Starting their season off with a new plan for the program and a new set of athletes, track has set a precedent for the new team, breaking records within the first few meets. Now at the end of their season, the program finished with the varsity men becoming back-to-back District 5-6A Champions, and the girls varsity taking third overall. With at least one athlete qualifying for the men in 15 events, and the girls taking on 9 of the 17 events at Area Competition, the team’s success has only first begun, and has been invested into the program daily.
“This year’s athletes are a really talented bunch, similar to the runners we’ve had in the past,” said Assistant Women’s Track & Field Coach, Timothy Thomas. “Our goal this year [was] to win district and to get as many runners to regionals as possible. We have a few that are talented enough to even make it to state if they take advantage of the opportunities in front of them.”
Dedicated in their work to prepare for their season, the track team became immersed in reaching their goal of sending multiple athletes athletes to their area division competition. With several students breaking personal and even school records, the focus has been on working up to their ultimate goal through daily trainings. Transitioning the program from being “good” to excellent, the coaches have changed the very basics of the team’s makeup as the season progressed, pushing students to not become complacent.
“Technique is very important in my event because every little movement of your body matters,” said senior varsity discus athlete, Lauren Hodges. “Looking back at the beginning of the season, our team has grown so close to one another and I feel like our bonds within each other are really important for success as a team. Being strong on and off the field is very important to us as a team because it builds our character each and every day as a team.”
The track & field team will compete at UIL Area 5-6A on April 18, at the UTA Maverick Stadium.
“Our main priority for this year, however, [was] transitioning our program from being a “good” program to an excellent one, which mainly consists of changing the foundations of the way we approach effort,” said Thomas. “The great thing about this younger group is that they’re invested and buying into the program more and more every day.”