With their 2020 season being canceled due to COVID, the girls track team has high hopes to start strong while adapting to new safety regulations.

“The biggest goal is for the girls to work hard and do the proper training to prevent injury,” Taylor Landfair, head coach, said. “As a group I want us to excel and get better than the year before. Primarily I want to see the girls set goal times and work to achieve them,”

As schools across the country transition back into a normal routine, athletes must adapt to new rules and changes set in place by IHSA guidelines.

“We weren’t allowed to have an indoor season this year and train together until a month before our first meet. Training alone was very taxing mentally,” Ella Enders, junior, said.

With fall sports resuming in the spring and the school day ending earlier the team is challenged with conflicting schedules and practice times.

“COVID impacted our scheduling and with shorter school days some girls have transportation issues,” Landfair said. “With having so many spring sports going on at the same time it has been a struggle for many athletes to juggle the overlapping schedules.”

The girls see the bright side through the unpredictable season as they look forward to competing and supporting each other.

“Our team chemistry is more different than any sport because within our team we have several different training groups for specific events. Although we are separated at practices, at meets we can cheer for everyone and hang out with anyone,” Emily Bargas, junior, said.

This unique bond allows teammates to build each other up to help defeat tough rival teams in competitions.

“Our biggest rivals are any of the Plainfield schools. We all compete in a meet called The Hunt where all four school teams compete and whichever wins is deemed the best,” Enders said.

Considering the team’s rigorous practice schedule and high expectations to break times, athletes can develop a competitive mentality which can create stressful pressure.

“Yes, physically track isn’t easy, but running is a mental sport. You’re always racing yourself and going for a new personal record,” Enders said.

Athletes are surrounded by coaches and teammates who offer support and motivation to help ease the stress the sport brings. However, the track is an individual sport.

“The dedication comes from yourself. I am the only person who can physically make myself perform better. Your mind has to be stronger than the hurt you feel,” Starr Jackson, senior, said.

As a sport track doesn’t receive recognition like other sports such as basketball and football. This creates misconceptions of what the sport truly consists of according to the team.

“The biggest misconception is that track is easy, and that one group is harder than the other. Each aspect of track has its own unique attributes that bring a magnitude of skill needed,” Bargas said. “The variety that track offers is what makes it special and separates it from any other sport.”