The H-F boys varsity track team is starting the 2019 season with high expectations.

Last year, they placed second in the state finals and were ranked number one throughout most of the season.

However, the team felt like they should’ve won state, and it left a bitter aftertaste on the players and coaches, including senior sprinter Joshua Bridges.

Bridges, who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania next year, was battling with a hamstring injury late last season.

“I wasn’t able to perform to the best of my ability at state and I felt like I let the team down a little bit,” Bridges said. “It was pretty heartbreaking for the whole team.”

Unlike in most other sports, track athletes can’t persist their injuries and still perform at a high level.
During sectionals, Bridges got treatment from laser therapy so he can run at state, but it was still bothering him, preventing him from being at his best.

He did as much as he could for his team, but it wasn’t enough to lift the team to a state championship.
“It was hard to see our athletes hurting after they put everything they had into the ultimate goal from day one,” Varsity Head Coach Nate Beebe said.

That disappointment from last season brings us to the hype centered around the team this season.
This year’s players are ready for the start of the 2019 season, including sophomore sprinter Marshall Ellis.

“We had one of the best teams in the state last year and we have a lot of returning players, so we’re extremely excited and are looking forward to this season, especially since we had a tremendous season last year,” Ellis said.

The team has its own motto called “Trust the process to achieve and exceed,” and last year, the team did just that.

Beebe led his team to the best season in team history, with his team breaking seven records for H-F varsity boys track. The team boasted ten all-state runners.

While there is a lot of hype around the boys, there’s also just as much pressure on them to succeed.

“There will be a target on our back, but we have to overcome it,” Ellis said. “Last year, we had to work for what we got, and I think it will be just about the same this year.”

There’s different ways the players handle the pressure. Some players are zeroed in on getting the job done.

“We don’t try to focus on the buzz from the outside, we try to focus on ourselves,” Bridges said. “We want to perfect our craft throughout the week with practices and make it all come together.”

Other players like senior sprinter Jesuseun Adeyiga are more relaxed and calm with the pressure.

“I’m just going to chill and lay low for a little bit, but when May comes, that’s when we pop off,” Adeyiga said. “We have to make sure we hit those times so we’re ready for state when it matters the most.”

The varsity boys have a high level of confidence and love to have fun, but as the bar is raised high for them, they still have their eyes set on another successful season.