The largest Craig County boys’ track team ever will compete for the first time this spring on Friday at Giles. Action starts at noon.
Coach Jayke Dowdy has 22 boys and four girls on the team. The team has been practicing the best they can on the track around the football field at Craig County High. The coaches and team members have done their best to smooth out the ruts from rain and heavy equipment on the cinder track. The Rockets have no place to practice jumping.
“The long jump and high jump could be events we could win district titles in,” said Dowdy. “Our only opportunity to work it is at the actual meet.”
Dowdy expects the team to be strong in the sprints and 4×100 relay this season, and the Rockets return a lot of veteran throwers. Caleb Cregger brings some high jump experience, and should be competitive in that event.
“The kids have been working really hard,” said Dowdy. “We took home some medals from the Region meet last year, and all of those kids are returning.”
Many of the same boys were on the football team that went 10-2 in the fall, and speed has been a plus.
“Our season goal is honestly to just get faster,” said Dowdy, who also is on Jimmy Fisher’s football statt. “We affectionately call ourselves the ‘Trackball team,’ because as soon as practice ends we are working on defense for this fall, or repping plays in the single wing. The majority of the team is made up of football players.”
After Friday the track team will run in a meet at Lord Botetourt High School on April 16.