CEDAR RAPIDS — The 2018 boys’ track and field season and is in full force.
The members of the Xavier team are looking to have an exciting year and to finish well at the state meet.
Returners from last year’s state qualifiers are seniors George Durin, Jax Junge and Joe Scieszinski, juniors Aaron Larson and Braden Stovie, and sophomore Josh Volk. Their end goal this season is to finish better than they did last year.
“The team goal this year is to do the best we can and get as many people as possible to state,” senior captain Beau Van Berkum said.
This goal will be accomplished through the hours of practice these boys have completed and the many hours that have yet to come. However, Van Berkum said he started preparing for his final year of track long before the first official practice of the season.
“Really, you prepare all four years for your senior season,” he said. “I started a few weeks after the football state championship and really started to grind for track.”
Not only does the team have high expectations for themselves, but the coaching staff holds them to these high standards, too. Coach Russ Camacho, who just came off a girls’ bowling state qualification, said the boys are perfectly capable of handling high expectations.
“As a coach, we always want our players to rise to the occasion and meet the ultimate goal of returning to the state meet,” Camacho said.
The Saints’ next meet is April 5 at 4 p.m. at the Davenport Central Invitational.