WITH MANY HIGH SCHOOL WINTER SPORTS HALFWAY THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE SEASONS, THE INDOOR TRACK SEASON HAS JUST BEGUN. WITH ONLY 3 WEEKS OF PRACTICE UNDER THEIR BELTS THE CODY TRACK TEAM HAS COMPETED IN TWO EVENTS THUS FAR AND HAVE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. IN THEIR FIRST MEET THE CODY FILLIES WOULD GARNER A 2ND PLACE FINISH AND WHILE NO TEAM SCORES WERE KEPT AT THE LATEST EVENT IN GILLETTE, CODY’S GRACE SHAFFER WON THE 55-METER HURDLES AND THE POLE VAULT WHILE TEAMMATE RILEY SMITH TOOK 1ST IN THE 3200 METER RUN AND SECOND IN THE 400 METER, TO LEAD THE TEAM. I TALKED WITH HEAD COACH OF THE CODY TRACK TEAM BRET ENGDAHL AND HE GIVES HIS EARLY IMPRESSIONS ON THOSE TWO ATHLETES.
“RILEY SMITH, OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN VERY STRONG SINCE SHE WAS A FRESHMAN. SHE’S A JUNIOR NOW RETURNING. SHE’S AN OUTDOOR STATE CHAMPION, INDOOR STATE CHAMPION AND DOING REALLY WELL. HAS SOME TOUGH COMPETITION. GRACE SHAFFER WON OUTDOOR LAST YEAR IN 4A. SHE’S HURDLING REALLY WELL AND DOING SOME GREAT THINGS.”
WHILE THIS INDOOR TRACK SEASON IS STILL YOUNG, IT’S A SHORT SEASON AS THE STATE TOURNAMENT TAKES PLACE IN MARCH. WITH A SEASON THAT LASTS JUST TWO MONTHS COACH ENGDAHL TALKS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT PRESENTS.
“WE HAVE A NINE WEEK SEASON TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE’RE READY TO GO. SO WE’RE TRYING TO GO FAST BUT KEEP PEOPLE AS HEALTHY AS WE CAN. WITH TRACK IF YOU’RE REALLY SORE AND AREN’T ABLE TO GO IT’S PRETTY TOUGH, SO WE’VE GOT TO KIND OF BALANCE THE GETTING YOURSELF TO A FITNESS LEVEL AND EXECUTION LEVEL WITHOUT BEING INJURED AND CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.”
SPEAKING OF MOVING FORWARD, THE CODY TRACK STARS WILL BE OFF THIS WEEKEND BEFORE RETURNING TO ACTION FEBRUARY 8TH. COACH ENGDAHL TOUCHES ON RAMPING UP THE WORKLOAD AT PRACTICE DURING THE OFF WEEK.
“IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, AN OFF WEEK, WE’RE ABLE TO PUSH THEM A LITTLE HARDER CAUSE THEY’RE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THAT SORENESS AND HAVE 12 DAYS IN BETWEEN EVENTS. SO WE’RE GOING TO PUSH THROUGH, THEY HAVE A PRETTY HARD WORKOUT TODAY. THEN TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TOMORROW AND FOCUS MORE ON FUNDAMENTALS AND DRILLS. THEN WE’LL GET THEM AGAIN. IT’S KIND OF A OFF ONE DAY, ON ONE DAY, A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND JUST KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT AND GET THEM A LITTLE BETTER THAN THEY WERE A WEEK AGO.”
COACH ENGDAHL GOES ON TO ADD WHAT HE’S LOOKING FOR OUT OF THE ATHLETES GOING FORWARD.
“I JUST LIKE TO SEE THEM COMPETE AND GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER EVERY WEEK IN THE SKILL AND THAT SORT OF THING. IT’S EXCITING TO SEE THEM IMPROVE. THE GREAT THING ABOUT TRACK AND FIELD IS EVERY KID CAN IMPROVE AND YOU SEE IT BASED ON TIME OR DISTANCE. EVEN KIDS THAT MAYBE AREN’T COMPETITIVE STATE-WIDE CAN STILL SEE THAT ‘I’M GETTING BETTER THROUGH THE WORK I’M DOING’ AND THAT’S KIND OF UNIQUE TO TRACK AND FIELD.”
THE CODY INDOOR TRACK TEAM WILL COMPETE AT THEIR NEXT MEET FEBRUARY 8TH WHEN THEY RETURN TO NATRONA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL IN CASPER FOR THEIR SECOND NATRONA INVITE.
