Indoor Track
By Samuel Hays
Imagine this: You’re lined up on the track, your legs are loose and your lungs breathe in the dry crispy air of the indoor track. Hundreds of people are crowded in the building, all to watch you race. That’s how it feels to run Track indoors. Indoor season is often overlooked in the grand scheme of high school track. It usually lasts two to three meets, but it can be a memorable time for runners.
Photo of Gabe Baughman (right) taken by Tori Janowski
“Indoor is something that I still am very inexperienced in, but it has been something that has been a blast to compete in!” exclaims Gabe Baughman, a junior at Owasso High School.
This is Baughman’s first indoor season, and so far, he seems to enjoy it. Baughman did very well at these indoor meets, claiming a personal record (PR) in the 800m.
Baughman Proclaims, “My 2nd race was the 800m, and I was able to PR. Overall my races gave me a new racing experience and a personal record. All in all, I am very happy with my performance.”
Gabe wasn’t the only runner who did well. Several runners scored some amazing PRs, getting closer to a school record.
Casey Little, a senior, ran an outstanding 4:24, only three seconds slower than Owasso’s school record.
Little states, “Obviously, it would go without saying, but that school record is definitely a thought. But in actuality, just having the opportunity to compete well this season is something I am hopeful for.”
Most of the school records haven’t been broken since 2006, so it’s a big deal when runners get this close to breaking them this early in the season.
“So far, our indoor season has been a great taste of what we are capable of achieving this season,” Little claims.
Indoor season is a great sneak peek to see how a team is shaping out. Usually, teams haven’t maxed out their training yet. Indoor is simply a great refresher course for the actual outdoor track season.
Baughman states, “I believe that a great number of runners can benefit from the racing knowledge from indoor that can be applied to outdoor meets.”
The indoor track may be half the size of an actual track, but runners can still learn lessons about racing and apply them to other races. It’s a great teaching mechanic for the younger JV runners.
Owasso Track’s ability to learn and progress from seemingly minuscule meets is going to allow them to be better runners later on. The indoor season provides a clean transition from cross country to track, allowing runners to see a preview of how their season looks. And for the Rams, the future track season is very bright.