senior class last year there is going to be a pretty steep learning curve. But there is a pretty good group of young athletes that can have a lot of success in track and field. Preister is very optimistic about this season. 

“We have pretty high expectations,” Priester said.  “We should be able to compete in a lot of different event areas and be highly competitive in most of the meets that we go to.”

The first varsity track and field meet will be indoors at the College of St. Mary’s on Friday, March 17.