Jenna O


     Track Season

     Every year usually during March track starts. It’s either a very good year of track or a not so good. This year as NFV it is very different! We do nothing like we did last year. All the things we did last year are completely different compared to this year in track.

     We run around the track course twice for warm up. Then we go into the school, do stretches. When stretches are over we run from the school to the Clermont IA cemetery and back to the school.

     As soon as we get back to school, we do sprints! If we do not run outside (due to bad weather) Usually we will do field events or we run through the high school hallway down into the elementary through the multi for 10-20 minutes! It is usually very hot in the school while we are running.

     After we run for 10-20 minutes we do exercises. There are 10 exercises set up in the multi and we do each exercise, lasting thirty seconds to a minute long. Track practices this year are boys and girls combined, and there are over seventy of us. It is difficult to keep track of what we are doing. This year in track I think it is more of an exercise than a sport, but that is just my opinion!

     When we work on hand-offs, we bring the baton under to pass onto the next runner, not over. Last year we brought the baton over our shoulder to pass onto the next runner, we are learning a different technique this year.

This year we have three coaches, and last year we had one. Our coach last year would pick certain people that were in their event and take them to their event site such as the long jump, hand off’s, high jump, hurdles, long distance runners, and the throwers.

     This year we do everything all together. They have not picked the people to go to their own events. We run a lot! The practices last a lot longer than last year. I’m not sure why. I do enjoy having boy/girls during practice because it motivates us to keep going!

     Last year we had to compete to try to make it to state. We would have to sprint in a certain amount of time to qualify for state. We all had to beat our personal goal. I qualified! I beat my 4X2 and 4X1 goals.

     When I went to state it was May 4th, 2013. I ran the 4X1, 4X2, and the sprint med relay. It was the coldest day of May. It was cold, windy, and snowing! But the experience was worth being in the bad weather. I will try my best to make it to state again this year!