Circleville Tigers track team learning on the run after taking a year off
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Coaching track is never an easy thing to do. Convincing kids to do something hard is a difficult task, if not impossible. Track is no exception.
Running, throwing heavy objects, or jumping as high as one can never seem to be at the top of anyone’s to-do list, but that is essentially the sport. Pushing oneself to the limit of their capabilities.
Before there was a ball, before there was a bat, before there was a hockey stick or golf club, there was running -the original sport.
A sport boys head track coach Jason Wells for the Circleville Tigers knew all about until COVID-19.
“We didn’t realize how much we took for granted about passing on the knowledge of track until we had to take a year off,” says Wells.
As track and running tend to reflect all things human, ripping us down to our bare essentials, COVID-19 is no exception.
“There were just so many missed opportunities for the kids who didn’t get to have a season last year, and it creates challenges for coaches. Things we think they should know,
or things we used to take for granted that they would know, they don’t,” explains Wells.
Circleville competes in the Mid-State League. Typically they are competitive and have their fair share of league titles to go along with other accolades. But when asked to forecast this season, Wells struggles to come up with an answer.
“After losing all of last year, it is tough to know what you have moving forward. The class that is now sophomores have no experience running high school track, and the freshman will only have one year in junior high of track experience.”
Along with an inability to know his team’s make-up, Wells talks about the struggles of maintaining the culture of the program, “You don’t realize how much experience you lose by missing one season, and it changes the whole culture of the team.”
More like erases it. The last time the Tiger’s senior leadership stepped onto a track, jumped a bar, or threw a shot put or discus, they were sophomores.
Despite all the other uncertainties, Wells had high expectations for some individuals on his roster.
Following an 8th place finish in the boys 3200-meter in the OATCCC State Indoor Finale, distance runner Colton Pinkerton had momentum moving into outdoor track season. And it has served him well. He improved his personal best at the Huntington Invitation in the 3200m with a time of 9:39.42, winning the event.
Before that meet, Pinkerton won the boys 1600m and 3200m in the same day at the Washington Court House High School Invite.
Pole vaulter Zach Buitendorp proved himself in the indoor track season as well. He cleared 13-0′ (personal best) in the OHIAA State Pole Vault Championship for 5th place.
Moving into this spring, Buitendorp has three first-place finishes in the pole vault event, Huntington Invitational, Pickaway County Meet, and RL Davisson Invitational.
Circleville hosted its first home meet in nearly two years recently and has hosted several since. “It’s just nice to have a sense of normalcy and see kids back on the track,” says Wells.
Track and field is not the only high school sport to suffer due to the pandemic. Coaches around the nation face many of the same challenges as Wells and the Circleville Tigers. But learning to overcome challenges is one of the more essential life lessons sports can teach a youngster, and Wells and his staff are doing all they can to make this season just that for his inexperienced Tigers. A life lesson, a lesson in overcoming challenges to be a better person, a lesson on coming from behind, a track lesson -the original adversity.
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