The first Olympic Games took place

in the year 776 B.C. and the only event

could have perhaps been a foot race at

a distance of 600 feet. Some scientists

believe that the first games could have

been held even before that. They may

have been held as early as the tenth or

ninth centuries B.C. Foot races may have

been one of the earliest sports to ever

take form. After over an estimated 3,000

years, people are still participating in this

ancient sport.

The Flour Bluff track team is well into

the track season and has been competing

in meets since February 24, 2007 and

practicing for weeks

before that. The team

practices get tougher in

order to train the team

to be able to compete

at a high level to win

the most events possible.

“For distance, we usually

run about 3 miles

a day,” freshman Troy

Stuart said.

The track team has

different practice workouts

for each different

event that they do.

Relay runners practice

exchanges, throwers

practice their form and releases,

and other runners practice the

fine details of their event. Workouts

also change on a day-to-day

basis and they also change in the

level of intensity.

“Mondays are usually hard but

the rest of the days are pretty

easy,” sophomore David Durham

said.

Becoming a varsity level competitor

takes a big effort in practice

and high intensity workouts

day after day. Things may not

always go the way they are

wanted to, but to work through

it is what it is to be a varsity level

competitor.

“I try hard, never give up, and when

things feel like they’re crashing down, I

take a deep breath and then hit it again,”

sophomore pole vaulter Skeeter Mitchell

said.

The team still has the district meet and

will hopefully be sending some athletes

the regional qualifier, regional, and state

meets. If athletes go to the state meet,

track season will run into mid May. The

track team has competed in five meets

so far and will hopefully compete in the extra 3 post-season meets.