“If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.” This quote by athlete Herschel Walker wholly describes Palmetto’s track team. Despite their lack of adequate facilities and training equipment, the track team members continue to show their determination and persistence.

“Since we don’t have a track, we run around the school. You have to push yourself more,” senior Joel Grob said. “I like it because it keeps me in shape and teaches me commitment.”

Although it is an acceptable replacement for the lack of a track, running around the school provides track members with an unrealistic idea of the distance of an actual track at a competition. It also makes it difficult for the runners to transition from running on concrete and grass to running on a rubber-surfaced track.

“Luckily, we are able to get in the same work as other schools, but without a track,” junior Katie Heldt. “It’s a big commitment to do track. You have practice every day after school and you miss full days for meets, so it teaches you to finish what you start.”

Other than teaching endurance and commitment, track gives athletes the opportunity to train for other sports and win races.

“Unfortunately, there are not a lot of training facilities for field events like pole vaults, high jumps, and hurdles,” senior Eric Dusseau said. “But we overcome this and rank pretty well at our meets.”