3 minute read
sports
from March Issue 2020
For the hundreds of LHS athletes involved in track and eld, spring is synonymous with the track season, which o cially started on March 9. In 2019, both the LHS boys and girls track teams were State champions, an impressive achievement in itself, made better by the fact that it was the fourth year in a row the boys team won the State meet. As a result, there are certainly high expectations for the 2020 boys and girls track seasons.
With a total of 16 meets planned for the varsity and junior varsity LHS track teams in 2020, the athletes will have many opportunities to compete, qualify for State and hopefully, win. Since the meets are spread out over approximately two months, there is plenty of time for athletes to improve upon their times or distances, depending on which events they compete in.
Advertisement
LHS junior Isabelle Schroeder, a middistance runner, hopes to cut time o of her main event, the 400m dash.
“I would like to get my 400m time either at 60 seconds or under 60 seconds,” said Schroeder.
LHS sophomore Lauren Merkley, a sprinter and long jumper, is also looking to push herself this season, as well as encourage her teammates to victory in the two most important competitions of the season: State and Metro. During the Metro meet, the top varsity athletes from each of the Sioux Falls teams compete for each event. e State meet is essentially the same thing, except it involves all of the South Dakota schools and is spread across multiple days. “My personal goals are to beat my personal best in long jump, 17 feet 2.5 inches, and then also get the top LHS time for the 4 x 100m relay,” said Merkley. “My goals for the team are to win State and Metro.”
In order to achieve the ambitious goals, the LHS track athletes have set for themselves, training outside of the spring season is a necessity. Winter speed workouts, which started in December 2019, were a great way for athletes to either stay in shape or get in shape. However, the most motivated track athletes took matters into their own hands, working out on their own to enhance their athletic abilities. Schroeder was one of the athletes who placed an increased emphasis on o -season training this season.
“I’ve been practicing endurance training pretty o en,” said Schroeder. “I’ve also been in the weight room a lot more this year.”
For many track participants, the season could not come soon enough. Head LHS track coach James “Jaws” Jarovski, in particular, is looking forward to the season’s commencement.
“I’m excited just to get started,” said Jaws. “It’s really just a fun group of kids to be around.”
Coming o of the two State titles won in the 2019 season, the LHS track team is certainly poised for success in the 2020 season, and Jaws is optimistic for the team’s performance this year.
“I think we have kids on both the boys and the girls teams that are going to be really good,” said Jaws. “And those kids will be competing for State titles.”
Regardless of the victories and losses, the LHS track athletes are sure to have a very exciting season just by getting to train and compete together.
“My favorite part about track is my teammates and coaches because they make it so enjoyable,” said Merkley. “Everyone is so close- it feels like one big family.” BY AVERY BLACKMAN
