With cross country season officially ending, the new season of winter track dawns upon us. Winter track is all about having fun with your friends while working all season trying to bring John Jay another section or state final. I interviewed 3 captains of the team to talk about their expectations for the new season and how track made them into a student athlete that they are today.

The team woke up early Sunday morning to catch the bus at 8AM to head over to the Armory in New York City. The bus ride was painfully slow, but it gave me plenty of time to interview Collin Morefield, Sam Posner, and Ryan Comstock about the upcoming meet and season. I first interviewed senior captain Collin Morefield one of John Jay’s best Cross Country and Track runners. I asked him what his expectations are for himself and the team. He said, “An important goal of mine is to run under a 4 minute and 40 second mile and to be a top 20 runner in the section.” He then went on to tell me how this year will be different than the previous three years. “ I’m a senior, this is my last year running for John Jay and I will do anything I can for this team to help us succeed. His first race went well finishing 15th out of 148 runners. His official time was 4 minutes and 54 seconds in the 1600 m run. After the race I was able to talk to him and ask him about his run. He told me he felt “comfortable” and “fast”. However he didn’t quite beat the time he wanted. He then went on to say that for him it was a fantastic start and to have that time for the first meet of the year is excellent and he has the whole season to improve and reach his goal.

This fall, the best cross country runner for John Jay was Junior Sam Posner. Posner was the only boys cross country runner to make it to states and is a solid leader and role model for the team. I asked him how winter track would differ from cross country for him and the team. “Winter track has less distance to run, but that doesn’t mean anything to myself or anyone else on the team. We work day in and day out, and we expect results to come of it. I fully expect for the distance team to compete at a high level in our league, county, and section.” I then asked Posner what his goals for the season were. “As for my goals, the goal is to run sub 10:30 in the 2 mile and sub 4:45 in mile, and hopefully be able to compete for a spot in states in February.” Posner has high ambitions for himself and the team and is really looking to make a strong impact this season.

My last interview was about how to prepare for meets and how winter track made you a better person. There is no one better to ask than senior, Ryan Comstock. “Every night before the meets I have a huge carbo load with the boys.” A carbo load is a dinner where you eat pasta,meatballs, and other food with carbs in it so you can help burn calories quicker the next day and help you get more energy. “This tradition drives me to run faster. It has also helped me become a better runner because I use the time to bond with my teammates.” Connecting with others is an important life skill that everyone should learn. This tradition and winter track teaches me important life skills that I never knew I had.

Winter track is a great sport that really brings us closer to our friends, while also allowing us to get in top shape and compete against students from many other schools in many different events. Track allows us to have fun with all the other athletes on the team and learn from some of the best coaches in the state.