This winter sports season, AIS introduced a new school sport: winter track. The team was small but mighty, and won several medals at the February 14th DVG Consolation Meet: Sydney Puriefoy ‘24 earned second in both the 55 meter and the 200 meter, and Maya Johnson ‘23 earned third in the 800 meter.
Reflecting on the team’s first season, Ella Brown ‘23 says, “Most of us weren’t sure what to expect. I, and most of my teammates, had never been to an indoor meet before, so this season definitely was full of a lot of new experiences for all of us!”
The team practiced four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. After a warm-up run and stretches, the team would have a specific workout to do. “The workouts were usually different depending on the event a person was training for,” Ella Brown said. “So for example a distance runner would typically run more in a workout than sprinters, who would have a workout more focused on speed for shorter distances.”
Liana Krontiris ‘25 said, “The practice was usually hard. Coach Pat would push everyone to their limit, but it made us stronger.” She said her favorite part of winter track was seeing how she improved. “I’ve never done anything like that.”
Often the practices were outdoors, in weather that could be below thirty! When asked how she survived, Blake Stefan ‘23 says, “The first week was definitely a struggle with the cold. We each dressed in tons of layers – long-sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, and leggings with sweatpants on top. We even wore hats and gloves some days! Although it was freezing some days, we each got used to the weather and it eventually didn’t phase us.”
The runners’ hard work paid off, and the whole school is proud of their several medals and personal records. Go Owls!
