When someone thinks of sports, usually what comes to mind are some of the most popular ones, such as football or basketball. However, at Ipswich High School, the indoor track team is an underappreciated powerhouse. Though not as eye-catching as an alley-oop slam or last-second hail-mary, our indoor track team consistently owns one of the best records of our winter sports teams. Coming off of a successful season with only one loss last year, the team looks to go undefeated this year. With a large portion of the team’s best contributors leaving for college, it is up to the seniors this year to take charge. The one question posed, however, is what will become of next year’s team. 

The roster this year is composed of a very well-rounded set of athletes, the majority of whom are seniors. Their impact on the team is unmatched. Although the heartbreaking departure of seniors is an annual tradition, this year’s graduation will leave a hole that will be hard to fill. To get a better perspective of the team’s seniors this year, we went to the coaches to uncover their opinions on this year’s team. When asked about the seniors’ impact on the team, distance coach Susan Markos first asks for a box of tissues to help with her emotions as she realizes the large impact this year’s class of seniors has made over the past 4 years. Markos remarks, “They’re going to leave a big void…hopefully the way they have led the team this year will be carried on by the underclassmen.” With high hopes of how the team will pick up where the seniors left off, it’s a tall order for the underclassmen; the coaches remain enthusiastic. This year’s senior class provides “strength in all areas” which coach Markos is grateful to have; she knows it doesn’t happen often. 

Considerably one of this year’s strongest runners, Colin Hansen, who currently holds the 300-meter school record and is a member of the school record 4×400-meter team, agrees that the “team will have to start over and bring in some more talent” after the class of 2023 leaves. He mentions specifically that, “the entire 4×200 meter relay, as well as the 4×400 meter relay, will be gone. There are a few other events impacted as well; the team will need people to step up and run those events.” 

This year’s team is packed with loads of talent. In every event, there is someone ready to perform at a high level to earn points for the team. When asked if she thought there were any standouts this year, Sue Markos replied, “It’s hard to single out without leaving out. Attitude, commitment, dedication, and ability really spans across many areas in our program. We have strength in every area. I could probably single out twenty kids, which is a luxury.” This luxury that Markos feels so lucky to have this year will likely and unfortunately be lost next year. Based on the sheer number of seniors on the team, who make up around half of the roster; there simply won’t be as many athletes to choose from for each event. Hansen agrees with Markos that this year’s team is super strong, and both realize that next year’s team will have a tough task to perform without the seniors. 

With the season just getting underway, the team has already displayed its dominance over the league. They started with a demanding 2-0 start to the season, where neither meet was a close race. The Tigers look ahead at a promising rest of the season. Most notably, the State Relay meet is coming up on 1/21, which Ipswich is known for consistently performing well in. Additionally, after State Relays, Ipswich competes in 2 more league meets before individuals who qualified for states or nationals move on. Altogether, the compelling and impressive team looks to meet its goal of finishing the season with an undefeated record, and individually break some school records along the way. The seniors on the team have a tall task of doing their best to guide the underclassmen, who will have enormous shoes to fill next year.