The 2022-2023 Indoor Track Season at Malden High School has finally come to an ambitious start. Despite this, the team has already faced some bumps in the road.
The Malden Golden Tornadoes, unfortunately, lost their very first meet against Medford last Wednesday the 14th, but it is not a secret that the team will not let this define or hold them back.
The MHS track team is well known throughout the school for being large and welcoming. Each year they have a staggering number of both new and returning players, and with their constantly growing environment, they work hard to grow and learn together.
Many of the runners such as junior Rolando Mejia have concrete goals this season. Mejia hopes to get below 3 minutes for his 1000 meters, and below 5:30 for his mile. He also wants to encourage his team to “keep putting in the effort to improve.”
Returning junior Thora Henry’s goal is to see the team “building on the strength that we already have and improving in areas that might have held us back in the past.” Henry started Track last year and enjoys the thrill of competing alongside other runners.
Even though the season has not started off the way that the team had hoped for, they have not let this hold them back. Nicholas Duggan, a returning junior, hopes that the team will continue to push itself. “Even if you push yourself a little at a time, the small increments add up,” Duggan said encouragingly.
Henry also sends some kind words of encouragement to her teammates. “Always go into meets with a clear mind and try your best. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We all have to start somewhere, and with practice, you will get better!”
Last year the team made it quite close to winning the GBL, so finally attaining that title is a shared goal amongst the runners. Emma Spignese-Smolinsky explained that her goal is for them to win what they just missed out on last year, but she also just hopes to meet some of her personal goals such as breaking 14:30 for her 2-mile.
With the start of the new season, many runners are seeing this as a chance to work on themselves. Such as Henry, who feels as though “track is a way to better myself both physically and mentally.”
Duggan feels as though track “is a sport that allows you to push past what you are currently capable of while simultaneously keeping you in shape.”
The team has some high hopes for this year and looks forward to improving. They plan to work hard in hopes of possibly being crowned GBL Indoor Track champions, which they are sure to achieve with their hard work and dedication. So long as they stay optimistic, it does not matter what this season throws at them. “This season is gonna be great,” Mejia affirmed with confidence.
