Track: off to the races

 

“I came into track and had a really good team with a bunch of good seniors,” said senior Elyssa Schall. “Over the years, we haven’t been as good, but this year we have a lot of potential. I think we are going to do really well this season.”

Schall, along with seniors Alyssa McClintick and Kristin Edwards have been members of the MC varsity track team since their freshman year.

“In track there are a bunch of different events and it’s kind of a bunch of things going on at the same time,” said McClintick. “There are field events like jumps and pole volts, but then there’s also races going on like distance, the mile, sprints, and hurdles. It’s a lot of things to watch and it’s really fun.”

Because of track’s multiple events, many student athletes are given the opportunity to participate as part of a team at MC while still competing individually in races that utilize their own strengths.

“I really like track because it’s a combination of an individual sport and a team sport,” said Edwards. “We each have our own events, so you’re running or jumping and you’re thinking about your own success, but at the same time, it’s a team sport so each time if you win your event or race, then you’re adding to the team’s success.”

The dynamic of track has also been noted by the others as being both a personal and team sport.

“I like that it can be individual, but it also is a team event,” said Schall.

“I think my favorite thing [about track] is that it’s an individual sport but also a team sport,” McClintick said. “You get to focus on yourself but you also get to cheer on your teammates.”

There are also many other good things about being part of track at MC. Some of the athletes have their favorite parts of track as a whole.

“I do jumps, it’s fun, especially the jump group, because we’re a really close nit, tight group,” said Edwards. “It’s fun practicing with them and doing team bonding and stuff.”

The physical part of track is also fun for the girls.

“I like that it shows how strong you can be because it pushes your body to the limit,” Schall says.

For this spring season, though, some changes have been put in places that are affecting the team.

“We have a new jumps coach and a couple other new coaches,” McClintick says. “Also, people are trying out different events and things this year.”

The team is also a lot younger this year than in previous years.

“I think that we’re a young team, so right now it’s kind of hard getting used to a lot of freshman who are getting used to track, but I think that we are definitely going to be good towards the end of the season.” Schall says, “We are going to grow a lot this year.”