Teams run toward unusual Fall 2 season
Theo Kamperides isn’t sure what this most strange of indoor track seasons has in store for him, but he’s hoping to drop his times in the Fall 2 campaign.
The Whitman-Hanson senior and Herald All-Scholastic in cross country has packed away 50-mile weeks through the winter on the trails and back roads of his hometown and doesn’t believe the potentially chilly weather will affect him on the outside oval.
“My goal is to PR in the 2-mile at least,” said Kamperides, who has a personal best of 9:58 to go along with a 4:43 in the mile. “We really can’t have meets because they’re virtual, but it’s good to be back with my teammates and coaches.”
Teams have been practicing since Feb. 22 for the season that will run until April 25. Central and western Massachusetts started later because of the snow. What the meets entail will depend on the league and safeguards against the coronavirus that have been established. Kamperides, for example, competes in the Patriot League which will conduct its dual meets virtually. The times will be compared and places determined. If he wants to race to a personal best, chances are good that he’ll have to push himself against the clock and not others in his race.
Notre Dame Academy head coach Rick Kates is thankful for the season if nothing else for the mental well being of the athletes, some of whom haven’t been on a track since last winter. “Indoor track is a great excuse to get in shape for outdoor track,” said Kates. “The kids are just looking for routine and anything we can do to build that is good.”
While many of the teams will be competing outdoors because of a lack of indoor facilities, they’ll be racing indoor distances on the larger track. The long jump and short jump will be the lone field events along with the 55-meter dash, 55 hurdles, 300, 600, 1,000, mile and 2-mile.
Kates, once again, has a big team with 80 athletes and they have observed the safeguards well in the opening two weeks. Shot putters have their own personal shot to use for the season and wipes are used generously on the equipment, with masks a must. Kates has separated his athletes into smaller pods based on their events and how far along they are heading into the opening meet on March 22 against Fontbonne. He expects them to change as the season continues. And with virus numbers seeing a decrease, Kates is confident the outdoor campaign, which starts on April 26, could offer more meets. “I think we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Notre Dame’s season in the Catholic Conference will include three dual meets and a league meet. The number of meets in other leagues vary and some schools won’t be fielding teams at all. Others, such as the South Coast Conference and Greater Boston League, are running cross country.
“It depends on what you have,” said Kates. “Every program is a little different and there is no set standard. It’s so random because every school has different policies. I think people are happy seeing things happen.”
Norwell coach Chuck Martin hasn’t found the training aspect of the season to be much different. His teams have always done the majority of their workouts outside and if there is the snow on the track he makes good use of the school’s parking lots and access road.
The South Shore League has seven scheduled meets per team and Martin believes every competition the Clippers get in, the better. “Cross country was cut short so knowing it could end any day, I’d be happy with the one meet a week,” he said. “It’s really not about winning meets. It’s about having a season. It’s definitely going to be a season like no other.”
Martin plans on using the season for conditioning and look to a more competitive campaign in the spring when the weather is warmer and more conducive to faster times. “You don’t want the kids cranking out their fastest mile and 2-mile because they have to go to the end of June,” he said.
The Quincy/North Quincy tracksters have had greater access to their facilities because fewer teams are competing in the Fall 2 season. “I think it’s worked out fabulously because we have an indoor track upstairs, we have the gym and an outdoor track,” said head coach Geoff Hennessy, whose team competes in the Patriot League. “It’s worked out as well as it could.”
Teams in the Patriot League will compete virtually in five meets plus and in-league meet at Pembroke. “It seems like we’re trending in the right direction, but who knows,” said Hennessy. “The good thing is that spring track starts later and continues later. The kids will be able to compete in the better weather.”