Running through winter season; Indoor tracks first meet at Bel Air

Despite the frigid winter weather and recent COVID restrictions, North Harford’s indoor track team continues practices and meets outdoors. 

      Currently, the team has two practices a week and meets on Saturdays. “Practices are sometimes canceled because of the cold,” junior Nathan Santana says. “We don’t have anywhere to practice indoors.” Similarly, Junior Finely Lavin says, “usually one practice gets canceled a week.”

      Practices are on the NH track and junior Jodylynn Cadden said, “when it’s really cold it’s miserable and hard to run.” Santana also says, “when practicing we still have to keep our distance, but we don’t have to wear masks outside. We cannot share water anymore.”

     The team’s last meet was against Bel Air, “where we didn’t do our best,” junior Finely Lavin says, Cadden adds that overall “the girls got eighth place and the guys ended in fifth.” 

     Santana said that “only half of the team was able to show because [I] think people think it is too cold to run outside.” Despite the team’s mediocre performance, Lavin said, “we are getting better as a whole.”

     Junior Matthew Chaney, a sprinter, says, “[I] finished first in the 55m dash and second in the 300m dash.” Freshman Cael Simms says, “[I] got first in the 800m distance run and [I] got fifth in the 500m sprint.” Also, Simms says, “for my lap in the relay [I] participated in the 4 by 800m relay and my team finished fourth.

     At meets, team members are divided into groups depending upon the type of running one performs. Cadden said, “there are different events you can run, including sprinting, distance running, and relay [running].” Cadden herself is a distance runner, along with Lavin and Weaver. 

     Another member of the team, sophomore Grace Conklin explains another event, hurdling. She says, “this is my first year doing hurdles and [I] am learning how to do the basics. I originally started indoor track for lacrosse conditioning, but now [I] have started hurdling.”

     Because there are no locations hosting indoor meets currently, student runners say the cold conditions are not ideal for running. Lavin states, “sometimes it is hard to breathe in the cold and it is harder to get your muscles warm. You have to wear multiple layers during practice.” Also, Weaver adds, “Essex Community College is not available for indoor meets, which is normally where we would compete.”

      Unfortunately, there are no upcoming meets scheduled, due to the rise of COVID. Simms says, “the only meets scheduled right now are regionals and states.”