For the most part, the Liberty track is seen as the dreaded red oval that students have to run the mile on whenever fitness day rolls around in P.E. But on afternoons after the final bell rings, whether rain or shine, the track has a different purpose:
It’s the home of Liberty womens track and field.
So far this season, the womens team is undefeated in its three dual meets and has placed well in its weekend invitationals, leading to a positive outlook for postseason successes. The dual meets give the team an idea of how they compare to teams around Liberty, such as 2A Sammamish or 3A Bellevue, and the invitationals give the athletes a chance to compete with teams from all over the state (and beyond, as Canadian teams occasionally come down), from 1B to 4A.
Because of all of these opportunities, the athletes are well aware of the type of competition that they’ll be facing when Districts and State come and are spending the season preparing for it accordingly.
“I’m really excited for postseason this year,” senior Varsity runner and jumper Danielle Demps said. “Our relay teams are really strong, and I can’t wait to see how they do. Personally I’m jumping my personal record from last year, so I’m feeling very optimistic about that as well.”
The team has five individual athletes ranked in the top ten in 2A, along with all three relay teams in the top six. The 4×100 meter is ranked second, the 4×200 meter is ranked first, and the 4×400 meter is ranked sixth.
And it’s not only seniors that are ruling the charts—there are many sophomores and juniors performing well too.
“The new runners are always good for the team,” head womens coach Mark Little said. “Having someone look up to them makes the older athletes step up and act like role models, and forces them to set good examples for everyone else.”
With such high rankings, which started early on in the season, coaches are feeling confident about how the season will play out.
“I have no doubt that the girls will do well this year,” Little said. “They always have before, and this year will be no different. Well, hopefully a little better of course.”