After a month of indoor practices and setbacks due to construction, the track season has finally begun. With the construction still a work in progress, all pole vault, jumping and shot put events had to be moved from their original locations.

“The pole vaulters were moved and so were the jumpers,” Sophomore Nicole Wright said. “They haven’t totally finished what they need to on the track and where the jumpers jump yet because they want the school finished. We also can’t practice on the track [until] it’s ready for us.”

The new jumping and pole vault areas have been moved to the old shot put area, which was located directly behind the middle school teachers’ parking lot. Shot put will need to be relocated before the first home meet of the 2015 season.

The construction has also affected a previously scheduled home meet. The meet, which was scheduled to take place on March 20 against Rochester, was cancelled, because the track was not completed in time. The first home meet of the season will now take place on April 8.

On top of the uncompleted track and construction, practices have been highly affected due to poor, winter weather conditions. To adapt, students have been utilizing the weight room and gym, where they have been focusing on improving their cores, speed and stamina, in order to prepare for the season.

“Improving the core will improve our running forms down the stretch so we are less likely to tire out,” Senior Josh Kugel said. “When the core is tired, your back gets crooked and your arms lose rhythm with your legs, so improving core will hopefully allow us to be faster down the final stretch of the race by allowing to maintain form.”

While the team worked on conditioning for their season, they also welcomed three new coaches: middle school tech-ed teacher, Mr. David Badamo, will be coaching the jumping events, substitute teacher, former Freedom graduate and cross country member, Ms. Erika Barlow, will be coaching the long distance events and high school hall monitor, Mr. Mark Cefola, who is a fitness trainer.

This year’s track season began with scrimmages on March 17 and 19 at Central Valley and Hopewell, respectively.

The regular season began on March 23 with a tri-meet at Mohawk against Mohawk Junior and Senior High School and Western Beaver Junior and Senior High School. Freedom’s boys won with a score of 76-67 while the girls lost with a score of 34-103.

There were also meets on March 28 at Baldwin and March 31 at New Brighton, which occurred after press time.