Track and field has officially begun for the spring season. Tryouts were held from February 14-18.
This season’s tryouts had the largest turnout for both the men and women.
Elijah Stevenson, junior, said, “I tried out for sprints. It was 3 days, and we had to run 100, 150, and 200 meters every day 5 times, and we were timed. It was very hard.”
While some athletes found the tryout process more challenging, some athletes are already accustomed to harder workouts for the previous indoor track season.
Some of the athletes who attend tryouts have already participated in the prior seasons, but there are new-to-the-sport athletes.
Zariah Pulley, sophomore, said, “At first it was hard for me because I had never done track before, and I struggled a lot, but I learned to love it and push through the pain and improve on my times ”
For the men trying out for the team, there was a lot more competition. There were about 125 male athletes that attended the tryouts and only 80 made the team.
A large number of the males who tried out were a part of the Leesville football team. Running track is an option for many out-of-season athletes.
So far, the teams are off to a good start for the Pride. The opening meet was versus Broughton High School with some great results.
The men’s side dominated winning first and third in the 100-meter dash, top four in the 200-meter dash, first and second in the 400-meter dash, first in the 800-meter race, and placed top ten in all other jumps and throwing events.
The women’s side also came out undefeated winning the top 3 in all of the events excluding distance.
On Friday, March 15, Leesville faced some tough competition at the Apex Friendship Patriots invitational meet. There were some great performances for both men’s and women’s with both teams placing top ten overall in the meet.
Spring sports are in season which interferes with many practices for the team having to end practice thirty minutes early most days. But, that didn’t stop the team from beating Cardinal Gibbons at their track.
The track and field team had a meet on Friday the 22nd of March before spring break. Most of the sprinting athletes did not run in this meet due to the harsh rains.
This Wednesday the loonies will be facing off Athens Drive and Raleigh Charter. Come support the Pride at this meet.
