Running into the track season

Running+into+the+track+season

Ken Wilbur

The competitors walk onto eight lanes of rubber that circle into a loop. They reach their starting positions and wait. A gun sounds and the competitors begin to run around the loop. They reach the predesignated amount of laps and stop. That’s it; the competition’s over. The entire event is a matter of minutes, there are no points or breaks, they run and then are finished. Some might not understand the appeal of such a simple and unrestrained sport, but for Peter Woodward ‘20 and Daniel Neese ‘18 track is far more meaningful than its simplistic description might dictate.

For Woodward maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been a part of life ever since he was able to run. “I started out running when I was younger. I competed in five triathlons,”  Woodward said. “I tried other sports like baseball and soccer, but that didn’t work for me, so I just stuck with running,” Woodward said.

Woodward remained running until he reached high school, where he burst onto the scene as a potential star athlete. “(This year) I did wrestling and cross country. For both of them I made varsity, which was a big step for me as a freshman,” Woodward said. Now transitioning to track, Woodward’s successes in cross country has only solidified his determination to achieve his goals in track. “My goals for this season are to be varsity, qualify for Drake, have fun and help the team out,” Woodward said.

 

In order to achieve those goals, Woodward has practiced diligently during the offseason and heeded the advice of more experienced runners. “Kolby [Greiner] told me to run eight miles each day during the offseason, so that is what I did,” Woodward said. Now in-season, Woodward has been focused on improving through the tough workouts which define a true member of the team . “On workout days we do six reps of 800 [meters] or 1600 [meters] at race pace,” Woodward said. As for his plan going forward, Woodward said, “My goals for are to get 3200 [meters] below 11 [minutes] flat and for 1600 [meters] to go below 4:50.”

The competitive levels of track vary from athlete to athlete. Unlike Woodward, Neese is less focused on competing at a high level in track and more interested in improving his endurance for longer running events. “Largely I do track for cross country, but I also wanted to drop times from last year and have a good full season,” Neese said.

For Neese, the most important part of track is the team identity. “This year, we (the track team) feel a lot more unified, everyone goes out and cheers everyone else on,” Neese said. In the meets he has participated in, Neese does not hide his minor personal disappointment. “My performances haven’t been as good as I expected, but our team has been performing better,” Neese said.

The overall outlook for the West High boys track team is certainly hopeful. With new talent like Woodward and a strong team spirit, the Trojans can look forward to performing well in upcoming meets. A major factor in this newfound excitement is how well individual athletes are settling into their roles as a team. As Woodward said, “You have to work at track: figure out what you’re good at, and stick with that.”