Now that the spring season is beginning to blossom for athletes, let’s take a look at the girls’ track team and how they plan to grow and flourish this season. Although these two athletes are joining the season a little later due to their involvement in the Drama Club’s production of Anything Goes, they still have their sights set on track. Here’s what they had to say.
Susan Leach, an 11th grader, has been running track for four years. She is a long-distance runner who competes in events such as the 800-meter, 1,000-meter, and 3,000-meter races.
“My main goals for the season are to improve in my 800-meter run and improve my warm-up running. I also want to improve my sprinting a little and be able to accelerate more when I get to the finish line of my races. What I regret doing last year was becoming unmotivated when I wasn’t improving to my fullest potential. I was trying hard but just wasn’t getting better as fast as I wanted. What I want to see more of on this track team is teamwork and not skipping warm-ups. We need to keep ourselves accountable and continue to work as hard as possible. Then we can all reach our highest potential and achieve our goals faster. What I enjoy most about my sport is going to a track meet and ending up PR’ing, having a huge drop in time from the last time I ran the race. I also love how I feel when I get home—happy to have had a good workout and to enjoy a sport that comes naturally to me and brings me joy.”
Next is Valerie Louis, a 12th grader who has been running track for two and a half years. She competes in sprinting events such as the 55-meter, 100-meter, 200-meter, and 300-meter races.
“My main goals for this season are to improve enough to PR in my races, maybe even try new events and PR in those as well, and overall improve my performance. One thing I regret not doing last season was using the weight room to my advantage and going there to build muscle and improve other aspects of my sprinting performance. What I really want to see is more girls on the track team get the chance to make it to states or nationals because it shows how the team has grown together and gives more opportunities to everyone. One thing I enjoy most about track is the feeling I get after finishing a difficult workout. I also enjoy completing workouts with my friends. No matter how hard the workouts are, they lighten the mood by joking around and encouraging one another, which creates a sense of connection between us. The thing that makes track special is the people. The support system you’re a part of feels like a family.”
As the spring season gets underway, both Susan and Valerie are focused on improving their performances while helping their teammates succeed. Their dedication, goals, and positive attitudes reflect the strong sense of community that continues to define the AMHS girls’ track program.
