Varsity track runners prepare for pre-state, successful season
Sophomore Kalli Anderson takes off from the starting blocks during the 4 x 100 meter relay. The girls 4 x 100 relay team took first place at Pre-State.
The 2016 track season ended with a girls state title and numerous top three individual finishers and high expectations for next year. On Friday, April 14 the varsity track team attended the Shocker Pre-State Challenge at Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University.
In previous years, the Railer throwing team has been the only group to attend Pre-State while other schools take their full teams. This year, both running and field events competed at the meet.
“We hadn’t been to Pre-State as a team like that for a lot of years, so I didn’t know what to expect,” head coach Tad Remsberg said. “It’s a high level competition meet and I thought that they handled it really well. If they work hard in practice and we, as a coaching staff, get them in the right events they’ll succeed. We can only take care of our athletes and they can only take care of themselves.”
Attending and competing at the Pre-State meet was record breaking for two runners. Sophomore Kalli Anderson broke her personal and school record in the 100 meter dash after being out for breaking her foot during the summer and ran the 12th fastest time ever in the state of Kansas.
“I was feeling nervous [at Pre-State] but after I got into my blocks and did my first run out I was pretty confident. I believe confidence is crucial in life and in sports,” Anderson said. “I didn’t really expect to break my own record again. The new goal is to break this new record now.”
Anderson was not the only athlete to break a personal record. Breaking his own previous personal record in the 200 meter dash, senior Kade Remsberg also broke the school record.
Running the second leg of the 4 x 100 meter relay, senior Kade Remsberg takes the lead at the Winfield Invitational.
“It felt like I was going pretty fast, but I didn’t think I was going to break my record so I was pretty surprised when I heard I did, “Kade said.
Having a coach with the traits that Remsberg possesses has helped athletes find and develop their strengths.
“Remsberg is a cool coach. He’s really helped me a lot. He was there when I was little and he’s the one who’s helped me through it all. He is an amazing coach,” Anderson said.
Bringing the full team to Pre-State was a new challenge, but it brought benefits to the athletes in the long run.
“Overall we performed well. Our distance performed well and our sprinters and throwers performed well,” head coach Tad Remsberg said. “I know our expectations will always be to be at the top at league, regionals, and state. We want to be one of the top teams,” head coach Tad Resmberg said.