The indoor track season is approaching fast and practices have been in full swing after a quick turn around from the cross country season. Sprinters coach Mo Drammeh and new distance/middle distance coach Dan Rodgers are excited for the potential of their respective teams this coming winter. Last year’s indoor season was cut down to just four meets including counties and no regional/state competitions due to Covid restrictions. This year, with eight plus meets on the schedule, there’s no telling what will happen.

Distance/middle distance practices have been filled with different topics, workouts and points of emphasis such as how certain race times for shorter races affect longer distance intervals. For example, Rodgers has put his runners through numerous types of speed interval workouts, including 200, 400, and 1-mile repeats. Rodgers has had to deal with limited availability on his team due to his runners being on their postseason “two week break” off of cross country. Even with a small group, everyone who has shown up from the beginning has shown grit and hard work. “I am really looking forward to seeing how much I improve in the mile,” junior Yoni Zaslavsky said.

To begin each practice, the team begins with four laps at an easy jogging pace to get the muscles warm. Next is dynamic stretching, which includes a set order of several drills that the team uses in cross country as well. Then, the real workout begins. This could either be a long run on the road, or a speed track workout depending on the day. On race days, there is no practice and runners can run anywhere from one to four events depending on the meet, or whether you are a DMD runner or a sprinter. “I’m excited about seeing each athlete’s potential and most importantly, seeing them grow and improve as they learn to trust their talents,” Rodgers said.

For the regular meets, everyone considering availability will be entered to run from every MCPS team. For the invitationals including the postseason, limited entries will be allowed, usually capping at two runners per event. Rodgers hopes everyone will be in the mix for those competitive meets, especially top XC performers junior Victoria Ketzler, junior Meilani Rodgers, junior Troy Bailey, and sophomore Edward Sun, who all will be specializing in longer distance. The furthest meet is in Staten Island, NYC for the Ocean Breeze Invitational, and the only other meet that won’t be at the PG Sportsplex will be the Last Track to Philly invitational, which will be in Bethesda.

The 2022-23 schedule is jam packed with action and anticipation.
MCPS Meet #1- Tuesday, December 6, 2022 – PG County Sports Complex
MCPS Meet #2- Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – PG County Sports Complex
MCPS Meet #3- Tuesday December 20, 2022 – PG County Sports Complex
Montgomery Invite- Saturday, January 14, 2023 – PG County Sportsplex
MCPS Meet #4- Tuesday, January 17, 2023 – PG County Sports Complex
Last Track to Philly Invite- Saturday, January 21, 2023 – Bethesda, Maryland
MCPS Finals- Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – PG County Sports Complex
Ocean Breeze Invite- Saturday, February 4, 2023 – Staten Island, NYC
Regional Finals- Thursday, February 9, 2023 – PG County Sportsplex
State Finals- Tuesday, February 21, 2023 – PG County Sportsplex