As the spring track and field teams kick off the season, athletes compete for Wadsworth to come out on top. The two major running categories are distance and sprints, where the field events include long jump, hurdles, high jump, throwing, and pole vault.
Distance running includes the 800m, 4x800m, and the mile, although some schools classify the 400m as a distance event.
In these events, runners do not need to stay in their lanes through all of their laps, which sets them apart from sprints.
Sprints are a track event that are short-distance runs.
Usually, the runner stands in a 4-point stance position and then pushes off of blocks, although they are optional. If a runner starts before the gun goes off, they are disqualified from the event.
There are many different distances when running sprints but the most popular are 100, 200, and 400 meters.
“The best part of track is just running in general and gaining experience,” said Freshman Tori Sams who has ran track for three years
High jump is a field event where athletes run up to a pole mounted between two stands and jump over the pole. The objective is to jump over the bar without knocking it off of its stand.
Each jumper has three attempts at each height. If the jumper knocks the bar off, they do not get scored, however they are not disqualified.
Long jump is a field event. Jumpers run up to a board on the ground, and push off of it to try and clear the furthest distance, without faulting. Faulting is when a jumper steps past the board in their jump.
“My favorite thing about long jump is that I don’t have to run that far,” said Senior Emily Nagel who has been high jumping for six years.
Throwing is another field category that includes two separate events. These events consist of shot put and discuss. Throwers place the shot put or discuss near their shoulder and push the weight off of them with one arm. The distance the weights are thrown is measured by a metal string.
The boys shot put weighs about twelve pounds whereas the girls shot put weighs about eight pounds. Shot puts are specially weighted metal balls, and discus are flatter Frisbee-like metal discs.
Hurdles are a sprinting event with hurdles placed every nine meters apart. Hurdlers do not get deductions for hitting the hurdles while jumping. Although, hitting a hurdle slows them down.
“Hurdles are way harder to run than sprints,” said April Fenzel, a freshman who has been participating in hurdle events since the end of her eighth-grade year.
Pole vault is a field event where vaulters use a flexible pole to propel over a bar at a certain height. Each vaulter has three attempts at each height.
On the Wadsworth track team, there are about seven vaulters. Freshman Jakoby Currens is one of them and has been pole vaulting for about two years. Although Wadsworth Middle School does not compete in pole vault, Jakoby had the opportunity to practice throughout his eighth-grade year.
“[The season] is going pretty well,” Currens said. “We have two pretty good vaulters who are doing really well in the meets.”
“Pole vault takes a lot of commitment and determination but it always ends up paying off,” said Junior Stephanie Novak, another vaulter for Wadsworth. “I also really love the atmosphere of the pole vault team because I have amazing coaches who are super reassuring and are always supporting me.”
The Wadsworth 2024 track season has been progressive as the athletes have grown, not only as individuals but also as a team.
“Pole vault has really changed my life for the better and I am very happy that I decided to try it freshman year,” Novak said.
Many other athletes have found a place in track and field and continue to make connections with others through it.
