On the morning of December 14th, the first track meeting of the school year was held. At the meeting, head girls coach, David Chatlos; and head boys coach, Mark Krause, were present alongside a few event-specific coaches: Gibbs, Klug, and Boling.
“Our coaches are currently some of the best in the state,” Chatlos said.
Two years ago, Liberty North won third place at the state championship. Last spring, they won second. This upcoming track season Chatlos and Krause are truly hoping for that number one spot in the state. These aspiring coaches are also planning to begin pre-season practice to get committed athletes strong and ready for spring.
“The most important time to train is during winter,” freshman Nate Haberlach said.
However, when curating specific schedules for each event, the coaches also have to consider MSHSAA regulations. While they would like to start the off-season earlier, the off-season for spring sports cannot begin before December 31st due to MSHSAA’s regulations. The coaches have decided that the official practice schedule will begin right after winter break, January 8th. Despite this, some athletes are already beginning individual training.
“To prepare for the upcoming track season I have been trying to run every day, in order to preserve the running strength I gained during the cross country season,” sophomore Joe Ridder said.
Ridder, alongside many other runners, is building up their endurance even though official practices haven’t begun. Haberlach too, said he is running 8 miles a day to keep in shape before the season has even started. These strong athletes are incredibly willing to prepare themselves for this upcoming track season. Although MSHSAA regulations seem to take freedom away from sports, they also ensure the safety of athletes. Chatlos mentioned one of MSHSSA’s key requirements for athletes to complete before spring, sports physicals.
“Athletic physicals are super important because they can serve as a safety check for anybody who might hurt themselves by overworking their bodies,” Ridder said.
