On Monday, Feb. 17, the girls track and field team placed in the top three for ten events and fourth place overall at the Wildcat Open in Winter Park. Unlike most sports, track and field is made up of three components: sprinting, long distance and field events. This results in teams composed of a diverse set of athletes, each equipped for their specific task.
Senior and varsity team member Olivia Chapman won the Discus with a mark of 34.77 meters.
“I love [my events]. There is no other event I would rather do,” Chapman said. “I have poured so much time into my events, but I don’t regret a second of it.”
Chapman was also second in both the Javelin with 22.70 meters, and Shot Put with 9.5 meters. She added a total of 26 points for the girls’ team.
“My life is built around track and field,” Chapman said. “I’m going to be a Division I athlete next fall, and I can’t wait. That’s the dream to throw in the big leagues with some of the best throwers all over the world, but it’s each step at a time.”
Freshman Dakota Dwyer and junior Soleil Schnoor both placed highly in their respective events, contributing to the team’s point total. Dwyer won both the 100m, with a time of 13.30, and the 200m, with a time of 27.42. Schnoor got second place in the 400m with a time of 1:01.90.
“I started track and field in kindergarten…a pretty long time ago,” Schnoor said.
Since then, Schnoor says she has faced hardships, but has stayed strong throughout.
“In the moment [of a race], it’s definitely excruciating pain, but in the end, it’s definitely worth it,” Schnoor said. “If it’s a good race, I feel pretty proud if I’m, like, in first or second place.”
On another side of the sport, sophomore Grace Bomkamp runs long distance events. At Wildcat, she placed fifth in the freshman and sophomore 800 meters with a personal record of 2:51.61.
“They [the girls team] really helped me be the better version of myself, [a] better runner,” Bomkamp said.
Later in the day, she placed third in the freshman and sophomore 2400 meters with a time of 10:28.67, earning her a medal. Bomkamp said track and field has become an important part of her life, adding a community of friends.
“I run every day, so it’s just kind of like part of my routine,” Bomkamp said. “I really like the girls in the team, and… we just have a lot of fun together.”
