The combined Newport and Greenwood indoor track season has finished and the athletes are hopeful for success in the outdoor season. The practices for indoor track consisted of a timed run followed by a workout. The participating runners varied each practice, but the overall participating athletes included Greenwood and Newport seniors Lucas Beaver, Evan Duffy, Nathan Hixson, Nick Stuck, and Newport junior Matthew Tubioli.
The team’s first meet, which was to occur at Lebanon Valley College on Jan. 7, was postponed due to impending snow storms and poor conditions. The next meet took place at Lebanon Valley College on Jan. 13. Beaver, Tubioli, and Hixson competed. Hixson and Tubioli ran the 800-meter dash, and Beaver participated in high jump, long jump, and triple jump.
Tubioli ran a 2:17.65, locking in 10th place for the event. Hixson ran a 2:22.45, placing him 19th in the event. In the high jump, Lucas Beaver jumped 5’ 4’’, granting him 5th place. In the long jump, Beaver jumped 10 ’2 ”, which got him 34th place. In the triple jump, Beaver leaped 35’ 7’’, ranking him in 11th place.
The next meet, the Riverhawk Invitational, occurred on Jan. 21 hosted at Susquehanna University. The competition was fierce, featuring 56 teams. In the 800-meter run, Stuck ran a 2:07.01, granting him 11th place. Hixson ran a 2:18.61, making him place 35th, and Tubioli ran a 2:15.41, placing 28th. Beaver also attended the meet, jumping 5’ 4” in the high jump, leaping 17’ 1.5” in the long jump, and bounding 36’ 10” in the triple jump, which landed him 11th, 22nd, and 12th place respectively.
There was a brief intermission in the season of nothing but practices and workouts. The workouts were moved to the Susquenita High School’s Track because it is an all-weather track that is a better fit for practice than gravel. These workouts and practices prepared the team for the last meet of the indoor season, the Bison Last Chance Invitational.
The Bison Last Chance invitational took place on Feb. 17th, held at Bucknell University. In the 800-meter run, Stuck ran a 2:06.07, granting him 2nd place overall. Closely behind Stuck, Tubioli ran a 2:06.77, locking in 3rd place overall. Hixson also achieved a personal record at this meet, running a 2:15.62 and granting him 11th place. Beaver participated in the jumping events he previously participated in for this meet as well. Beaver jumped 5’ 4” in the high jump, bounded 36’ 2.75” in the triple jump, and leaped 17’ 11.50” in the long jump.
The team is very optimistic about the rest of the track season, and the members are already looking forward to states. In regards to what he thought of the season and the incoming outdoor track season, Stuck commented, “[I am] looking forward to indoor track and improving our times and seeing how far we can go this year.”
