Every lap, every practice, every run leads up to one moment: a race that could last less than one minute. The culmination of winter track team members’ season is the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches’ (OATCCC) indoor state championships.
Senior Jon Hedrick said, “Being a senior, we’re having our last practices as Sycamore track athletes. No matter how hard the workout is or how awful we feel after finishing it, I always enjoy the pain because I know that in a few months, this will all be gone.”
In order to be eligible for this meet, runners or relay teams must place top 35 in their particular event on the performance list. This list is generated by the results from pre-arranged qualifying meets.
Though 35 runners are considered, only the fastest 18 will have the opportunity to compete at the meet. The reason that 35 participants are included in the qualification process is that some people will not run in every event that they are capable of at this level of competition; each participant may not run more than four events.
The meet took place on March 5 in Akron, Ohio. SHS sent a total of seven individual runners and five relays.
Senior Jeremiah Hunter said, “We all went out there and did our best and competed and that’s all anyone can give. We went up there with a goal to compete to the best of our abilities and that’s exactly what we did. We have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Looking forward, the team will immediately enter its spring track season. Winter track has kept the athletes in shape during the cold season, which should translate into a smooth transition to outdoor competition.
Hedrick said, “Our goals for this spring are pretty simple: never lose a race. Our sights are set on the GMC championship meet. After that, we’re preparing for the outdoor state championship, where we have no doubt of winning the state title.”