Off-Season Track Hits the Ground Running

The track team at Fair Grove High School has been preparing for their season since the start of January.

With the second most players in the school (second only to the football program), this year’s track team has a large variety of students. This will be freshman Nevaeh Lahey’s (9) first year on the high school track team. Lahey plans on running the 4-by-2, 4-by-1, 200-meter dash, and the high jump. “My love for sports and running got me hooked!” Lahey said.

Esais Baird (11) participates in the 4-by-2, 4-by-1 and does the high jump. Baird is on the track team because of his love for competition and the ability to meet with other competitors. Liam Draper (10) ran all the relays last year and jumped in the high jump, but Draper would like to focus on the 400-meter dash more this year. Draper shared, “Track is one of my favorite sports. I enjoy how many friends you can make different meats and how close you get with the team throughout the year.”

Draper explained, “We have been having off-season track practices where we work on form and do some conditioning, and I think that will help her track season by us already being in shape because last year the first two weeks were spent just getting us in shape.”

There are not many girls who are doing off-season track due to conflicts with basketball, according to Lahey. However, the girls that are participating in off-season track are building up with jogs and burst sprints.

Draper has great expectations for the boy’s track team this year. He says this because Fair Grove’s 4-by-1 team just barely missed state last year, and he thinks they have a great shot at state this year. Draper’s biggest goal for high school is to win state in the 400-meter dash.

Lahey shared, “I don’t have a lot of confidence in my track season, because I’ve struggled to stay in shape, but if I work and condition enough I think it could be a good year!”

Draper mentioned he has always loved watching track in the Olympics and loved to run, so he decided to put the two together and join track. Draper conveyed that he has made some big strides in his ability to run from last year. He feels he has gotten faster in the 400-meter dash, and he feels he can be a true competitor in all of his events.

Track season starts very soon, and Draper and Lahey can not wait for the season to start up once again.