J1 Reporter Maddie Mingo

Bam! The gun sounds and echoes around the track as runners push off their blocks. Noise from coaches surrounds them, and the runners stride even harder to pick up the pace. They finally come around the bend and onto the home straightaway, where teammates line the track and cheer them on.

Team chemistry describes the Marian track team this year. With fewer numbers than in previous years, track team members have gotten to know their teammates better and form a stronger bond. They connect through eating team dinners, riding the bus, and braving the weather to watch the 4×400 at the end of the meet.

The team has high hopes for this season. If every athlete strives to reach her potential, then the track team could match very competitively with other top teams through District and State. Most athletes have set personal goals for themselves to stay on track. “My goal is to keep working and get better,” sophomore Grace Hern said. “To reach that goal, it will take a lot of commitment and pushing each other.”

So far this season, Marian has competed well. The team was fourth at Wesleyan, sixth at Doane, first in the JV meet at Bellevue East, sixth in the varsity meet at Bellevue East, fifth at Kearney, and sixth at Central. In addition to these successes, many athletes have already reached personal records. With hard work through the rest of the season, the team hopes to further build upon its accomplishments and set its sights for higher heights.

The athletes have a meet every week until the end of May and would very much appreciate any fans willing to cheer them on. After many hours of hard work and training, the team prepares itself for a successful finish to the season.