By Josh Jordan

The wind blew as hard as the competition was exciting.  Garrett walked over and got ready to run the dreadful mile. Once he stretched and walked up to the line assigned to him by the referee, he waited… and waited. Then, all of a sudden, Bang! As if he had been blessed by Hermes, he took off. He ran at his own pace, occasionally passing by other competitors. Each lap added a new wave of exhaustion. Even though he was tired, he kept his pace, trying as hard as he could not to slow down. Once he was on the final lap he started running as fast as he could. He heard the cheering of the crowd. Just when he thought he could not run anymore, he passed the finish line. He felt so relieved when he had completed the mile. He took some time to take a break and hydrate. Unfortunately for Welch, he did not know that he still had the 4×800 to complete.

Welch, a junior, balances his school life and his sports life well. One of the sports he is a part of is the track team here at Mount Vernon, which he has been on since seventh grade. Even though track is not his favorite sport, he still finds ways to enjoy it every day. One of the reasons he has for staying in track are his friends. He sees his friends at school, whether that be in his classes or on the track. With his friend’s help, they keep their minds off the challenges and focus on the finish line.

Welch has some track events that he likes more than others. Another one of the things Welch likes about track is after he finishes lifting, he is told by coach Whitman “After lifting, get your homework copied and bellies filled.” Welch hears this, commenting, “It’s something that gives me a smile in the morning.” Another aspect he likes about track is the social element. He likes to get to know the competition and mess around with his friends while waiting for his time to shine.

Welch is on the track team because he has goals he wants to remain fit for his other activities, but also because he wants to be healthy. Another goal that he strives to achieve is to be like his role model, Nolan Teubel (’15). He believes Teubel is a great runner who helped bring energy to the team and every competition.

The track team has had its struggles, but they have overcome all of the mental and physical challenges thrown at them. Not only have they surpassed the challenges, but they have even broken some records. Welch is proud to be a part of the track team and will always remember the lessons it has taught him.

Welch has had many obstacles and successes in track. He is specifically proud of the fact that every year he has improved in track. He tries to set a new personal record and he tries to beat his old one. By breaking his old record he proves that he has improved and show that he is trying to be the best that he can be.