Track Members, Soccer Team Respond To Delay
McDonald County High School seniors members of the track team and the girls soccer team discuss the delayed sports season.
Those most affected by the delay of the start of spring sports at McDonald County High School are the seniors on the four spring sports offered at MCHS. Below boy and girl senior members of the MCHS track team give their thoughts on the situation.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association’s latest announcement came on March 24. It stated that the association was still planning on spring sports championships, but that all team practices, including the informal gathering of team members, is not allowed.
All interviews were done by either text, email or phone.
1. How do you feel about postponing the start of the season?
Tyler Moritz — It’s really disappointing since, for me, it is the end of my extracurricular activities.
Elijah Habert — At first, it hardly phased me. I figured things would be back to normal before we knew it.
Kelli Brennand — I’m sad. I had goals and was really looking forward to meeting them. Without practice, I won’t be able to reach those goals the way I had planned.
Adyson Sanny — I was sad when I found out. However, I had already prepared myself for the possibility.
Rita Santillan — I feel upset that we didn’t get to compete at our last home meet and show people what we’ve been working for.
Sammi Dowd — Very sad. I want to cry every day.
Jackie Grider — I was definitely sad when they postponed our season — especially it being our senior season — and I was so excited to get back in the ring and get after it.
Chloe Teague — Postponing the start of this season really discouraged me a lot. I was really excited about our first meet coming up, but with the news of our season being postponed, it really made me do a double take on what was happening.
Ragan Wilson — It’s upsetting to think that this could all be over and we never even got a chance to start it, but I’m trying to stay positive that we’ll get to start back up soon.
2. What did you think when it was announced that spring sports were postponed and not canceled?
Moritz — Very excited, but not sure if it will hold up.
Habert — I was hopeful that things would calm down enough for us to have a season.
Brennand — I was upset as anyone else would be. However, I was thankful that it hadn’t gotten canceled.
Sanny — I was happy to hear that MSHSAA was staying optimistic and not jumping straight to canceling the entire season and we still had a chance to compete our senior year.
Santillan — I was relieved that we didn’t get it taken away and we still have hope to be able to compete one last time.
Dowd — It made me not as upset, but I do not think that we will get very much of our season if any at all.
Grider — My first thought went straight to we still have a shot. (Being a thrower this is funny.) Knowing that it’s just on pause gave me hope that we will have a season, still getting reps in on my own time.
Teague — I was surprised that spring sports were not canceled, yet extremely grateful at the same time.
Wilson — I wished I had enjoyed the last three years more because they might have been all I get for my high school track career.
3. What are you doing to stay prepared for the season when it starts?
Moritz — A few of us have met up and ran together.
Habert — I’ve been occasionally running here and there in my neighborhood but, with what’s going on around us, my hope for our season continues to slowly disappear.
Brennand — I’ve been doing at-home workouts to build up strength and I’ve been doing the workout coach has posted.
Sanny — I am doing the workouts the coaches send whenever I can and staying hopeful.
Santillan — I’m running around my neighborhood and doing some things I know I need to get better at. I’ve also been making up my own workouts to stay in shape.
Dowd — I have been running a mile or more every other day and I have been doing ab workouts.
Grider — I am still doing footwork and throwing on my own.
Teague — I have been doing at-home workouts posted by my coach and going on short runs whenever I get the chance.
Wilson — I’m continuing to run and sticking to our training schedule, social-distance style.
4. Kansas and Oklahoma have announced they were closing all schools for the rest of the year. Are you worried Missouri will do the same and how disappointed would you be not to have a senior season?
Moritz — I think it’s very possible and I don’t want to think about it if it did.
Habert — Yes. I’ve talked to my parents who are both in the medical field and they both talk as if things will get progressively worse until mid-April. If this is true and things don’t calm down until after that, we wouldn’t go back to school but for a week or even less because seniors leave earlier.
Brennand — I’m extremely worried. I have been waiting for this season since junior high. And I have been working so that I could end this year with my best. I can’t imagine how I would feel if this season got canceled.
Sanny — I am worried about the potential of this happening. Losing my senior track season as a whole and not being able to finish out the journey we’ve all worked so hard on would be devastating to all of us.
Santillan — I am really worried Missouri will do the same, considering we’re not very far from them. I would be very disappointed knowing we had our last practice without knowing it and not even being able to have our first last meet of our senior year. Also, not having one last meet with my senior friends is very disappointing.
Dowd — I am very worried that we will close for the semester. I would be devastated if I did not get any of my final season with the people who have been like family to me for the last 4-6 years.
Grider — I am for sure worried that we will close our schools, but I understand also this can do serious damage to some people’s lives but, at the same time, I really want to have the rest of my senior year back. I would be very, very disappointed if my senior season was canceled because this was it. We don’t get to compete with our best friends and we don’t get to make these memories next year.
Teague — I am worried that Missouri will close all schools for the rest of the year and I will be really disappointed to not have a senior season. I’ve worked hard the past three years to get to where I am and, if I don’t get a senior season, it almost feels as if I did it all for nothing.
Wilson — Yeah, I definitely think it’s a possibility that we will close for the rest of the year. At the end of every year, it’s sad but you always think it’s okay because I have next year. That’s what I thought last year, and now knowing that it could be taken from me is really upsetting. I’ve worked the past four years for this and I don’t know what I’m going to do if it’s already over without ever beginning.