Track and field will hold its only home meet of the season from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 24. Eight district teams will compete.
“Being [at my own campus] is more calming for me because I’m surrounded by a familiar area with familiar people,” pole vaulter Leeah Boyd said. “Some of my friends come to [this] home meet [and] don’t go to away [meets], so I feel more supported.”
At the meet, there will be 17 different field and running events. Head coach Chance Edwards said Coppell is the biggest competitor in the boy’s district, and Lewisville is for the girls. Edwards said he loves watching the students get excited for the upcoming meet.
“The home meet for the coaches [is] not super exciting because it’s a lot more work to undertake,” Edwards said. “But, it’s enjoyable to watch the kids get excited about it because they perform harder [and] better.”
Each student is selected for an event based on their sprints, jumps, throws and distance. First period track and field practices distance running and fourth period practices sprints, jumps and throws.
“{At home meets], you have more reason to beat the people you’re running against and more motivation,” runner Brooks Mitchell. “You’re practicing every day, so when you’re racing somewhere where you’re practicing, it kind of feels like second nature and feels like home.”
Boyd said the home meets require more dedication from the athletes because of having to prepare for the meet, but also having to help run the event such as setting up field events.
“It’s definitely a different atmosphere being [on] our home field because this is where we train,” Boyd said. “This is where we feel more comfortable. Hopefully, we [receive] better results, [and] good performances. Overall, being home is more hype.”
Track and field will have its district meet at Marcus High School on April 3-4. Edwards said that, by the end of the season, he thinks he will have a state-ranked distance runner with Elijah Rivera Campos, a state-ranked thrower with Chloe Barber and a state-ranked pole vaulter with Boyd.
“[The] goal each round [is] to send as many athletes and [in as] many events as possible to the next round until you get to the regional finals with the chance to go to state,” Edwards said. “That’s [just our] goal, as it is every year.”
