Some students go straight to a new sport right after the end of fall sports, or perhaps they try to stay fit while they await the beginning of the spring season sports. However, crew, track and cross country athletes have to find ways to train for the spring after the end of the fall season without losing motivation. 

But there are ways for these teams to stay in shape.

The crew team is preparing for the spring season with the million meter challenge–the challenge for each crew rower to complete 1 million meters over the winter on the erg. Girls can also run, bike or play a different sport to count towards their meters.

The two varsity captains and the two novice captains collect everyone’s meters weekly and report them to head coach Jessi Hooper. The varsity and novice teams have a friendly competition, both racing to get the most meters. 

Even though the team is not allowed to row on the water at Bachman Lake during the winter, rowers often meet for group exercises. 

“My teammates are my biggest motivators,” junior and varsity crew member Ellen Schindel said.

But the rowers also must be self-motivated to reach the standards Hooper has set for spring.

“The girls on the crew team are very independent and want to work out to meet their own goals,” freshman and novice Nina Weeldreyer said.

Weeldreyer uses Hockaday’s strength and conditioning class as a good way to get cardio, core and exercise in general.

For track and field and cross country athletes, coach Laboris Bean coaches workouts during Y period and after school. Some athletes also reach out to Bean for workouts on the track while he coaches basketball.  The workouts usually consist of weights, lots of core and different exercises, but the students often run outside of school or on the treadmill for their cardio training.

Track athletes also rely on the new strength and conditioning class or the junior flex program in order to prepare for the spring.

At the end of the day, the athletes rely on their passion for their sport and hunger to perform well in the spring to get them through the long, arduous winter.

Story and photo by Niamh McKinney, Staff Writer