Running drills, warm-up stretching, high-knees, lunges and non-stop practice is the only thing on track athletes minds second semester.
This is especially true for the seniors in track who are working tirelessly every week to achieve their final goals in preparation for the upcoming months.
Out of the nearly 40 seniors involved in track this year, pole vaulter Grace Stowe has been working tirelessly to reach her goals.
“I would say making it to State is by far my biggest goal of my high school career, so this year I’m really working to make it there,” Stowe said.
Last year, Stowe was just one spot away from securing a place at the state meet.
“Last year I really struggled to get my height where I wanted it to be and where I knew it was capable of being,” Stowe said. “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”
On May 10, track athletes will travel to Districts, where they aim to score a well enough time, height, or distance to qualify for the State meet on May 19.
After participating in the sport for three years, many of Stowe’s fellow teammates are also determined to make the final jump this year.
“My goal is to make it to the state meet in the two mile. I ran varsity last year and did not make it to state, but I would like to this year with it being my last high school athletic opportunity,” senior Joseph Roth said.
Track season began at the beginning of second semester, and athletes have already spent nearly two months working on conditioning techniques in order to prepare themselves for the start of official track season, which kicked off on Feb. 27.
While some track seniors work toward State, others, like runner Hannah Meade, simply just want to cherish their final months in the sport.
“My goal as a senior is to just enjoy my last year in track and avoid being nervous or stressed,” Meade said.
In order to meet their final high school aspirations, athletes will practice everyday after school for two hours, and then again every Saturday morning for the rest of the semester.
“My training routine is to just stay positive and enjoy my time at practice,” Meade said.
After three years of working through weather, injury, icing sore tendons together, and countless hours of practice, track seniors have grown very close and now depend upon each other for overall success.
Although athletes compete individually, track is still very much a team sport.
“Everyone on the team knows and supports everybody. We know that we have to support each other to do well,” Roth said.
Stowe, Roth, and Meade all agreed that they would be nowhere without the support of their teammates. With one another, they all hope for one more major breakthrough before they receive their high school diplomas on May 27.