Track season is finally here.
But when people think about track, they usually think about the beautiful spring weather, the outdoors, and the hot sun. Well, indoor track maybe the complete opposite of outdoor track season.
Among many Northeast Ohio schools, Eastlake North has finally adopted the idea of indoor track. It is definitely a good opportunity for the students who take it seriously, but others can also use it as conditioning for outdoor season. Indoor track is ran on a 300 meter track usually, including one long jump pit, a high jump pit, a pole vault pit, and one or two throwing rings. In the conference that North is in, they will compete at Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Their conference includes Nordonia, Eastside track club, Willoughby South, Lake Catholic, Warren G. Harding, Madison, Twinsburg, Shaker Heights, and North of course. There is also a higher conference that competes the day before including more intense and competitive teams such as Mentor, Kenston, Euclid Senior, Cleveland Heights, Chardon, Mayfield, Geneva, Perry, and Maple Leaf Track. Each conference will compete in three open indoor meets, then top 16 from each event competes in the All-Star Meet. Anyone who advances then goes to the state indoor meet.
“Indoor was definitely a good idea for us. We have the ability to work on general form and work out little kinks in our events that will lead us to a better outdoor season.” Shot put thrower Taylor Wilson says.
Sadly, and stereotypically, North has fallen to the bottom of the list in two of the three meets so far. The first meet, North placed 7th place out of 8 teams in both girls and boys. The second meet, they placed 7th out of 9 teams in boys and girls. They definitely have room for improvement, but also, it is the first year. Hopefully the program will get more organized and orderly as the years go on. It is a good thing for North, giving kids many opportunities for college scholarships and to get in shape. Track is a different type of sport. You are not only competing against everyone else, but you compete against yourself. North could be a threat to win these next years.
“We should (do it) next year, because people actually want to take it take it seriously. Sometimes track is kind of forgotten about, but this helps it get out more.” Sophomore pole vaulter Evan Pyle comments.
And North could definitely help get it out more.
By: Mollee Ryan