Despite the chill of an April afternoon athletes from State High and Mifflin County competed against each other on the South Track. State High won the meet with outstanding performances from runners, throwers, and jumpers.

“We’re doing really well, and winning a lot [of meets],” Senior Ava Michael said. Ava runs 100, 200, 400, 4×100, and 4×400. Foot races took place throughout the entire meet. Athletes from both schools raced around the track, participating in races of various lengths. Coaches kept watch, hoping to get an idea about their athletes’ performance.

“It’s early in the season,” Coach Evans said, “so watching [the meet] to help athletes understand their performance goals and what is needed for improvement is important. It’s always super exciting to see how athletes are progressing in their training.”

A number of athletes were also looking forward to the spring season, which kicked off with the first outdoor meet against Harrisburg and Chambersburg on April 3rd.

Mirhet Strauss, sophomore, said, “I’m really excited for this meet. This is my first time doing spring track, and I’m really looking forward to it,”

However, not everyone was so optimistic. “ It was really cold and windy. I definitely ran better last week,” Masha Staub, senior, said, referring to the meet on April 3rd.

The weather was a big component in this meet. The sky was overcast, there was plenty of wind, and the temperature never got above 50 degrees. Ceyda Ural, sophomore, is a pole vaulter, and the presence of strong wind is a factor in her performance. “I think even though the weather is rough, I think I did really well,” she said.

Sophomore Jessica Lose runs 100, 200, and 4×100. When asked for her thoughts on her performance, Lose said, “I’m proud on the 100, it’s pretty cold and maybe it’s affecting performance, I have to warm up more to avoid injury.”  

Overall, it was a great start to the outdoor track season with a win against Mifflin County and building anticipation for more wins to come.