Winter Track is Back
by Bianca Bolt and Mia Davis
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Winter track gives students the ability to branch out and make new friends, find themselves, and is an excellent chance to bond with an adult figure. From sprinting down the straightaway to soaring through the air on a pole, track is for everyone no matter what size or shape you are. These exceptional athletes -- Tequan Johnson, David Viah, Franklin Sanchez, Immanuel Desane, Kenley Souffrant, Godfred Akuffo, and Boaz Madeus -- have excelled and prospered through the vigorous course of track. Tequan “Tay Tay” Johnson, known for being a fantastic dancer, is a great sprinter and hurdler, who says track is “hard work." Johnson admits he wasn’t always good; he had to work up to where he is now from freshman year. He became better through Coach Adams who “made him a better man." David Viah, who partakes in the activities of drumming and playing basketball, is a sprinter. He describes track in one word as a “rollercoaster.” Through a lot of work, he got to where he is now. Viah says Coach Adams bettered him as an individual and team player. He has known Adams since he was 8 years old because Adams coached his brother, and it was a honor to work with him now, He looks up to Adams as a father figure. Franklin Sanchez, who has a personality hard to hate, is a sprinter and hurdler. Franklin says he was average as a freshman, but he worked to where he is now. To him track is “life changing,” and future runners should work hard all the time and push themselves. Adams' coaching has pushed Sanchez to his limits and kept him focused. Immanuel “Manny” Desane is multitalented altogether. He sings, draws, is a hurdler and a sprinter. He describes track as “sensational.” He say Coach Adams has changed his life and taken him from a young-minded boy to a man.“Through Coach Adams, me, my children, and my children’s children will be a success in the future," he states. Kenley Souffrant, a great people person, is a sprinter and he says track is “amazing.” He broke the 800 and other records in his years of track. Coach Adams has taught him to be a leader. His last remarks were “If I could give anyone advice, it would be to not give up and keep fighting. It may feel like you’re not going anywhere yet, but if you keep fighting, eventually things will work out." Godfred Akuffo, who can always put a smile on someone’s face, is a sprinter. To him, and many other athletes, track has been a “blessing." Akuffo was inspired to work because freshman year he was surrounded by so many good athletes. He first described Adams' coaching as “If you’re on the team you know what I’m talking about," and then he expanded on that saying that it's hard work and it’s shaped him into what he is today. Boaz Madeus, known all over Mercer County for breaking and setting records, is a sprinter and hurdler. He describes track as “Death. Everyday coming to practice is getting ready to lose your life. Constantly killing yourself every day to reach the next height. It’s just dying every day to achieve a goal.” Madeus had a rough start to his track career and his first 400 didn’t go very well. Adams' coaching has exposed him to different things that he wasn’t always comfortable with and able to do. Going along with the process helped him get to where he is today. Coach Adams has his athletes do a lot of endurance running and explosive training to get them in shape. He believes that the most important thing is their building their endurance, which allows them to do multiple events. As a coach his main goal is “To win it all. Put a ring on the finger. And to win the state championship.” He also believes it is important to build a strong relationship with his athletes and know them inside and out. Track seems to be some people’s best high school experience. Describing track in one word is almost an impossible task. While track can make a person cry from pain, it is an amazing experience. It has changed the lives of so many students for the better. This wonderful sport has turned boys into men and girls into women. |
Relay winners (l to r) Kenley Souffrant, Godfred Akuffo, David Viah, and Boaz Madeus
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