The FHN track team will compete in districts for a chance to advance to sectionals at Parkway Central on May 17, and later to state. The team will enter districts with high

expectations.

“As always, we expect to win the district title,” Brandon Gregory, boys sprints coach, said.

Hope is especially high for the pole vaulters, who last year were the only group to have anyone reach state.

“I think we’re going to do real well,” sophomore pole vaulter Nicole Morse said.  “We have a couple people that will probably move on to sectionals and state and place pretty well.”

Brandon Chac, who runs the 3200 meter event, commonly called the two-mile, shares these high expectations.

“I expect myself to place in the top four for the two-mile and move on to sectionals and the same goal follows for the entire team,” Chac said.

This is despite the fact that they are in a difficult district and sectional that includes many teams from the Suburban North Conference, the main conference of dominant St. Louis County teams.

“There’s a lot of teams from our sectional that are going to go on and win state, and it unfortunately works out like that,” Gregory said.  “Those guys are faster, but if we do the right things, good handoffs, working on block work, that will help us get by the more talented teams we have to go up against.”

The team has also faced a slew of injuries that they feel could hurt their chances at districts.

“Most of the obstacles faced are injuries,” freshman long distance runner Drew Lanig said.  “To overcome them we need to properly stretch and cool down every day.”

The team is very young, but the coaches believe that helps the team as a whole.

“We are young, but we are tenacious,” girls sprints coach Janelle Louis-Bauer  said.  “I love their attitudes about competing.  They know they are not the fastest ones on the track, yet they still give everything they have, every time.”

Despite these obstacles, the team is still confident.

“I am confident in the team,” Louis-Bauer said. “They have worked so hard.  They have pushed through.  They have shown me that they really want to get better.”