Janis McPeak and Nina Dermody
The Indoor track team is back for the 2018-19 season at Jamesville-DeWitt High School. The athletes have been training during practices in preparation for upcoming meets. With a wide variety of drills for runners, throwers, hurdlers and jumpers, each individual is working toward success.
Practices are different for each individual depending on the event that they specialize in. Each event has a coach that will teach them the techniques they need to be successful. Emily Rowles coaches distance runners, Mike Acchione coaches sprinters and jumpers and Pat Gillette coaches the throwers.“I enjoy indoor track because the coaches are really fun,” said Janna VanVranken.
“Practices are different for each individual depending on the event that they specialize in.”
Though the coaches are the main teachers and influencers to the runners, the upperclassmen on the team truly help bring all the athletes together. “High school track is very different from middle school track, and the upperclassmen understood the transition and helped me with it,” said freshman hurdler Rebecca Kassis. Even though the season has just begun, friendships and bonds are already forming. “I feel like I’m already part of the team,” said freshman sprinter Kevin Markert.
The team bonding and chemistry between the runners will not only grow during practices, but at meets as well. The runners have been preparing diligently for them. The meet lineups are based on each runner’s performance and race results from previous meets. The line-ups do tend to change frequently.
“The meet lineups are based on each runner’s performance and race results from previous meets.”
Not only do the runners compete in meets, but they also have a chance to compete in League Championships, Class A Sectionals and State Championships, which athletes from JD have attended in past years. The Red Rams will begin their race to sectionals at their first meet of the season on Dec. 8 at Onondaga Community College.
