Every year, around this time, the track team begins their season by heading out to the track day in and day out. They are constantly trying to improve their quickness and speed at every practice, everyday of the week.

Both the boys and girls track team has to put in extra effort outside of school to make sure they maintain top shape.

“Ideally we should run and condition weeks before track practice even starts,” senior Anais Barnes said. “Not only is it about getting your muscles prepared and worked out, you’ve also got to maintain a healthy diet.”

Being physically fit is only half the equation; they also need to keep a positive attitude in order for season to keep running smoothly.

“It starts with a healthy mind set,” Barnes said. “You’ve got to have a positive attitude to be your motivation. Practice can get difficult, so you’ve got to stay positive to get through the workouts.”

Many of the members in track have to set personal goals in order to be able to progress throughout the season.

“I am looking forward to beating a lot of my personal best records,” Barnes said. “I’m also looking forward to this season motivating me to work harder, and most importantly teaching myself to be a better athlete.”

The track team is expecting to have a better year this year, while reaching all the goals they’ve set for themselves last season.

“The thing that I’m looking forward to the most is making it to regionals again because I know we will and I believe in our team this year,” sophomore Mariah Stewart said.

Stewart has been apart of the varsity track team for two years now and has been a major asset to the track team according to head track coach Amanda Thomas.

“I am the first leg of the 4×100 and the 4×200 meter Varsity relay teams,” Stewart said.

Track has had a lot of positive outcomes such as having several athletes making it to regionals in the past year, and hopes to finish this year with many of the same achievements.

“This season I want our relay team to make it to state,” Stewart said. “Also, I want to get far in my individual 200 meter dash.”

Reaching regionals is what the entire track team is aiming for, and just one of the accomplishments they are training for.

“My main goal to accomplish this season, is getting back to regionals and hopefully competing at the state level,” Barnes said. “ I was a regional qualifier my freshman year of track for high jump, and I’m looking forward to ending my high school track career with a bang, which is destroying the competition with whatever event I compete in.”

Many of the members of the boys’ track team last year had made it to regionals, and they are held to the same expectations this year and to even beat some of their own personal records.

“The boys track team last year qualified for regional’s in the 4×100 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay,” boys head track coach Chris Thomas said. “We also had a regional qualifier in the open 200, the long jump, and the high jump. The boys also had the district champion in the 100 meters in the JV division.”

With the upcoming season starting, many of the members are already prepared for track’s first meet.

“Track practice started about three weeks ago,” Thomas said. “Our first meet is February 23rd. Our practices are from 4:30-6:00. After our first meet, practices will be from 5:15-6:15.”

Attending the track meets and representing Akins has its benefits, every meet is always a new experience according to many of the track athletes.

“The meets are really fun,” Stewart said. “You get a lot of time to bond with teammates as well as meeting new people.”

In the past years, the environment at the meets has given the opportunity to many of our athletes to be able to build relationships and bond with people who represent Akins as well.

“We are a giant group of Akins kids,” senior Evan Ortiz said. “Eating the bananas, granola bars, drinking all the water, and sleeping. It’s a fun time waiting around with everyone who represents the same school until it’s your turn to race. But it’s even more fun when we win.”

Track meets last a while because of all the athletes who are competing throughout the day in their events, trying to win points for their team.

“We wake up early to ride the bus to arrive early,” Ortiz said. “We stay late because we are competing all day, so track meets last for ten hours. It may seem long but it goes by quickly because most of the time your with your friends.”

Ortiz is just one of the many track athletes who has also set personal goals to reach by the end of his last season competing for Akins.

“I have two goals,” Ortiz said. “My first is to make it to regionals and my second is to break the school record of 4:40 in the mile. If I can do complete both of those goals then I will feel like I have accomplished something here at Akins.”

If running track or doing an event sounds like something that would be fun, don’t be afraid to show up one day to the practices and start training.

“Don’t be nervous,” Thomas said. “The practices are short, about an hour long, and you develop friendships with students that could last a lifetime. Track is open, within reason, to anyone who wants to represent Akins High School in a positive, competitive manner. Come out and be apart of a fun track family.”