For the first time ever, Cougars boys and girls tracksters had an outlet during the summer.
About 15 athletes ranging from middle school to graduated Cougars joined up this summer under the tutelage of Dave Harris and Greta Gardner for the club track team.
The club track team met three times a week under the heat of the afternoon sun, but the athletes didn't wither or complain once. They focused on track workouts and didn't do much distance work. The sprinters worked out until the first week of August.
The club track team started the summer with an all-comers meet at Damonte Ranch. It also participated in a summer series on Thursdays in South Lake Tahoe.
Cody Clifford, a 2009 SSHS graduate and current Southern Oregon track star, came out and worked with the club track squad during the summer.
"It was amazing because they were in awe of him. It was great, especially for the really young kids because they really enjoyed it," Harris said of having a collegiate athlete on the team. "Some of the older kids knew him, but he was fantastic."
Harris hopes to more than double the participation levels next year.
The summer program is very important to the continued success of the team. It allows incoming freshmen to learn how to stretch and do strenuous workouts because during the spring sports season, the transition period for newcomers tends to take up at least half of the season Harris said. This way they know what to expect when spring rolls around.
"If you want to be good, that's key," Harris said. "We haven't had a lot of success with our track team until the last couple years. What you have to do is even at the elementary school level, get them interested in track before they get into other sports. Soccer is what kills me as far as a girls sport. Some girls like Laura Voss will do both, but a lot of people only want to do one sport.
"It's (summer program) so important it's ridiculous. I just want to be on par with other schools like McQueen and Damonte Ranch."
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