On Monday, March 14 the Cook County High School track team worked on hill repeats on 8th Avenue West in Grand Marais, taking one-block sections at a time. The athletes were red-cheeked, huffing and puffing, legs churning, muscles burning, fists clenched, knees pumping, arms driving as they sought to gain the top of the block, each stride taking them one step closer to the first indoor track meet on Saturday, April 2 at the University of Wisconsin Superior Fieldhouse.
CCHS Head Track Coach April Wahlstrom welcomed 42 boys and girls out for the spring season.
With no seniors on the team and only six juniors— all of them girls—both the boys’ and girls’ squads will once again be young, but there are some talented kids coming back from last year’s squad.
“Molly Thomas is our returning quarter-miler,” said Wahlstrom, referring to the junior speedster who almost made the state meet in that event last year.
“And we have Maya McHugh [sophomore] back, who is our best distance runner for the girls and Will Surbaugh, who is the best distance runner for the boys’ team,” said Wahlstrom.
The boys’ team is really young, with the oldest members in the ninth grade. Leif Anderson also returns as a strong miler and several 7th and 8th grade boys and girls are showing promise in the distance events.
In the weight events, Emily Jacobsen returns as the girls’ top shot putter and discus thrower. Linnea Henrikson and Amelia Roth are also returning with some hurdling experience, said Wahlstrom, and several boys and girls are spending time learning sprint techniques.
The first week participants were split into groups based on their events. Distance and mid-distance runners began putting in some easy miles along with the team stretching and core exercises Wahlstrom starts everyone out with. Sprinters and jumpers worked on starts and drills suited to making them better high jumpers or long jumpers, hurdlers or sprinters. Like sprinters, shot putters and discus throwers worked on flexibility, weight training and explosive drills that will make them faster and stronger. Sometimes a good shot putter/discus thrower is also a good 100-meter or 200- meter runner.
“This year kids will try many different events, learning to see where they fit best,” said Wahlstrom.
No matter what, she said, “We have a really motivated great group of kids out. It will really be a fun year.”
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