The winter track season started with the introduction of young runners and new sprinting coach Travis Greene.
According to returning sprinter and sophomore Emma Knoke, Greene has acclimated well into the track community.
“We all really love him. He knows what he’s talking about and he’s been a really good coach,” Knoke said.
Non-sprinters, such as junior Ariana Wheeler-LaFuente, have also expressed positive reflections of Greene’s pioneer year as a coach.
“I don’t do sprints, so I don’t know the coach that well, but he seems cool and most people seem to like him,” Wheeler-LaFuente said.
In addition to a promising new coach, success from the previous cross country season has provided reason for runners to have a positive outlook on the upcoming winter track season.
“We have so many good distance runners and Coach General is great,” Knoke said. “We had a lot of people join distance this year, so hopefully they can help out too.”
Wheeler-Lafuente shares similar views with Knoke in regards to the favorable outcomes of the cross country team this past fall.
“I think that success from cross country will carry over. We will definitely dominate the distance events,” Wheeler-LaFuente said.
Quality coaching and encouraging performances from cross country have not only built a promising basis for the winter track season, but have also built bonds within the track community. Positive attitudes have boosted the morale of the team, enhancing friendships between runners.
“Everyone on track is really nice and we’re all like one big family even though we’re ultimately competing against each other,” sophomore and returning runner Sam Hasset said.
Knoke has also benefited from the close team dynamic.
“We’re all pretty accepting and I wouldn’t be friends with a lot of the people that I am friends with if it weren’t for track,” Knoke said. “With upperclassmen as well, we’re all on the same team and they’re also really accepting of everyone on the team, no matter your level of competition.”
Track will compete in their first meet on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Episcopal High School.