Track season off to a sprinting start

From Issue 6

By Lauren Anne Smith, Staff Writer|February 8, 2019

On+your+mark...get+set...

John Henry Andress

On your mark…get set…

Quick Questions

SENIORS
  • Avery Lee
    • Q: What motivates you to participate in track?
    • A: “I like running.”
  • Eliza Burnham
    • Q: What is something you look forward to every track season?
    • A: “I look forward to getting close to my coaches and teammates the most.”
  • Elizabeth Speed
    • Q:  Do you like cross country or track better? Why?
    • A: “Cross country because I like the team family dynamic.”
  • Jerrion Ealy
    • Q:  How do you prepare to train for track compared to the other sports you play?
    • A:  “Is that a trick question?  The reason I run track is to train for my other sports.”
  • Mary Price Montagnet
    • Q:  Do you have any pre-race rituals?
    • A:  “We really value our baton. I know it sounds really weird, but before each race we take our shoes with the spike on it and then we scratch a little mark in the baton.”
  • Shae Lumpkin
    • Q:  What advice has carried you through track?
    • A:   “Keep running. Just keep running.”
JUNIORS
  • Alex Stradinger
    • Q:  How do you prepare mentally for a race?
    • A:  “I just don’t think about it until right before.”
  • JC Polk
    • Q:  What do you like most about pole vault?
    • A:  “Kind of the fact that no one does it, it’s my one thing that I can excel at.”
  • Price Loposer
    • Q:  What is the biggest misconception about running track and field at Prep?
    • A:   “No comment.”
SOPHOMORES
  • Callie McKinney
    • Q:  “Why do you like sprint more versus distance?
    • “First of all, it’s shorter and it’s much easier to train for, but you still have to do a lot.  The times are completely different, and you don’t have to pace yourself, you just go out and run.”
  • Haley Carter
    • Q:  What’s one thing you can’t live without during track season?
    • A:  “My spikes.”
  • Olivia Sasser
    • Q:  What’s your favorite memory of track season?
    • A:  “When I won state championship for JV and Varsity.”
  • Preston Speed
    • What’s your pump up song that you listen to before a race?
    • “Definitely Mo Bamba.”
FRESHMEN
  • Havens Smith
    • Q:  What did you learn from getting bumped up to varsity last year?
    • A:  “Accountability. You’re part of the team , and you have to really try your best.”

With spring just around the corner, athletes are ready to hit the ground running for track season. The coaches are just as excited for the season to begin as the students. Coach Rusty Burke and Coach Marcus Thompson both agreed that they are anticipating a state championship caliber season. The coaches also predicted that Prep is going to dominate in the running events, which consist of sprints, a variety of relays, and distance. 

For the girls who run distance, Coach Meredith Lang said they were “just a bunch of girls, who like to work hard and improve on their own personal goals, and it makes a fun season.” On the other hand, Coach Thompson jokingly said, “The spirit of the team is that they hate practice but love to compete.”  

There are a variety of people who show up to practice and Coach Burke commented, “Everyone should try track, either to come out and compete or even to just get in shape because it’s the greatest sport in the world!”  Everyone is hard at work, as they officially started practice January 28th. 

With all the hard work the athletes and coaches are putting in for the 2019 track season, the Patriots seem likely to have a successful season.  

Some of the athletes were able to answer questions about the upcoming season and give their insight of what it will hold.