This year with the ongoing pandemic the Grayslake Central boys track and field team is able to have a postseason that will continue until June 19. The boys track and field team will also have a championship phase this year, which includes sectionals and state following their last couple of weeks, according to the head coach Brent Pitt. 

Coach James Centella is one of the boys track and field coaches, who is in charge of distance runners and long sprinters, said, “This is my favorite part because we are in great shape so the workouts become a little bit shorter and more spread out all the while increasing their intensity. It is great at this time of year to see our guys peak and run their best times.” 

This year the boys have made better improvements, and some can thank quarantine because of that. Sophomore distance runner August Haak states that, “A lot of us did offseason running in quarantine we had nothing else to do. Like one person on our team ran nearly 900 miles over his offseason. I myself ran nearly 300 and that was about the average, so I’d say, in fact, we’re probably better off starting this year because there was nothing to do. Everyone was running.” 

Despite last year’s rough season, the boys track team was able to come back and have a great start to their season. To start off their year, the boys got first place on the first invite of the season. Haak also stated, “We’re doing really really well this year, I think we were off a little bit of a rough start last season, I’d say, but we’re off to a flying start this season.”

This year, like any other year, if the boys qualify, they will go to the state championship. Centella explains, “There will be a state [championship].  The location is the same, Eastern Illinois University. However, instead of the two-day meet with prelims on day one and finals on day two, the meet will be on one day with finals only.”

Even though fewer boys joined the team this year that has not taken away any success away from those who did. Sprinter and pole vault coach Pitt proudly recalls, “We’ve been blessed to have some very talented young people that come to the school, on the boys side. And in my eighteen years here, we’ve had a ton of success and we’re just looking at the growth, a little bit more.” 

Additionally, multiple Central seniors are pursuing track and field in college. Marcus Mittelstadt is going to compete at St. Norbert. Colin O’Malley is looking to run at Michigan State, and Sushil Suresh is looking to compete at Purdue.