Running Out of Time to Celebrate Our Seniors

Heritage has an extremely admirable Class of 2023, more specifically, our senior runners on the Winter Track team. We recently were able to celebrate our senior runners at our home track meet on January 12th. Senior night is a great way to quickly highlight the wonderful seniors participating in winter track, but it is not enough time to really do justice to honoring their success and contribution to the team over their years.

Cassidy Chappelle acts as a valuable sprinter and jumper on the team. He specifically runs winter track, and discusses the struggles of running in low temperatures.

“Track is mentally challenging mainly because of the intense workouts but having to do them in freezing weather every day.” Although winter track is a demanding responsibility, Chappelle still manages to create memories of his successes. “My favorite memory this year would be the 4×4 on senior night because the crowd was electric.” Chappelle has big goals for this year, stating that he wants to “accomplish competing in states this year with my team.” Although track is not his main area of athletic focus, it serves as beneficial training for his spring sport. “I’ve gained an immense amount of stamina and mental preparation for my upcoming soccer season.”

Summer Boone, who originally started out as a longer distance runner, has become a very powerful sprinter on the team. She thrives in the 4x200m relay and even helped her team qualify for states in the 2021 season. Boone states that the biggest difficulty of running is hitting a wall, an issue that all runners face. “I really wanna get off the plateau and show myself that i can do it and end my last season with a bang.” Since she is passionate about her main sport, lacrosse, winter track is the only season Boone runs for Heritage. Although Boone can only run one track season per year, she has still managed to create and strengthen her friendships with teammates. “My favorite part is the team and support we all give each other,” Boone states.

An iconic member of the team, Bobby Hoey has been running Winter Track since his freshman year. He is mainly a mid-distance runner, stating that ¨400 is definitely the best event, especially the 4×400 relay.¨ Hoey has proven to make sure that his running experience is one he can look back on fondly, even if something didn’t turn out the way he planned. When asked about a memory he has of winter track, he responded ¨I have a ton, but a really good one was running the 500 at Shenandoah.

I had an absolutely terrible race because I slipped out of the blocks, but looking back it’s pretty funny.My coach was kinda skeptical of me too until I ran really well at the next meet.¨As a senior, Hoey is able to look back on who his biggest inspirations were, and who made him the runner he is today.¨My coaches have always been great and super encouraging, but I definitely also looked up to a lot of the upperclassmen when I was a freshman. It’s definitely something I try to keep in mind now that I am the upperclassman.¨ Hoey expresses that he would like to continue running following his high school career. ¨I really do want to continue running in college, maybe not as part of team, but at the very least on my own. Not only is it helpful to keep myself in shape, but it can also be very cathartic for me.¨

Another very valuable asset to the team is Asia Thomas, who is a mid-distance runner that thrives in the 500m, and has qualified for states every year in the 500 since she was a sophomore. Thomas talked about how track takes a lot of discipline since it is almost everyday. Between almost every week and practices five-six times a week, track takes a lot of physical and mental discipline.“With track you must train consistently in order to maintain your progress.” Thomas states. Even though training can sometimes get very tough and discouraging, Thomas is very supportive of her teammates, and they love the energy she brings to the team.

¨My favorite part of doing well at meets and seeing my teammates,¨Thomas said. One of her favorite memories were team dinners after meets, giving her an opportunity to relax and have fun after a hard day of racing. “This is a good time for the team to get together for something unrelated to running and just be themselves and have a good time.” Thomas´s main goal for this season is to run a new personal best time in the 500m and the 4x800m relay. At this point in the season Thomas has already qualified for states in the 500m, but the grind doesn’t stop there. She still pushes herself to the limit every meet and has shown everyone that she gives 110% every single practice. Thomas is very determined, and acts as a huge role model to the younger runners on the team.

Justin Pendergast is an outstanding distance runner. His favorite track event is the mile (1600 meters), since to Pendergast it is the perfect balance between speed and distance. ¨Every mile I run is full of energy and excitement,¨ Pendergast mentioned. Running is a sport that is very formative for building character and mentality.

Pendergast has seen significant mental toughness and has gotten better at controlling his mind and building a sense of dedication that has extended to nearly every facet in his life. His favorite part of the sport is definitely the competitiveness of it. Pendergast said, ¨I like how cutthroat and objective it is, because it allows you to truly notice your progress and status.¨ Pendergast stated that there is no better feeling than winning a race or running an all time PR. Something most people don’t realize is how much of a mental sport track really is.

¨You have to constantly be rejecting the doubtful nature of your mind when you run. In most races, you get to a point where everything starts to hurt, but for a good race, it’s imperative that you prove you defy your mind and run faster,¨ Pendergast said. He noted that one of the most difficult things for him in track is lack of improvement. Hitting a PR is a great feeling, but there “comes a time in every runner’s career that even though they are constantly training and putting forth the most effort they are not getting that PR”. Pendergast said that although this is annoying to run consecutive races without much gratifying success he is able to use it as his fodder to train harder.

Celeste Castro brings positive energy and an encouraging nature to the team. Castro is a distance runner stating that her favorite event is the 1000 in Winter and 800 in Spring, with the 4x8m relay having a special place in her heart. ¨My favorite memory was going to states in the 4×8 last year,¨Castro said.

She has mentioned that going to states or improving in general is no walk in the park, but the end result of all your hard work is truly amazing. Track takes a unique type of mental and physical discipline that most other sports often don’t take. In addition to Castro’s main sport, cheer, she admits that track is a sport that requires a lot of mental and physical strength and focus. Castro has learned over her years of running at Heritage that ¨for track you need to make sure you are properly fueling your body in order for you to perform your best.” She also clarified that in order to succeed in track you must also succeed as a student. “You need to be ahead of your schoolwork because we usually leave in the middle of the school day for meets.”

Coaches Insight

Some people who have seen wonderful growth in the senior class as well as helping them get there are the amazing coaches on this team. When joining track you get to pick the group that you think you would fit in best with based on your abilities. Heritage has five coaches, the distance coaches, Coach Merriman and Coach Matt, the sprint coaches, Coach Vaughn and Coach Crownwall, and last but certainly not least, Coach Moss who coaches the throwers. Even Though the coaches have their specific focuses for the team, they are encouraging and supportive to all runners participating. This track team is definitely a family and the coaches and seniors help solidify that.

Our girls distance coach, Coach Merriman, states what a pleasant experience it has been to train the seniors through the years. She goes into depth about how much they have grown, and how they “have become leaders and role models”. Merriman states that the seniors this year have shown immense commitment as a whole. “Everybody is pretty dedicated, because you have to keep coming out in the cold and running in the dark. They still tell everybody how much fun it is and encourage others on the team,” Merriman expressed. “We have a lot of kids that dont run in the other seasons, so they do this because they like it and have a lot of fun with it.” The positive attitude of this year’s seniors is one that Merriman has noticed, and one that she hopes will remain in cycle. “The younger kids are looking up to the upperclassmen. When the seniors have a positive attitude and work hard, that sets the standard for the younger kids on the team.” When asked what words she would use to describe this year’s seniors, Merriman stated that they were “Enthusiastic, Fun, and Talented.”

Coach Matt Holton has noticed as runners the seniors have been consistent with their training, so week after week, and season after season you can see them getting stronger and faster. He goes into depth about how much the seniors have grown since they were freshman.¨ They are more comfortable and confident in what they are doing. As teammates they are able to be leaders¨ Holton said. They can also help out their teammates and guide them since they have more knowledge and understanding of the sport itself and the team, and they are able to mentors. He would describe this class as “committed, consistent, and fun.” This class has shown leadership and dedication to the team by stepping up and leading practices when necessary along with helping to build team culture. Holton has really come to notice the encouraging nature of the seniors, stating that they excel at ¨welcoming new people and really building a team culture that will last long after they are gone.¨ Holton has noted that the current seniors are such great influences and role models to the underclassmen because when upperclassmen have positive energy it affects the whole team. “It sets the tone for the team and the environment.” Holton states.

Although Coach Cornwall started coaching at heritage last year, he has still seen wonderful improvement in the seniors. He has noticed that the seniors are very versatile, resilient and hardworking. Cornwall said they have shown leadership by ¨training hard, listening to the coaches, and teaching the young athletes how to be resilient and push through it.¨ They all have not been hesitant to be open and honest with the coaches. This year’s senior class is a group of very positive and helpful people. Cornwall expresses that track is a tough sport, and it is good for newer runners coming into the sport to see people who have been in it longer. ¨Since the older kids are still doing it, it gives them a chance to hang in there,¨ Cornwall said.

This class of incredibly talented individuals have made such an impact not only on their coaches and teammates but on each other. They have truly left their mark on the Heritage Winter Track team that will last for many years to come.