By Drew Adams

When most people think of spring, they think of colorful flowers, bright green grass, and the warmth of the sun. Mount Vernon junior Cale Snedden thinks of track season and his chances to make it back to Drake Relays and state. Track has always been important to Snedden because it has been something to challenge him. He’s always excited for the upcoming season to see what new obstacles come his way.

“I enjoy relays because you feel like you are part of a team rather than an individual runner,” said Snedden. “You get the chance to cheer each other on and compete against each other. Snedden runs the distance medley and the 4×400 meter relays, and his team placed ninth in the 4×400 meter relay at state.

The Drake Relays is where the best high school runners and even world class track stars come from all over to compete in front of a big crowd on the well-known blue oval. Snedden was able to accomplish his difficult goal of getting there as a freshman. “It was definitely more nerve-racking being just a freshman. I knew I only had 22 seconds to wait until my teammate turned the corner, and then it was time to go,” Snedden said.

Snedden didn’t stop at Drake Relays his freshman year. He continued on to qualify for state his freshman and sophomore years. He credits his coach and upperclassman teammates who helped push him as a youngster on the team. Snedden has had great experiences at State Track and Drake Relays. It’s a good time for the whole team to be together on and off the track.

Track isn’t just like any other sport to Snedden. “I look forward to track season every year because it’s a challenge for me. I always set high goals and do my best to achieve them,” said Snedden. He will be an upperclassman now but his goals will stay the same. The biggest change for Snedden in his next two years will be what he has to do to reach his goals. In the past he had older guys on the team there to push him and set the pace. Now he will have to be the one to push himself.

Snedden looks forward to taking over the upperclassman role on the team for the next two years. Now he will be the pacesetter at practice and he’s ready for that role. His advice to younger runners is to stay calm and keep your cool, because in the end it’s just running.