The Gorzycki track team is off to a great start this season, competing fiercely with their rivals Small, Bailey, and other schools. The Zone Championship is this week on 4/26 and 4/27, there’s still a lot of good races to come for the Tigers. The athletes have been working hard, and are ready for whatever obstacles are thrown their way.

Seventh grader Sadie McDonald runs the open 100 and is in the 4×200 and 4×100 relay.

“I love running these events because the relays are fun and the 100 is my favorite sprint,” McDonald said. “They both have a lot of competition and that helps me push myself harder.”

Many athletes participate in both field events and running events. Seventh grader Cash Peters runs the 300 hurdles, the mile, the 4×200 relay, and also does long jump. He explains why he prefers running events over field ones.

“I like running events more because when you’re running you get that moment when you feel like you can do anything,” Peters said. “It’s a lot of fun, even if you’re tired at the end.”

There are variations of the regular running events, such as the three relays and two hurdle events. Eighth grader Joshua Chiman gives advice to students who want to try out for the 100 hurdles or 300 hurdles.

“I run the 300 hurdles, and there is a lot of tough competition,” Chiman says. “Hurdles take a lot more skill than the other events, so you should never give up when you’re learning how to do it.”

It can be difficult to run a race you’re happy with and drop time every week, but when you do it’s very rewarding. Eighth graders Alexa Palmer and Halle Severson share the best race they’ve had this season.

“My best race this season was the 300 hurdles at the meet at Bowie,” Palmer said. “I improved my time, and now I’m only two seconds off the district record.”

“My best race so far has been the 800 in our very first meet,” Severson said. “It was tough race, but I got through it by imagining someone was chasing me. That way I was able to finish strong and get a new best of 2:46.”

The athletes on the track team not only face competition from other schools, but also from their teammates. Peters shares a tough challenge that comes from being on the track team.

“You have to try to improve your time every week, because everyone else is too,” Peters said. “If you don’t get faster there’s a chance you’ll lose your spot in the meet.”

Many sixth and seventh graders want to try out for track next year, and current track athletes share tips they’ve learned that helped them make the most of their tryouts.

“Start preparing now,” McDonald said. “Start by doing a short run everyday just to get in shape. Don’t be afraid to try out for everything; that way you have a better chance of making more events.” Eighth grader Evan Mallett said. “Make sure you have experience running track, and know where your strengths are.” Halle said.

The atmosphere of track is unique from most sports because of its team and individual aspects. Many track team members such as Seventh grader Ana Mariena love the supportive environment of the track team.

“One of my favorite parts of track is the family atmosphere and how supportive everyone is of one another,” Ana said. “We’re like one big family, and that makes running and getting better a lot of fun.”