The boys track and field team has been intensely preparing for the indoor conference meet on March 15. The team is also prepping for the outdoor season ,which begins right after indoor season ends.
“For one meet, we’ve had a pretty good performance, but we’ll really get to see where we are when we get to compete at faster tracks,” head coach Jeffery Purdom said. “Our goal is to have multiple people qualify for state, especially a relay.”
The athletes are focused on individual goals as well as team goals. Christian Martin, senior, is planning to surpass the outdoor shotput record of 56 ft and 7.5 inches, which was set in 1966. His personal best right now is 53 feet and 7.75 inches. Others have set goals of PR’s and better training.
“My personal goal for this season is to beat my previous goal of 32 ft by reaching 40,” Nathan Reyes, sophomore, said.
The team consists of both running and field events that individuals compete in to score points for the team overall. Adrian Washington, senior, broke the school’s indoor long jump record with a jump of 22 feet and 10.5 inches.
“I am excited about breaking the school record, I want to break more and go over 7 meters,” Washington said.
While they’ve gotten off to a solid start, there is still a whole season approaching and they are ready to take on any problems or fast schools that come their way.
“It is definitely tough, a lot of the schools are fast, so there is a lot of good competition,” Bryan Underwood, senior, said.
Along with competition, the season’s length can be hard for runners to stay motivated.
“I think one of the major challenges for us is that the track season is pretty long, and we have weather to deal with. We have to be flexible in terms of our facilities: sometimes we go outside and it’s snowy or icy and we still have to get our work in, so I think that’s always a challenge,” Purdom said.
Weather is not the only hurdle that the team has to jump. Being able to find time to practice and maintain
a healthy lifestyle is also a struggle.
“Balancing life and running or throwing and jumping is a challenge and you never know what life is going to throw at you so trying to respond to that can be tricky,” Purdom said.
Even through all of the challenges, the boys track and field team has been striving to improve their over all athletic potential.
“Their commitment to getting better, I think we have seen that improve over the last few years. This group of upperclassmen has done a great job committing to being good athletes,” Purdom said.
The more fun and relaxing nature of the sport when compared to other common ones such as football or wrestling might contribute to the player’s high motivation.
“It’s fun but more chill than football or the other sports that I do, so it’s like a break for the body,” Reyes said.
