"The Fire's Burning"

First, there’s the weather, which in Central Virginia runs the gamut from cold, rainy, and blustery to warm and temperate, sometimes in the same week.

 

As practitioners of the sport understand so well, you take what you can get, enjoy the breezy, mild, sunshiny days, deal with inclement conditions as best you can, make adjustments when you must, and get the most out of every workout without complaint or excuse.

 

Then, there’s the schedule. Every meet is a road trip, whether it’s a five-mile drive through town or treks to Woodberry Forest, Lynchburg, Hampton, or Virginia Beach, all of which have venues with 200-meter tracks which can accommodate a decent-sized assemblage of athletes, coaches, and spectators.

 

Winter track, though, is much more than a daily, why-am-I-putting-myself-through-all-this? experience.

 

It’s a sport that’s often perceived as an individual endeavor, but it’s really about camaraderie and team building, about making each other better and working together to achieve excellence in whatever form excellence takes. It’s about goal setting and “digging deeper” when you think you’ve expended every ounce of energy left in your being. It’s about not just showing up but being present, rounding each turn, and running through the finish, both literally and figuratively.

 

This past winter season, upwards of 200 athletes participated in Collegiate’s winter track program. The number is enormous, of course, but it’s consistent with the turnout in recent years.

 

“Winter track is a choppy season,” said head girls team coach Beth Kondorossy, referencing the weather factor and the on-again, off-again nature of training considering the breaks in the school schedule.  “It’s all about maximizing the time we have together.”

 

It’s also all about peaking at the right time and surpassing expectations based on past performances.

 

Collegiate’s girls team placed third in the League of Independent Schools championship meet and fourth in the state.

 

Penn State commit Gabi Deglau won the shot put in both competitions and at states increased her school indoor record to 40-4.5, a foot farther than her previous best and a distance that places her first in Central Virginia and fourth among all throwers in Virginia in her event.

 

Junior Azaria Bailey, a relative newcomer to the pole vault, won the LIS title in her specialty in 9-0, a personal best by six inches.

Eighth grader Rosie Ferrell won the 1600 (5:24.94) and 3200 (11:56.22) in the LIS meet and a week later at states placed second in the 3200 (11:47.96). Freshman Ashley Grace Johnstone finished second in the state in the shot with a personal best throw (by an unheard-of three full feet) of 32-1.75.

 

In the LIS meet, Virginia Harris, another 8th grader, was second in the 1000 (3:18.45), Harper Hailes second in the high jump (4-6), the team of M.K. Myers, Harris, Sophie Sloan, and Kendall Boggs second in the 4x800 (10:10.66), Giles Ferrell third in the 1600 (5:37.80), and Kenley Campbell third in the 500 (1:21.36).

 

“Milestat predicted finishers, but we outperformed the performance list in some areas,” said Coach Kondo, referencing the online site for all things track and field in Virginia. “It was really exciting to see kids who put in the work the whole season peak at the right moment and really compete for team points.”

 

The boys team placed fifth in the Prep League and eighth in the VISAA.

 

“Even though we weren’t competing for team championships, our guys worked hard, pushed themselves, and had a common goal of winning a championship even though it wasn’t there at this point in time,” said Brent Miller, head boys coach. “They did their absolute best to set the stage for those who follow. It’s their work that keeps the momentum going in the right direction.”

 

In league competition, senior Stan Craig, an Amherst commit, placed second in the 1600 (4:24.61) and first in the 3200 (9:49.41). A week later, he finished second and recorded personal best times in both the 1600 (4:24.29) and 3200 (9:31.61).

 

Collegiate’s other top-three finisher was junior Ned Bradshaw, who placed third in the pole vault with a jump of 13-6, a lifetime best.

 

“Our two head coaches did a great job of getting athletes out and placing them in events where they could find success,” said Matthew Richardson, program leader and distance coach. “The theme of this season was senior leadership passing the baton to the next generation. That’s what it’s about. It’s about the relationships and figuring out that you don’t do this life on your own. You do it with teammates and with great leaders and with people you care about.

 

“The fire’s burning. Depth builds, and as kids learn more about the events and we begin to fill some gaps, we’re going to take our culture of excellence that we have into future seasons. I’m excited to see it happen.”

  ~ Weldon Bradshaw