Track is Back!

The Hayward Hurricanes are back on the track! With Spring sports starting up and no snow on the ground, track and field is back in full swing.
After an exciting last season, head coach Ben DiSera and all of his athletes are excited to compete again. When asked about pre-season thoughts, DiSera said he is happy with the numbers and the number of new people joining the team. Along with numbers, he said, “Everybody seems to want to work pretty hard.”
Coach DiSera has many plans to make a solid and successful team. Some of DiSera’s plans include conditioning and getting people in shape for our first and upcoming competitions. Looking for hard workers and people who stand out during workouts is very important in the early stages of the season.
We have a very strong-looking team this year. There are thirteen returning seniors. Avery and Alivia Poppe, Aly and Macey Reier, Emma Beilke, Greta Schmitt, and Riley Gould make up the girl’s side of the seniors. The senior boys are Bradey Gottwald, Aiden Susedik, Seth Becker, Gannon Mohr, Logan Poppe, and Ethan Cranford.
Within the team, there is a great sense of community and family. “I really liked the huddle that we did after Conference before finding out that we won,” Junior Addison Werner stated. The track team not only consists of the athletes, but it is a tight-knit group of people who are always there to lift each other up, support, and cheer each other on.
Coach DiSera and the athletes have many goals for the 2024 track season. When asked about long-term goals for the season, DiSera stated, “My long-term goal for the season is for the girl’s team to win the fourth Conference Championship in a row, and I would like the boys to win as well and make it a double.” Winning meets and having a strong team are common goals among many athletes on the team. One goal for Lucas Hansen, a sophomore on the team, is to go to state and also to have the boys and girls take home the Conference title. The team and individual goals are essential because they give the team a sense of direction and something to aim for.
Coach DiSera shows great compassion for his team, wanting the best for each athlete. The number one tip that came from DiSera was, “It’s a mindset.” An athlete’s mental toughness is as important, if not a little more important than their physical toughness.” Mindset is a huge part of a runner’s abilities. In a race, an athlete’s physical skills only take them so far; eventually, it comes down to which athlete is the most mentally tough.
The team hopes to have a successful season this year. Working hard will be the key to success, as will having fun and bonding as a team.