1/16/25 Highlight: Winter Track

By V MURDAYA and MAGGIE KOTKOWSKI 

On Jan. 11th, the girls’ and boys’ winter track team competed in their first meet since winter break. 

Even during the break, the track team was busy training. Senior Jaylen Bennett, one of the captains of the sprint team, explained that even though they were not at school, they had been given “a prescribed program before break.” This training regimen was separate for athletes participating in different events, such as distance and sprinting.

Bennett further described, “It was a combination of speed, endurance, some distance, some hills, and a lift built in as well.” While the sprinters had prioritized speed and strength work, distance athletes focused on mileage. 

Lower Griffin Breault commented on preparations for the meet. “Today is my first long jump of the year, so I’ve been recounting my steps to place me on the board and reintroducing some of the midair dynamics.”

Beating personal bests is a big part of track, but Bennett argues that it’s about more than just the score. “The goal should be just improving. If you get too fixated on the times, that could be detrimental to one’s growth in the sport, because track is a really mental sport.” Bennett continued, “If there’s a specific cue, maybe like fixing your arm swing, or putting your head down, someone’s able to achieve a personal best through those things instead of just their times.”

Although track is an individual sport, many athletes on the team believe that they are still able to foster a sense of community and create friendships. This is due to the fact that they are not competing against each other directly, but for their team instead. Team dynamics play a crucial role in fostering a supportive and productive environment. 

Lower Eliyas Koch-Manzur emphasized the significance of strong mutual relationships within the team. “Because there is such a wide range of ability, it’s really important for younger athletes to have the older ones there. Just suffering through the workouts with other athletes and knowing we’re all in the same boat is one of the best things about the sport.” 

Looking ahead to the team’s future, Breault noted that although “we’re losing a bunch of guys, we have some crazy lowerclassmen. So I’m hopeful for the future.”