Isabella Boyum was running the 800 at a steady pace and had the urge to pace her contestant. She ended up passing at the last 100 meters of the first lap. At the end of the race, she ended up in first with a 200-meter lead. She had a time of two minutes and fifty-four seconds. And she is only a sixth grader competing against eighth graders. It is crazy these new kids are so talented.
When someone is competing in track and they are at a meet they can choose up to four events to do. But they can never do four field events or four running events. They have to do a mix. If the athletes want to do four, they can but can also do less. This does not limit what track athletes are allowed to do; they can do more than that but not all at the same meet. Track athletes don’t have to do the same events every meet. They can change it up.
In track, there are five field events to choose from: long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vaulting, discus, and shot put. Then there are eleven running events to choose from which are 4×800, 100 meter hurdles, 100 meter dash, 4×200, 1600 meter run, 4×100, 400 meter dash, 300 meter hurdles, 200 meter dash, 3200 meter run, and 4×400. In total, there are sixteen events in total but participants are only allowed to do four events at a meet. Isabella Boyum says she does high jump, long jump, 1600, 800, 4×1, 4×4, 100-meter dash, and the 200-meter dash she also said, “I prefer to do long distances in running over shorter ones because I am better at long distance.”
Track is a very competitive sport to say the least. At the same time, no one is mean about it. Isabella Boyum, a sixth grader says “The high schoolers are super helpful and not scary at all.” Most of the time high school and middle school practice together. When the high school and middle school practice together the high schoolers are the role models to the newer kids and it helps the younger kids when they get to watch the older kids. Having the older kid practice with the middle schoolers it really helps the younger kids mentally when they give the younger kids compliments and acknowledge them.
Some of the records for Cannon Falls are crazy, like the boys pole vaulting record at 13 feet and 5 inches. Then the 100 meter dash for the girls it’s only 12 seconds and 32 milliseconds that short but the boys is only 10 seconds and 60 milliseconds. All the records are in the field house; they are all above the equipment storage room on a big sign.
In track it’s not practice all the time a lot of the time they condition. For instance they do med ball work, weight lift, body weight exercises, running long distance and sprints. It may seem like a lot but it really helps. Lola Winchell says “ I believe I have gotten quite a bit stronger throughout the time I have been in track. Doing strength and conditioning work almost every day.” It might be hard but all these athletes push through and it really shows in their performance.
There have been so many new kids in the past couple years, especially this year. This year there were six new sixth graders that joined. But there were also some new seventh and eighth graders. Track is expanding at a rapid pace but there is still more space for more kids in the future.
