It is running season and athletes are excited and ready to run.

Track season has a lot of different aspects than it did any other season; masks having to be worn, social distancing during practice and JV coming on different days than varsity. 

Even though the season is just coming to a start, many of the new regulations have not been fully sent out yet, making it hard to know what is going to happen for away and home meets. 

With the COVID-19 regulations that have been around for a while coming into the track season, things are being run differently from past years and have created new or more difficult ways for the team to cope with everything. 

“The different protocols are going to be different than the previous seasons that we had a couple years ago, including mask wearing, limited number of spectators and social distancing,” track and field head coach Scott Ferrell said. “More of the different protocols include cleaning the starting blocks, cleaning implements.”                                                                                       

With the struggle of having to think that these rules will impact the season, the regulations have not impacted junior JV runner Jordan Hess compared to other runners. He sees these new rules as a way track will be different from past years. 

“As a relatively fit individual the masks do not really impede my breathing,” Hess said. “Other than that we distance ourselves the best we can but that doesn’t impact me at all.” 

The regulations are not the only big change for the track team. There are a lot more students who have tried out for the team and a good portion are freshmen.

“More than half of the team has not had a high school track season in their career, every sophomore, freshman and the girls team is half freshman as well, so three fourths of the team has never competed in a track meet,” Ferrell said. 

Even though there are a lot of new members on the team, they are still successful as a whole. 

“We have a ton of talent, so we just have to put everything together and get everybody to peak when they are supposed to peak and stay healthy,” Ferrell said. 

  Track was not always full of regulations for COVID-19 There are always the seasons before that can be looked back on for a jump to the new season. 

“The years before were nice because we didn’t have to wear masks or worry about people wanting social distance, now it is kind of awkward trying to figure out if someone is weird about distance or not and the masks make it hard too,” freshman varsity runner Allie Williams said. 

Even though there are rough patches with the regulations, there are some positives and motives that are put in place going into practice and meets. 

“I would honestly say I am most excited to push my captain agenda, losing my sophomore year means I have one less year to impress the coaches making this season a vital one for me, but other than that I would say I am most excited to be out here putting the work in. I miss the grind and it is about time,” Hess said. 

Hess may be ready to show the coaches what he has got, but Williams is excited to have a season and meet new people since it is her first year running for the high school track team. 

“I am most excited about getting to know everyone on the team and seeing if I do good this season,”  Williams said. “Since I am a freshman I do not know very many people and it has been really nice getting to know more of the upperclassmen and becoming friends, also even though this year will be different I am hoping that I have a good season.”