At SCHS there are many sports, however there is one sport that is bigger than the rest. Track and field is the largest team at SCHS with 110 students. According to boys head coach Paul Wright there are many things that make track more attractive than other sports.

“I think what makes track appealing is the social nature of the experience. We are one BIG happy family that cheers one another on,” He also said, “It is also a sport that is completely dependent upon the individual. There is NO favoritism in track. The stopwatch and measuring tape dictates who is chosen for the varsity roster not the subjective judgment of a coach. There are lots of opportunities for athletes to win medals, set personal bests, achieve performances on the school all-time list and qualify for state championships.”

Distance and relay runner Elyse Boesch thinks the size of the team has no effect on her performance.

“I mostly do my own thing and the size doesn’t matter,” Boesch said.

Coach Wright mostly agrees.

“The coaching staff at St. Charles is excellent. Five of the coaches were previous athletes at High years ago so know how things work. We run the program by committee with all coaches working with boys and girls across multiple disciplines. There is great camaraderie among the coaches who support the athletes and their colleagues,” he said.

There are many events across track and field, and it is very common for athletes to do many different events. Sophomore Sabrina Villar does the 4×200, 4×100, 100, 200, and long jump.

On March 25 there was a track meet at St. Dominic. Because of the size of the team the Pirates were able to compete in 14 running events and four field events. There is also a new event that will be introduced to SCHS – the pentathlon.

Overall track is a very popular sport and can be a good fit for almost every athlete, however it can affect many people in their academic and future life.

“They are also able to learn important skills like communication, team-work. determination, perseverance, and work ethic. The athletes take great pride in being a part of the team and representing their school in competition” Wright said.