KHS girls grab second in their best meet of the season
Carter Woods knows that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, which helps explain why the Kearney High School track and field team continues to excel past its opponents.
Mr. Woods is a senior at Kearney High School and plans to study physics at the University of Missouri this fall. He’s also one of the leaders of a boys’ track and field team that earned an unprecedented fifth straight Suburban Blue Conference title during the 2021 championship meet on Friday, April 30 at Grandview High School. The girls’ squad garnered second place – just 10 points short of the top prize – and had their best meet of the season.
The Bulldogs maintain their momentum with a tradition of effort, coaching and teamwork, according to Carter. That commitment was evident as his teammates focused on practice in beautiful spring weather just a few days after winning the conference championship.
“We truly do work harder than any other track team,” he said, “We have a really great culture and we all do our part to live up to those expectations.”
Carter, Kyler Chappell, Kyle Hofer and Reed Beyeler earned a conference championship gold together in the 4×800 relay together. Their experience on the track propels a similar drive for excellence in the classroom.
“A lot of it comes down to the same traits,” Carter said. “You gain the ability to work, the ability to go that extra mile – so to say – that pushes you to that next level as an athlete and as a student.”
That focus on pushing themselves past their limits imbues the entire team, according to Head Boys Track Coach Scott Crall. Their grit and teamwork kept them from being knocked off course by COVID-19 this season.
“I can’t say enough about our athletes and assistant coaches,” Coach Crall said. “The work that they are putting in is showing everywhere on the track and in the field.”
Coronavirus mitigation efforts kept student-athletes from meeting with their coaches for training during the off-season, according to Carter. Instead, KHS teammates took the initiative and meet on their own to stay in shape and prepare for the regular season.
“This year, when we were meeting in the off-season, it was just with each other, just a few guys going to work as a team,” he said.
All the evidence suggests that the momentum isn’t about to slow for KHS track and field, according to Carter. The combination of culture, commitment and coaching will act as a force that will continue to push the team forward.
“It shows all the signs that it will keep going,” Carter said. “We’ve got the best coaches here. It’s a super-fun team. All you need to do is just put the work in.”
Suburban Blue 2021 Track & Field Conference Results
