CCHS Runners On Track This Season

Senior Shelby Turner competing in a race for the CCHS Track & Field team. Photo Credit: JP PORTRAITS

BY ANDREW MORALES

As everyone takes a few laps around the track to warm up their legs, they also warm up their minds for the task ahead of living up to Cooper City’s Track and Field legacy. Track immediately brings up thoughts of athletes blazing down the lanes, jumping as far as they can, and pole-vaulting their way into record books.

As the season starts up you can’t help but look back at the teams’ record last year. Understaffed and with less than exceptionable performances as a result, last years season was certainly not the best that Cooper City has seen.

“Last year the team didn’t do very well,” Assistant Coach Bob Nichols said. “We were under staffed with coaches.”

Despite the team’s misfortune, everyone has been training and some familiar faces appear again like senior Shelby Turner, who last year advanced to the BCC 1600 meter finals. Another returner is sophomore Nico Lopez who has been running for many years and is a highly experienced athlete.

“Running is my life, I’ve been running since sixth grade,” Lopez said.” The hardest part for me when I’m running is stopping.”

In addition to returning athletes there are new faces, including a new head coach. With the recent transfer of Coach Taylor to Everglades High School, Cooper City has had to obtain a head coach. Coach Snipes, the new coach, was rated coach of the year for Broward County and has trained a former Olympian.

“The new coach is exactly what the team has been missing for four years,” Senior Shelby Turner said. “He seems very determined and knows what he’s doing”

In addition to an outstanding new head coach, the team has been blessed with the return of Coach Bob Nichols, the cross-country coach. Every practice begins with every athlete running around the track a few times and then immediately doing dynamic warm ups. Afterwards, everyone heads over to their event and starts training and making every movement natural with the upmost technique to maximize their performance. With all of the experience accumulated, Cooper City should have a good team this season.

All of their training and expectation was put to the test at their first meet, which the Cowboys ended up coming out in third place. However, there are still many more opportunities and many more events for the Cowboys to place in. For many students this is their last year with their team and they plan to make the most of it by running, jumping, and pole-vaulting their way to first in the district.