Both the Men and Women’s Track and Field teams have been excelling this year, breaking numerous school records and yielding incredible results at meets.
Senior Amanda Giles competes in both the heptathlon (a combination event where athletes receive a total score for seven different events) and javelin throw, though her focus is the javelin.
“Outdoor season has been exciting,” shared Giles, especially since she has been “achieving personal records in the javelin throw.”
Giles was not just excited about her own accomplishments, stating that “There have been some amazing individual performances like several long distance athletes running nation-leading times.” Yet even with all of this success, Giles explained that most people see this as a building year for the team.
Despite that, the Orediggers managed to win six separate events at the Nature’s Bakery home meet on April 22. Giles herself won the javelin throw at this meet, while teammate Jonathan Roy won the 400 meter hurdles race.
Roy, a junior, said that he has “been improving different components of [his] hurdles race” throughout the season, and he is “looking forward to putting everything together and running a big PR.” Roy also shared that the men’s team has made great progress this year, with new athletes and veterans alike breaking through personal barriers and school records.
Part of the team’s success this year may be attributed to a reorganization of weight training. Roy commented that the new weight training schedule “helps us recover from workouts more easily”, which allows the team to work harder and get stronger, leading to big performances on the track.
Giles shared that the her lifting has been “more specialized” this year, and that she worked closely with a nutritionist to recover after a tough practice and improve performance. The new weight training and focus on diet has obviously helped Giles, Roy, and the rest of the Orediggers track and field team as they continue to excel past the competition this year.
Be sure to watch Giles, Roy, and the rest of the Orediggers compete in the next home meet on April 28 and 29 at Stermole Track & Field Complex!
