The track and field team is back with new tactics and methods of preparing their bodies for competition.

   In order to maximize and efficiently use the time during practice (1 1/2 to 2 hours), the track team is doing things slightly different this year. The team is large and the athletes deviate to their specialization within the sport, which can fall under a number of categories.

  The common misconception about track and field is that it is just running and sprinting. There are four main aspects of track: distance running, sprinting, jumping, and throwing.

  Each of these determines the new, unique method that the coaching staff is approaching this season. One of these methods is that boys and girls no longer mix for warm-up before practice, and that an athlete must run a lap around the track if called out for talking while a coach is.

 Senior Bri Anderson, who competes in the high jump and shot put, explains the difference between practice in past seasons compared to now.

  “Everyone goes off to their own groups, and they warm up certain body parts that relate to what they’re doing,” said Anderson. “There’s a lot of people on the team; it’s becoming much more individual than before. Our warm up is one lap around the track and two for the distance kids. The coaches are trying to maximize the time they have with their individual athletes.”

  In addition to practicing outside, the track team also makes use of the weight room. Sprinters and jumpers combine to do arm and leg exercises. Distance runners do precautionary exercises to minimize the chance of succumbing to an injury. Throwers work mostly on arms.

  Coach Lewis describes the method of working out that athletes perform in the weight room.

  “First, we started with exercises for getting back into shape, then we do a lot of full body workouts,” said Lewis. “We’re usually in there 45 minutes to an hour, but not on days before competition. Each workout is specific to what an athlete mostly does. The coaching staff didn’t feel like we were getting enough weight room time in past seasons, and now that we’re getting in there more, we’re winning meets that have been really close.”

  The track team has had a total of five meets this season. One against York Suburban on April 2 (boys lost 107-43, girls won 99-47), Kennard Dale several weeks ago (Boys won 83-63, girls won 104-44), Bermudian Springs on 9 April (Boys won 85-69, girls won 90-60) ,Northeastern on 11 April (Boys won 76-73, girls won 83-67) and most recently, Eastern York (Boys won 76-74, girls won 106-46), with an overall record of 5-1 for the boys, and 6-0 for the girls.

  Junior thrower Zach Reed admits the throwers struggled at the Suburban meet.

  “The throwing team is kind of struggling this year,” said Reed. “We came in third [for javelin and shot put], but came in first [in discus]. The coaches are doing their best, I guess it’s just the other team.”

   The Eastern York meet proved to be another close meet for the boys. Senior Kenyon Weber goes more in-depth about it.

   “The throwing and jumping really came through and got us some good points since we managed to get first through third place a few events in the field,” said Weber. “We lost points on the track though, except in the 800 [meters] and 1600 [meters]. Although we got second and third places in a lot of track events, those points add up. I give credit to our team’s mentality, leadership and our hard work.”

 The coaching staff gained a new assistant coach this season. Coach Von Stein, or Coach V, who assists Coach Lewis with training the athletes.

  The next track and field meet is against West York on Tuesday, April 23.