For some, spring may mean that flowers are blooming or school is coming to an end. For others, spring marks the beginning of a new season. For Will Wooden 22’, this means that he is able to show the results of the months and years of hard work that he has put into one of his favorite sports, track and field. Wooden has quickly become one of Rockhurst’s best runners in not only track and field, but also cross country. In an interview with Will, he said, “I’m looking forward to competing again at a high level. Since it’s been about six months since I’ve competed, I’ve missed a lot and cannot wait to continue competing over this season.”
So far, Rockhurst has had three varsity meets, finishing first at the Rockhurst Early Bird, and second at the Rusty Hodge meet. This early success will no doubt help the Hawklets maintain momentum to continue their season. With a great coaching staff, involved leaders, and many returning seniors along with strict guidelines and proper initiatives for COVID-19 preventions, a winning season is expected.
Although track and field is considered a team sport, Wooden talked about some of the goals he has for the rest of the season. “Some goals that I have for the season are to reach a 4:45 minute mile, get close to 2 minutes in the 800 meter, and go under 10 minutes and 20 seconds in the 3200 meter,” he said. Since Wooden also competes in cross country, he has experience in long distance races which will hopefully help him meet these goals. Since the last track and field season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many runners like Wooden are trying to make up for missed opportunities from last season. With this type of hunger and anticipation, it is hard not to root for the Hawklets.
As the season progresses, be sure to support the track and field team along with all of the other spring sport teams at Rockhurst. Many of these athletes have put in countless hours of hard work and have waited months to show their progression and dedication to their sport.
The Prep News 