Track and field, what’s the vibe?

Track and field can be a confusing and chaotic sport for spectators and athletes alike. So many events are going on at once, each with its own strategy and theme, and athletes are required to pay attention to the announcements and be able to check in for their events on time or face disqualification. Some events require throwing a disc, while others force you to sprint as hard as you can. Some events require passing a baton to a teammate at high speeds, without dropping it, and still others require using a vaulting pole to spring yourself into the air and over a bar and land safely on a mat.

Sprinting

This is the part of track and field that most people visualize when thinking of this sport. It consists of 100m, 4x100m, 200m, and debatably 400m and 4x400m. Athletes must run as fast as they can for distances that vary from one length of the track to an entire lap in races that usually last under a minute. “I like being fast,” sophomore Jack Bretell said. “I like beating others and winning my heat; it’s great.” “I like how being a sprinter pushes you,” freshman Elsa Neukom said. “I really like the feeling that you get after a sprint when there’s lots of adrenaline rushing through you. It kinda makes it all worth it, even though you were in pain for a little bit.”

Long Distance

Depending on who you ask, long distance might be referred to as the “commercial breaks” of the meet or the most thrawling battles of will. These athletes run any event over 400m (1 lap). Long distance running includes the 800m (2 laps), 4x800m (8 laps, 2 laps per person), 1600m (4 laps), and the 3200m (8 laps). Athletes prepare for their grueling events by running an average of 4 miles per practice around Arcata to stay in shape. “I try not to think about running when I’m in a race,” freshman Cedar Bunch Cramer said. “I just try to focus on my surroundings, particularly with the people I’m with. I like running with my friends. But, I still want to push myself when I see other faster runners.” Sophomore Evan Poston looks up to many athletes for inspiration and just how to be a better runner overall. “I look up to Steve Prefontaine, Coach James, Coach Davita, Nathan Whitney, and you [Levi Browne],” New long-distance runner, sophomore Plavi Vainuku started running twice a week, with distance, reflecting on his first experience. “Oh, it was terrible,” Vainuku said.“We kept running up this hill, and I started seeing colors. It was a terrible experience overall; the 5 miles were not it.”

Pole Vault

This is an event in track and field that requires lots of technique. To successfully move on, the athlete must hoist themselves into the air, using very long “vaulting poles,” over a bar, and land onto a thick cushion mat, without knocking the bar off. Each athlete is given 3 attempts to clear the bar before being disqualified. If they move on, the bar’s height is increased, and the attempts reset, giving everyone who moved on 3 more attempts to make it over the new height. The person who can make it over the tallest height, in the least amount of tries wins. “I’m able to convince myself to flip myself upside down and over the bar by knowing that I’ll come back down,” senior Mayleah Jackson said. “I focus on getting a good plant and takeoff, and just making sure to throw my pole behind me and twist.” 

Jumping

There are three kinds of jumping in track and field: the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. In the high jump, athletes are supposed to run toward a bar at different heights, jump over the bar backward, and snake their body over the bar without knocking it off. “You really can’t overthink it,” sophomore Miguel Obezo said. “Pretend like no one’s watching and be yourself.”

In the long jump, the athlete must run toward a pit of sand in a straight line. Once they get to a painted line before the pit, they can jump into the air and land safely in the pit of sand. The jump is then measured from the closest point of the line to the sand and the closest mark of the jumper touching the sand. The length is then recorded, and the person who gets the farthest distance wins. “I like the jumping part,” sophomore Chris Bogar said. “I love the feeling of the air as well.”

With the triple jump, once the athlete reaches the first painted line, they have to touch the ground 2 more times before jumping as far as they can and landing in the pit of sand. “I focus on my technique and making sure to get strength out of each step,” sophomore Eóin McGoldrick said. “I do triple jump because everyone in my family does it. It’s almost like a tradition.”

Throwing

Throwing involves a group of athletes throwing the discus or a “shot” as far as they can. Men use a 1.6 kg Disk, and women use a 1 kg disk. The throwers’ throw is then measured from the end of the throwing line to the first impact point. For shot-put, the men throw a 12-pound steel ball, while the women throw an 8.8-pound steel ball. “The best part about being a thrower is hanging out and throwing PRs!” sophomore Skyler Collenberg said.

Hurdles

These three events might be some of the most challenging events that Track and Field has to offer. The events include the 100m hurdles, which is a women’s only race; the 110m hurdles, which is a men’s only race; and the 300m hurdles, which is done by both men and women. Hurdles involve being a sprinter while also being able to jump efficiently over obstacles that vary in height depending on gender, junior varsity, and varsity status. “I need to gain a lot of speed; otherwise, I know I won’t make it over,” freshman Quincy Kelly said. Kelly also said that even if she stutter-steps, she can still make it over, but she won’t keep her momentum after landing.

Overall, the vibe of track and field is a healthy mixture of community and competition, where we practice and train with each other to run faster, jump higher, and throw farther. Whether it’s taking out and setting up the heavy pole vault equipment, trying to get across a patch of concrete in your spikes before your race, or being asked to sub for the final race of the day, the 4x400m race, we all try to have a good time.