Following the recent long-awaited construction, the Austin High track has reopened for use by our sports teams. The rough, natural grass has been replaced with a clean, brand-new turf field, ready for play. This is just in time for the beginning of the Track and Field season, whose first meet is this month. Track and Field is a highly competitive sport consisting of meets where students compete in various timed races and field events, and their Spring season is currently in session.
Many would think of Track and Field as an individual sport because, aside from relay races, most events are competed solo. However, Rory Yonnone – a star track runner, Dartmouth commit, and senior at Austin High – says that “it’s still very much so a team competition.” He explains that each athlete “[is] training with the same group of people. [They] are racing against probably the same group of people in your district, and [they’re] trying to be the best.” To Rory, on the track, “you are competing for yourself, but you’re also competing against these other runners.” This is why consistent practice and team chemistry are crucial for the Austin High Track and Field team’s performance and success.
Running is a sport of pain and discipline rather than constant engagement. While other team sports include the stimulation of constant action and teammate interaction, running can require a unique type of mental concentration and control. Aside from furthering physical performance through constant, consistent training, there are strategies to improve the mental performance of a track athlete. One such strategy, Rory mentions, that has pushed him to perform at his best is rivalries. “What is he doing? What am I not doing for him to be running faster? What can I do to get faster than him? Can I outwork him?” These internal questions invade Rory’s head as he runs, pushing him to search for ways to become stronger and faster in order to outcompete others. “It’s shifting goals, because these people are also constantly improving… So I take that, I shift the goal, and I keep on moving.” Maintaining mental and physical health, practicing, and setting higher goals can all contribute to a faster running time, and sometimes the best motivation is the urge to catch up to the success of others.
Rory has ultimately found success through his sport, reaching the goals he set out to pursue when he initially started running in the 6th grade. He will be attending Dartmouth University in the fall of 2026, running track events from the 400 to the 800. Ultimately, the biggest advice he offers to those attempting to pursue a similar path is to maintain consistency. “You can’t really stop too much. Taking breaks is fine, but just consistently getting some form of running.” On days when one feels unmotivated, even the smaller workouts count. Ultimately, to see progress in the long run, workouts must be completed each day. The small efforts, even when motivation is low, accumulate into progress and endurance.
