Indoor track is back

There still may be snow in the forecast, but the Geneva track team already has their season well under way.

Although considered an outdoor spring sport by many, the track team competes in a unique indoor track season in the months beforehand.

Adopted originally to avoid the chilly temperatures and prepare for the outdoor season, indoor track has developed its own identity. With most tracks being shorter than their outdoor counterparts (200m instead of 400m), athletes find the two to produce very different results.

“Some people run better indoor, while others are faster outside. It all depends on the individual,” Geneva senior Steve Creger said.

Some athletes however, are equally great in both environments. One example is senior McKenzie Altmayer, who broke a school in a meet this past week. Altmayer is a renowned distance runner who has committed to compete at Syracuse University next year.

The indoors also host a plethora of unusual events. One such occurrence was “Distance Madness”, a distance-only event hosted by Batavia High School, featuring runners from both the Geneva girl’s and boy’s teams. Winner at this event received custom ultimate frisbee discs.

The indoor season culminates in the Illinois Prep Times meet, considered to be the unofficial state meet of indoor track, on March 25 & 26.