Track

With the boys team placing 14th and the girls placing 15th out of 29 teams at state last year, the track team gears up to start their 2016 season. The team this year has more girls than in the past and are hoping to send many athletes to state.

“We have a few more girls this year, a few more freshman,” head coach Rex VanBuskirk said. “We also have other girls like sophomores and juniors that have come out that haven’t come out in the past so I think our girls team will be a little better as in the past.”

Two-time high jump state champion Hannah VanBuskirk said her goals for the team this season include pushing people to work their hardest.

“[Our goal is to] get as many people to State as possible because that’s everyone’s goal,” Hannah said. “Being able to compete at a high level and State, and do well at State because State’s awesome.”

Hannah said she does not feel outside pressure to do well, however she pressures herself to do well when competing.

“I don’t feel pressure because no one is looking at me to win,” Hannah said. “I put pressure on myself, but there isn’t outside pressure, it’s just me wanting to do well, compete well at meets and practices.”

VanBuskirk said he does not know what this team will be like until around the end of April. He said it takes a few meets to understand what this team will be able to accomplish.

“Every year it’s a new experience in terms of what the team’s going to be,” VanBuskirk said. “You lose people, you add new people, you have some of the people you had before you hope they return.”

The goal for this track season, according to VanBuskirk is to improve the performances of the individual, as well as a good team score as a whole.

“For track, we usually focus a little more on helping kids reach their personal best because track is based on a time or based on a distance,” VanBuskirk said. “Focusing mainly on having the best performances they can have which usually results in a good team performance.”