Girls indoor track started on Jan. 18 and the team is preparing for another season. Last year, the team trained with harsh COVID-19 protocols and had tougher practices due to a shorter season. Even though they faced some hardships last season, the team qualified for state and plans to do it again this year. 

“We qualified for state in multiple events and we ran [very] well at state,” varsity sprinter and hurdler Nora Gannon ‘22 said.

The team is looking forward to a longer and more typical season this year.

“It will be nice this year being able to have a normal training cycle, and [to] be able to build up slower and keep everyone healthy,” head coach Greg Frandsen said. “Also, it will be nice to compete in invitational meets that were not possible last year, which will raise the level of competition.” 

To keep up with running in the off season, there was a winter running club which started Nov. 30 and consisted of two groups, one for sprinters and one for distance, with conditioning work and strength training as well, Frandsen said.   

With a normal season ahead, runners are looking forward to competing against big teams such as Downers Grove North. 

“One of the big teams that we are going to be competing against is Downers Grove North,” varsity sprinter Emma Kwak ‘23 said. “Whenever we are against them, meets are always fun and exciting because we are always head to head with each other to win.”

With girls track not having an indoor running season since 2020, the indoor conference meet is something to look forward to this season.

“This year I am looking forward to our indoor conference meet because we have a super talented and competitive conference, and in 2020 our season got cut the week conference would have been,” Gannon said. 

Runners during the indoor season juggle lots of different events during meets. 

“For indoor, the events that I run are the 4x160m relay, 4x200m relay, 200m, 300m, and 55m dash,” Kwak said. “Coach Frandsen also wants to put me in a couple 4×400 meter relays this season.”

This season, the team has lost an assistant coach who worked with the runners and the pole vaulters.

“It is tough to lose [a coach like that], who did a very nice job with our pole vaulters, but we will still have someone working with and coaching the vaulters so we should be okay, it may just mean more work for the other coaches,” Frandsen said. 

While the runners are ready to get back into running and competing again, they are also looking forward to building team chemistry.

“I am looking forward to building more friendships and being an upperclassman this year,” Kwak said. “I am also looking forward to running in our relays because that’s what we are amazing at.”

The team and head coach are expecting to do well during the season especially with an extended season.

“I expect our team to compete very well in conference and be in the hunt to win the sectional meet,” Frandsen said. 

The girls will run next against OPRF and Downers Grove North at home, at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24.