Indoor Track: "The Middle Season"

When most people think of Track, they think of being outside on a 400-meter track, but many don’t know about Indoor Track. Indoor track is just what it sounds like: track but indoors! It is typically run on a 200-meter track and has some of its own events that are specific to the indoor sport. Indoor Track athletes have the option to participate in the 55m*, 55m hurdle, 300m, 600m, 1500m race walk, 1000m, 1500m, 1600m, 3000m, 3200m, 4x4 relay, 4x8 relay and 4x2 relay. In addition to the running events, there are also field events which include the high jump, long jump, triple jump, shotput, weight throw, and pole vault. 50+ athletes at Kenmore West participate in these events almost every weekend. The ultimate goal of athletes is to have fun while improving their times and attempting to qualify for sectionals. Seniors Aidan Bieron, Aniyah Mungo, JJ Hodges, and Heze Mercado, among many others, have already hit the qualifying times for the sectional championship meet. 

Indoor Track is both a mentally and physically challenging sport. Athletes work extremely hard at practice everyday and attend meets that can sometimes last over eight hours. At the end of the day, athletes say that it is the team environment that makes indoor track such an enjoyable experience. “Everyone is friends with everyone and we all enjoy spending time together, laughing and supporting each other at meets,” says Senior Shona Boehmer. Indoor Track is a sport that is really for everyone; there are a multitude of different events to run and everyone is sure to find one they enjoy and are successful at. 

Many athletes use Indoor Track to get themselves ready for the Outdoor Track season, which is more important than the indoor season to many. Outdoor Track is the pinnacle of track for many athletes and the only way to achieve success in that season is the hard work and dedication put in during the indoor season. Athletes grind out a combination of pyramids, repeat intervals, and recovery workouts every week at practice to achieve success for that weekend’s meet. Coaches Panepinto, Madore, and McDougal work as a team to ensure athletes achieve and surpass their goals. All athletes have put in hard work and persevered through the difficult training block and are ready to race full speed into competition season which ramps up right after winter break. 

*m=meter