Norwin High School’s Indoor Track & Field team has been having great difficulties practicing at Norwin and scheduling meets for students to compete in. Ever since the stadium was demolished last November, it has been a massive challenge for the track team to practice. The Knights Track & Field team will be without a stadium for two seasons.
However, the team has had to be creative and start practicing inside the high school at times, in parking lots, and on their own. Additionally, several meets in January were canceled because of the weather, limiting the opportunities for players on the team to compete.
“Training for winter is always a challenge,” said Norwin assistant and distance coach Brian Fleckenstein. “I’ve been coaching winter track for about 20 years and this winter is as much of a challenge as any I’ve faced. Not having a track, running through construction-filled parking lots, and piles of snow has made this winter extra challenging. But, we try to ‘play the hand we are dealt and not that be an excuse to train like we need to in order to defend our WPIAL titles.”
Despite these great difficulties faced by the Knights, the team ha carried on with training and have been meet ready for lots of contests in spite of the training challenges and weather. The team had slated over half a dozen meets for this indoor season regardless and train despite the conditions.
“Indoor track is based on lots of training and work that most people don’t see,” said distance runner Jillian Ryba. “But outdoor track is when all of this pays off, times drop even further, and celebrations take place.”
Ryba is one of those athletes where training has ‘paid off’ for sure. Ryba is part of the Indoor Record Setting 4 x 800 and Distance Medley Relay teams. The ladies set the DMR record on Feb. 14 at Edinboro bubble crushing the old record by more than 30 seconds. Joining Ryba (1200) was Emily Dansak (800), Myla McCabe (400), and Annie Czajkowski (1600). The girls 4 x 800 team of Emily Dansak, Addison Farrah, Jillian Ryba and Annie Czajkowski ran 9:47.66 at Youngstown to break the record and hit state qualifying standard.
“It [racing] feels very rewarding,” said distance runner Annie Czajkowski, “but reminds me I have to work hard to continue to get better.”
Also setting records this winter for the Lady Knights is junior sprinter Myla McCabe. McCabe ran 58.04 seconds to improve her 400m Indoor School Record.
McCabe attributes her hours of training in spite of the conditions as reasons for success.
“Training has been going good for me. It’s hard since it has been so cold and we can’t practice outside,” said sprinter Myla McCabe. “But we make the most out of the resources available to us. My teammates are a huge part of my training, always pushing me to be the best version of myself.”
McCabe is ranked 20th in the state and presently in the Top 24 that qualify for state meet on March 1 at Penn State University.
Along with relays and McCabe, several other girls are potential TSTCA medalists and state qualifiers including Karina Karadus in the 60 hurles, Annie Czajkowski in the mile, numerous girls in the 3000–Emily Dansak, Addie Farrah, and Jillian Ryba, Alex Oestreich in the triple jump, Claire Sherman in the pole vault, and McCabe in the 200m dash. All times/ distances need to be amongst top in state by Feb. 22 to qualify for the single classification state championship.
On the boys’ side, things are rolling as well despite the weather. The boys’ training faced many of the same challenges, but continue to post top WPIAL and State times.
Junior Alexander Irwin is tied for 5th in the state with a vault of 14-6, not far off the school all time record.
In addition to Irwin, leading the way individually on the track has been sophomore Benjamin McBride. McBride is ranked 10th in the state in the 3000m (3200 converted). McBride set the school record with a 9:18.77 (8:40.77 for 3000m conversion) to break the indoor record and the all-time Norwin record.
Joining McBride is fellow sophomore sensation Alex Barrett. McBride ran 4:22.10 and Barrett ran 4:22.52 to rank them highly in state. Additionally, the Boys 4 x 800 relay team of McBride, Barrett, freshman Declan O’Donnell and sophomore William Little set the school indoor record with a time of 8:09.15 to shatter the school indoor record and rank 14th in the state, with top 20 teams making state championship.
As well as the distance squad, senior Jerimiah Francis has been lighting up the hurdles. Francis ran the 60m hurdles in 8.26 seconds (2nd all time at Norwin) and is ranked 12th in the state, where top 24 times make it. Fellow hurdler Tyler Beck has had a strong spring season as well and set the school record in the 200m dash with a time of 22.89.
“The hurdlers have been doing great. Evan Pfeifer just started and he’s doing great” said Beck. “Meets have been going pretty decent with some fast times and showing promise for a great outdoor season.”
The Boys and Girls Indoor athletes have one more chance to hit qualifying marks and earn some medals at the TSTCA Championship at Edinboro on Saturday February 21 in hopes of making it to Penn State on March 1.
“My goal for the Indoor Track and Field team is to embrace the right now, said head coach Mr. Timothy Van Horn. “We get caught up too much in where we are trying to get to that we tend to glance over the fact that great things are happening right in front of us. I’m guilty of it more than anyone, and I want the team to be able to live in the moment and celebrate every personal achievement as well as every team achievement.”
