By Mathilda Sullivan
Photo by Mathilda Sullivan
Following the life of our school’s track stars may be difficult due to their fast-paced lives. With the combination of advanced courses and practicing multiple days a week, our runners do everything they can to maintain a work hard, play harder lifestyle.
Track events are categorized by distance. Sprints (100m–400m) focus on explosive speed from starting blocks. Middle-distance (800m–1500m) and long-distance races (5000m+) require pacing and endurance. Hurdles add barriers to the course, while the steeplechase includes water jumps. Relays involve teams of four passing a baton. Events like the decatholon, marathon, and heptathalon are also events in track but aren’t typically an aspect of high school track.
Taj Tufail is one of our freshman track stars who finds the pace of his schedule a bit hard to manage.
“I’m a multi-sport athlete,” Tufail said, “so keeping up with my school work and track can be difficult. One thing that keeps me motivated is that no one remembers the guy who got second or third, and I want to be memorable.¨
Tufail has been running since sixth grade. He says he’s improved his times and scores because ¨I stay consistent and keep my head down.¨
Izzy Chisholm is another of our Lion runners.
“My favorite part about track is the community aspect,” Chisholm said. “I practice hard and stay dedicated.”
It takes a lot of work to improve in track. Our upperclassmen are the best example of this.
Cal Hance, a junior at the Willow School, was able to achieve a 4:39 second mile, shaving off over 40 seconds from his previous record. He was also able to decrease his two-mile time to 10:21, almost 2 minutes less than his previous record. It takes dedication to achieve milestones like this, and Hance is no exception. He practiced at school four days a week and ran outside of practice every other day. From breathing exercises to hand movements to foot work, a lot goes into perfecting their techniques.
The most important part of track may be the sense of community it gives the runners.
¨Not only have I gained a love for this sport but also a bond with my teammates,” Hance said. “Track has taught me so much. Cleats on or off, I know I’ve found forever friends.¨
