America Runs On Winter Track

Arms pumping, muscles aching, lungs working harder than they have ever worked, and suddenly the anticipation of reaching the finish line first courses through your body.  Without hesitation you continue your actions, pushing yourself further and further until you are dangling on the brink of exhaustion.  Within seconds you’re crossing the finish line, out of breath, but proud. Members of winter track are very familiar with all of this. But are you familiar with the fact that Heritage now has a Winter Track team?

Yup, Heritage now has its very own Winter Track team!  This year will be the premier of our Winter Track program, and while this is an accomplishment, many wonder why this hasn’t happened sooner.  Why is Winter Track last to join our trio of running sports? Such as cross country and track and field in the spring.  Our Athletic Director, James Totaro, is able to explain why this sport hasn’t appeared until this year.

“We haven’t had as much interest in the past,” explained Totaro, “it sort of has been growing as other programs have started going, and we had to find people that were willing to coach. We had to find people that were willing to raise the money for it.”

Totaro compares the process of admitting Winter Track into the program with how field hockey was introduced.  All sports are in need of coaching, money, and of course players to participate.  Every sport went through this process, and it just so happened that Winter Track wasn’t as popular until now.

It is inferred that athletes of endurance sports, such as cross country and track and field, will be the main participants of Winter Track, but Totaro introduced another reason for others to participate in Winter Track.  He offers the idea that athletes may use Winter Track as a type of training during their off season or preseason.   Totaro also mentions that Winter Track introduces more variety into the winter sports category.

“For winter sports, if you don’t play basketball, it leaves you swimming or wrestling, and that’s it.  There’s not a lot of options,” said Totaro about our winter sports program.

As said before, Winter Track’s main percentage of athletes comes from other endurance enhanced sports; cross country and track and field.  While the addition of Winter/Indoor Track to our athletic program may seem like just another sport, many runners use Winter Track as a training opportunity to help them succeed in the future.

“I like to stay in shape and have a good start to the outdoor season and next years cross country,” said Adeline King, a junior who is looking to use Winter Track to improve for later seasons.

The inclusion of Winter Track not only provides a training opportunity for the athletes, but also the ability to track their success from their last season to the upcoming track and field season in the spring.  Through Winter Track they are able to look back upon their scores and use it to challenge themselves for the spring season.

“I’d actually be more motivated to do spring track because I’d want to see if the training pays off,” said Nina Costanza.

The aid Winter Track provides for the athletes is remarkable, and without a doubt helpful for their personal success.  Whether it be shaving off a few seconds, or a few minutes.  Costanza states that she would use Winter Track to focus and improve on more specific details in her events.

“Last winter especially I got out of shape and sort of lost focus of running and this year it would help to stay focused,” said King, showing the importance Winter Track has brought to her.