It was a great season this year for the UHSSE Indoor Track Team. At Championships our boys tied for first place with Hartford Public High School. Many runners achieved new personal records and had great placement in their events. The boys won the 4×800 relay with runners Jethro Ehrlich ’26, Anthony Hudson ’25, Josh McIver ’25, and Will Pape ’27. Ehrlich won the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter races. Victor Wilkins ’26 won the 55 meter hurdles. “Overall I think the season went really well; we were able to grow both as a team and individuals. Due to that growth and teamwork we were able to win the conference,” said Pape. Our team is looking forward to and gearing up for outdoor track season and is ready to win championships once again.
This season we had many new runners join our team, and it grew faster than we thought possible. Track and Field gives us the opportunity to do what we love with people who can understand why you love it so much. With every race, every practice, and every run, you can come closer to understanding that this is what you were meant to do. It’s incredible to get to see your teammates practice every day and work as hard as possible to achieve their goals. You’ll never see them more excited and ecstatic than when they get a new personal record. It’s in seeing them jump up and down after their race and practically scream for joy when they see that they qualified for something that you see how immensely they belong. “Indoor Track has shaped me into a better leader and helped me build so many connections for the future,” said Wilkins.
We have the outdoor track season starting in less than a month and our runners are already gearing up for it. We are excited to see all of our runners continue to excel in their events and for even more runners to find a passion in this sport. “I chose to coach indoor track at UHSSE for a few different reasons. I ran track and cross country in high school and fell in love with running. I want to share that love with others,” said Coach Amy Baldyga. It’s great to see new athletes join this sport and find that they love it and want to invest their time, energy, and heart in it. This sport may take your energy and leave you sore for days, but it will give you something that you pursue for years to come. You can find solace in it, and this team will allow you to work toward your goals beside people who want the same experience. As our team continues to grow, we are excited to see what new records we can achieve.
As the season comes to a close, we have many runners who will soon be graduating from UHSSE. Even though for some this was their last indoor track season, many want to continue to compete in college, run for a club, or run as a hobby. “I’m planning on running for a club in college,” said Emmett Spaeth 25’. This track and field season may be coming to an end, but it won’t be long before our graduating runners are racing again. “I definitely think I’ll continue doing track in college. If not professionally and on scholarship, recreationally because I don’t think that I’d ever drop track,” said Wilkins. We wish the best of luck to all of our runners in the future and are looking forward to the start of outdoor track season.
