When Alexia Vigil (12) steps onto the track, she thinks of all the benefits track and field bring her, such as how track and field allows her and her peers to build leadership skills, train athletically, and connect with other unique individuals.

With COVID-19 impacting the 2020 and 2021 track and field season, the ‘22 season started unimpacted by COVID on February 28. 

Alexia Vigil and Henry Ilyasova (12) have been participating in track at Manitou since the sixth grade. Vigil’s events are the 100M sprint, 4x100M relay, hurdles and the 4x200M sprint; and Ilyasova races distances such as the mile, two-mile and 800M.

“My favorite part about track and field is the type of adrenaline I get when I’m set in the blocks before a race,” Vigil said. 

There are many benefits of track and field; students and athletes gain lifelong skills when playing a sport. “It has been very beneficial to me in helping me truly realize what a good sport it is along with helping me establish a family among the track team,” Ilyasova said. 

Vigil sees the benefits as well. “Track has benefited me by keeping me in shape and healthy, in both body and mind,” Vigil said. Not only has track kept students athletically and physically fit, but Ilyasova and Vigil both said that there were mental benefits. 

If there’s anyone looking into joining the MSHS track and field team, Vigil and Ilyasova have some advice for those considering it.

“I would tell someone new to track and field that the team becomes a family quickly and that even though it is a hard sport mentally and physically, it’s all worth it in the end. You have a good group of people to help you through anything,” said Vigil.

Vigil isn’t the only member of the track team that sees it as a family. Ilyasova said, “It has been very beneficial in helping me truly realize what a good sport it is, along with helping me establish a family amongst the track team.”

Vigil and Ilyasova also expressed some of the struggles of the sport. “The struggles of this sport are the training workouts and being mentally strong through it all. I think the only reason I’ve overcome them is knowing that it’s not only myself who is struggling, but everyone else too, and in the end, I’ll feel good and accomplished,” said Vigil. 

“Some struggles would be pushing through the hard spots in a race or a workout. You just have to think about why you are doing this sport and what it means to you,” said Ilyasova. 

Coach Anna Mack, on the other hand, gives some insight on the track season and looks forward to opportunities this year’s season will bring. Mack has been affiliated with track for a very long time, starting personally at the age of eleven. Mack has been coaching Mustangs since 2015. 

Mack said, “The best part of coaching is having fun and knowing that all of the kids get better going through track.”  Mack’s favorite event to watch is jumps. “I love how many different events there are to watch. There is something for everyone,” she said.

There are countless benefits for joining track for student-athletes. In track, you can focus on yourself individually, in addition to focusing on the team around you. 

“There are so many different things you can try when you join the track team,” Mack said. “You don’t just have to run, so there really can be something for everyone! It’s also both an individual and a team sport, so you can focus on yourself and also feel like a part of something bigger.”