The Maclay Track team celebrated the end of their season with a banquet held in Langford Hall on Wed. May 10. The event was a chance to recognize the hard work and dedication of the team members throughout the season. The evening was filled with fun, food and awards as the team came together to appreciate each other’s efforts and accomplishments.
“I enjoy seeing the team have fun and come together,” varsity head coach Angie Milford said. “Sometimes it takes a little bit, but when they come together it is a lot of fun and a lot of smiles.”
The event kicked off with a dinner provided by Brickyard pizza as well as a celebratory cake. Members and parents of the track team sat down and reminisced over the cherished memories of the season. A slideshow of various photos taken throughout the season was played on repeat to reflect on the season.
“Everything has been my favorite part of the season,” coach John Butler said. “This being my first year with Maclay, I was surprised with the amount of talent and I’m looking forward to working with the younger sprinters and seeing what the future may hold for the team.”
After everyone finished eating, Milford began talking about the many accomplishments of the season. She began by recognizing the academic athletics who maintained an A/B average throughout the year. She then moved on to give each member of the team a pin that symbolized the amount of years they had been on the Maclay Varsity Track team. These awards provide recognition for every member of the team on their hard work and accomplishments.
“My favorite accomplishment of the season is seeing the team do so well overall and I’m really proud of all of us,” senior Rachel Bethke said. “The season has exceeded my expectations, especially with beating the school record.”
After the longevity awards had been distributed, specific awards for each event were handed out. Each of the coaches gave out the awards for the team members whom they coach. The awards dispensed for each event was the Marauder Award, the Coach’s Award, the Most Improved Award and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. The coaches recognized and spoke about each of the team members they chose to give an award. Some of the major accomplishments they mentioned included Rachel Bethke’s new sprinting school record, Eli Harrell’s drastic change in his personal record, Elizabeth Dowdy’s many successes in pole vaulting and sprinting, Clayton Knox’s college commitment and many more achievements throughout the season. The coaches then moved on to acknowledge each of the seniors on the team and all of their hard work.
“My favorite accomplishment of the season is seeing the team do so well overall and I’m really proud of all of us,” Bethke said. “The season has exceeded my expectations, especially with beating the school record.”
The banquet concluded with everyone coming together to talk with the coaches and each other about the previous season as well as the upcoming state meeting. Many photos were taken with coaches and teammates to remember this year’s track season. The team continues to prepare for their state meet as well as many other post season track events to come.
“The boys have come such a long way and if they keep doing what they’re doing they’ll have a great state meet and hopefully get some PRs,” Milford said. “If the girls do exactly what they’re supposed to, they’ll be state champions.”
