2 minute read
Boys Track
Racing to the top
Boys track uses goal setting to grow as a team
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Nicholas Rasmusson rasmunic000@hsestudents.org
Throughout all levels of sports, there is a key component that is always present: goal setting. Whether they are at the top of their sport or are still looking to get better, athletes are always setting goals for themselves in hopes of achieving and surpassing them. The boys track team is no different. Senior Keefer Soehngen firmly believes that setting high goals is key to improvement as an athlete. Additionally, he uses these goals to help motivate himself even more. “This season, I want to compete in the 4x4, 400-meter, 800-meter and the 4x8 at the state meet,” Soehngen said. “It hasn’t been done before because the 400 and 800 are difficult and you only get 30 minutes in between races, which is why I have been training my body so I can handle that much stress and recover quickly.” Soehngen believes that his training, both before and after the season, has been beneficial. He feels as though it has placed him into a position where he can achieve his goals. “I’ve been doing a whole different set of training,” Soehngen stated. “My coach would give me workouts, and I would do them by myself outside, in the cold. Running outside makes you have to pace yourself which is different on your muscles, so running two or three miles outside per day helped set me ahead this season.” While achieving goals is a high priority for the team, there have been some setbacks along the way. The team has dealt with some injuries this season. Freshman Bryson Slagle was injured to start the season, but he emphasizes that he is excited to be back at practice and is working to get back to top form. “I’ve been injured the past couple of weeks, so my mileage training has been low,” Slagle said. “Rehab was boring because I didn’t get to be in the practice atmosphere that I’m used to.” As a freshman, Slagle knows that he still has multiple high school seasons left after this year, and because of this he is setting goals that he believes will benefit him in the future. “At the moment, I’m trying to get my mile time under 4:40,” Slagle said. “That is my main goal at the moment.” Similar to Slagle, junior Ethan Nix has set a goal to improve his mile time. Despite this, Nix emphasizes that while individual goals are important, the team as a whole is the top priority. The team has its eyes set on winning a state championship, and they are utilizing every practice to better themselves and work toward that goal. “We try our best in practice everyday and strive to get better,” Nix said. “We make sure to fully prepare for meets, and we compete to the best of our ability when we race.” The boys track season runs through the end of the school year, with it all culminating at the state meet on June 4 at Indiana University.
