The winter track season has begun! Although the distances and field events are limited during the winter track season, the athletes and coaches are looking forward to this year’s winter track team. Winter track is an option for everyone, from people who continue to run track in the spring, to others who use winter track to get ready for other spring sports like soccer and lacrosse.
As a distance runner, my favorite event is the mile, but in the spring I will try out for soccer. I’m excited to meet new people and get faster on the track.
Alyssa Alvarez is a pole vaulter who is also running distance during this winter track season. Alvarez, a freshman, has been running since middle school. During the fall sports season she ran cross country, and in the spring she plans to participate in track meets while also trying out for the soccer team. She’s looking forward to the conference meets and continuing her pole vaulting career.
Grace Carter, a junior, has also been running track since middle school. Carter runs mid-distance, and her favorite event is the 800m. She has yet to decide if she will be participating during the spring track season but had fun practicing cross country in the fall.
The track coaches at Middle Creek are Coach Fisher and Coach Willix. Coach Fisher, in his 17th year of coaching, is coaching the distance runners this season. Coach Fisher was a hurdler in high school and used track to stay in shape for soccer. Although he didn’t start running until his sophomore year, he went on to run in college where he was an All-American runner. This season he is excited for several things, including “a full season, [giving] seniors a full season, [and] for the young crew coming up.”
Coach Willix teaches weightlifting and is coaching the sprinters this season. During his high school running career, he was also a sprinter. Willix states his running career was “very short, just in high school.” Coach Willix has been coaching for six years in total, and this season he is “excited to meet all these new kids and work with them.”
Winter track is a great sport. You can meet new people and set new goals for yourself. It’s great to see how much you can improve in one short season. A lot of people say they don’t like running, but have you ever given it a chance? Participating in winter track is a great way to stay in shape or get in shape, and I encourage you to try out next year!