Since 1985, girls track coach John Grim, has been taking athletes to the Virginia Tech High School Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia. On January 27^th ten top LHS athletes continued that tradition. They competed against East Coast elite runners from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

    The Linganore team was successful at the meet, with every athlete either achieving a PR (personal record) or tying their previous PR. One standout athlete, junior Delaney Tregoning jumped her personal best in the high jump. Her previous best achieved last year of 5’1” improved by one inch at Virginia Tech. This allowed Delaney to tie for 3^rd place in the event, the highest finish of any athlete on the team.

    “I was nervous going into the event,” said Tregoning, “but once I started jumping I was focused on the event and not the nerves. I was really excited after I jumped 5’2.”

    “The level of competition is why I take athletes to this meet,” said Grim. “We’re competing against some of the top athletes in the United States.”

     “There are two reasons [for attending overnight meets], the first is to achieve PR’s in every event, and the second is to compete on a higher mental level than the team is accustomed to,” said Grim.

    Another team ranked nationally is Wakefield High School, from North Carolina, in the 4x200 with a time of 1:38, which is comparable to many boys’ times in the relay. Linganore’s 4x200 meter relay consisting of Tess Johnson, McKenna Henyon, Jamie Suever, and Sam Johnson tied their best time of the season, running 1:54.

Senior Kelly Brady ran two events, the 300 meter run and the 4x400 meter relay. In the 300 meter, she took off .7 of a second and a second off her previous best of the season in the 4x400 by running 1:05.

    “I enjoy the away meets because it allows me to bond more with the team and the girls that I will be with during the championship season,” said Brady. “[To prepare] I keep pushing myself at practice, not only physically but mentally. After the first few weeks of conditioning, track becomes just as much (if not more) a mental sport as a physical sport.”

There are several overnight meets throughout the indoor and outdoor season. Only a select few attend, as most require the athletes to meet qualifying times.

    “They [athletes] gain a lot from the experience. They learn a lot about not just being an athlete, but functioning as a group in an environment they aren’t used to being in,” said Grim.

    The girls track team is gearing up for the regional meet on February 8^th, which has new rules this year. Previously, each team was allowed to enter two girls in every individual event and then one relay team. This year, however, only the top 16 in each event are allowed to compete. Thirteen girls on the team are entered in the regional meet.