The question that many students have asked over the years—when we will have an indoor track team—has finally been answered. It’s surprising that a school the size of IHS is one of the last double-A schools in our region to have an indoor team. The main reason we have not had a team in the past is budget issues. The passing of the budget by the Board of Education with the support of new Athletic Director David Hanna was needed to start the team. This year, with Hanna’s help, an indoor track team was established for the first time in IHS history.
This is great news for the outdoor track coaches because now they have an extra four months of training to prepare athletes for the outdoor season. Coach Weishar and Coach Baker have expressed that it is hard to prepare athletes with only three months to train, making it difficult to compete with other schools. Schools that have an indoor team have the extra time during the winter to train, giving them an advantage.
The coaches have high expectations for the first season of indoor track, and are hoping for a large number of committed athletes to join. Whether one is part of outdoor track, cross country, or is simply looking to try something new, as Coach Weishar said, “[indoor track] is a great way to get fit and strong for other sports. I would challenge all those other athletes that aren’t doing anything in the winter to come out for the season.”
You may be wondering what an indoor track season would look like. It’s different from outdoor track in three significant ways. Indoor track offers the additional events of the 55 m, 300 m, 600 m, 1000 m, and 55 m hurdles. IHS does not have indoor track facilities, so students should be prepared to practice outside during the winter, up and down hallways, in the multi-purpose room, or in the weight room. Although indoor coaches are hoping to be granted access to Ithaca College’s brand new indoor track, this presents additional problems because practices would have to be held later and transportation could very well be an issue for many student athletes. Indoor track practices will be held Mondays through Fridays, with only one meet over the weekend rather than dual meets like in outdoor track. Overall, one should expect a season with a strong foundation in strength training, such as weightlifting and plyometrics, as well as a more individual focus, as there are a smaller number of athletes than in outdoor track.
The first meet will be held on December 3 in Cortland and the last meet, States, will be held March 4 in Staten Island. The indoor coaches look to the outdoor season with high anticipation. When Coach Weishar was asked about his goals for the season, he said, “Our goals are high. We’ve always focused on being a post-championship team, and now we’ve got seven months to build into the championship season now that we have indoor track.”