The CHS Girls Track and Field team began their official season Monday, February 14th. The 77 athletes have participated in two to three months of training to prepare them for the competition soon to come. 

“The coaches have us focus on speed, endurance, and injury prevention to keep us in top shape and so we can perform highly in several events. Our practices consist of many different types of training depending on the event each person is in,” varsity sprinter and senior Camryn Dunn explains. 

Once the season begins, the runners will attend eight practices a week from Monday to Saturday including two practices on both Monday and Thursday. The coaches have decided to implement consistent weight lifting as a requirement for the athletes in an attempt to avoid injury. 

“During practices, the girls will separate based on the event they specialize in and each event entails different training. But injury prevention is something all the girls will be working on this year,” Head Coach Lindsey Moskalick says.

Injury prevention is vital, especially competing against the team’s rivals. Chesterton has consistently placed second in the DAC behind Lake Central.

“ I am excited to see how we match up with Lake Central and Valpo this year because we are always going head to head with them,” Moskalick adds. 

Track and Field is a rigorous sport. It requires a sense of maturity from each athlete as well as commitment. Without it, it is impossible to succeed on the team. 

“If you are going to commit to being an athlete, it’s not just being committed when you are in the sport. It is also committing to the 22 hours outside of it, getting the right sleep, and eating properly making sure you foam roll and stretch to make sure you put in as much effort as possible,” Moskalick concludes. 

Dunn, a state qualifier in 2021, is entering her fourth year on the girl’s track team and has experienced the commitment the team requires.

“The team has to commit their time and effort toward the sport as well as having the internal drive to make themselves better,” Dunn adds. 

Due to the infinite commitment the athletes are required to provide, the team has many goals. 

“My goals for the team this season are to become DAC champions, Sectional champions for the fourth year in a row, as well as becoming Regional champions and qualify as many girls as possible in-state. I am also looking forward to putting down PR’s (personal records) in my individual events as well as mentoring the underclassmen before I go off to college,” Dunn expresses. Throughout her track career, Dunn qualified for State her freshman and junior years. She will be attending Miami University as a sprinter.

The team will have their first meet in three weeks against a variety of teams at an indoor meet. Once the weather permits, meets will take place every Tuesday where the girls can showcase their skills to the rest of Northwest Indiana they are a force to be reckoned with.