Mingus Union High School track coach and alum Molly Westcott has helped three Marauders win state titles; how does this year’s team plan to follow that up?
Westcott spoke on the Marauders expectations,
staying sharp in the snow and the pride that comes with coaching at her alma mater.
How do you make sure the runners stay sharp?
Oh my gosh, well, it has not been easy. Thankfully, we have a couple of indoor facilities that we have been using to stay sharp. With the school closing, we cannot even have practice inside so it has kind of put a damper on things. They have got some stuff that they are working on at home, which is the best we can do for now. The kids are doing a lot of core stuff and a lot of stretching to make due. Players are getting pretty sore at this point, so we have been focusing on recovering and keeping fresh before our first meet next week.
n How is the team looking before its first meet?
Honestly, we are looking great. We have about 80 kids out this year and a lot of kids are looking great so far. We have really good numbers and that is definitely going to be helpful during the season.
Who do you expect to lead the team?
We have quite a few kids for the boys and girls slides. Obviously, there is Meg Babcock, who is our senior girls runner. Meg will definitely
lead in that aspect but we have quite a few girl runners this year. I think we can put together some really good relay teams on the girls side that will help lead the team. For the boys, we have senior Dallin Gordon, who has been holding our team together for a few years. We also have some new boys that have come out and, just like the girls, we should have some good relay teams this season. We are also anticipating good things from Kendrew Streck, who won the shot put last year and came in third in discus.
What are your expectations for the team?
Expectations this year are pretty high. We have good numbers, so I can expect a bit more from the kids. There is always someone that is right behind, so competition is really good. That is helpful for a lot of our kids that have not had to compete for their spot in the last couple of years. Now that we have our numbers, I think we can do a lot more and score more points once we reach the postseason.
What was the offseason focus?
The offseason was kind of difficult because we have so many kids that play multiple sports. In the offseason, we work from November until the end of January before our preseason begins. We do not necessarily focus on speed stuff but we work on the kids staying conditioned and in top shape. We work with all of the kids not in winter sports to keep them from getting stagnant during their break. It is nice for the kids to get on the track and not sit out for a few months at a time. We just like to keep them out there so we can fine tune some things before the regular season begins.
What school records do you anticipate will be broken this season?
Oh man, that is a tough one. Honestly, Meg beat her record last year and I 100 percent believe she can achieve that again. We have been looking at some practice times from this year and she is quite a bit faster this year. Really, the records I can see falling are the records that were broken last season. All the kids have been doing is improving, so I could see a few records being broken. We also have a couple of pole vaulting girls who will set a record in the next couple of years if they do not this year.
Is there an extra sense of pride that comes with coaching your alma mater?
Oh yeah, there is definitely a sense of pride having ran track and played other sports at Mingus. I want my kids to do well for their school and their community, just like I wanted for myself. It is a great feeling and I know it would not feel the same if I coached at another school.
The Marauders’ season begins on Saturday, March. 2, at the NPA Skydome Classic in Flagstaff.
The Mingus invitational is Friday, April 12, and begins at 3 p.m.
