By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

Five minutes before the race of their lives, the Conestoga girls 4×800 relay team was singing Motown. The girls were on the infield, lacing up their racing spikes and waiting for the race to begin.

“Sometimes before we run, the mood can get tense, especially for a state championship,” senior Kacie O’Neil said. “We were all pretty nervous, so I said ‘somebody just sing!’”

Seniors Marta Klebe and Kyra Sikora immediately picked up the vibe and began belting out The Temptations, invisible microphone and all.

“I couldn’t sing because I didn’t know the song,” junior Dina Ramadane said. “But we all just danced, literally two minutes before the biggest race of the season.”

Loosened up and mentally relaxed, the girls readied themselves for their final race of the year. Sikora started off the race with a 2:22 split, handing off to Klebe, who ran the second leg in 2:15, and then Ramadane, who ran the third leg in 2:18. O’Neil anchored the relay with a split of 2:12.

Having won five state titles in the last three years, the relay team was confident in their chances. They hoped to echo their successful indoor season, which took them all the way to nationals and earned them All-American status.

“I knew we could win it,” Ramadane said. “The whole season, we had been training so hard, all for this one meet, this one race. We always keep a low profile throughout the entire season and come out from nowhere at states.”

The team finished the race with a time of 9:08.58, roughly three one-hundredths of a second in front of the second-place team, West Chester Henderson. Before the race, Henderson had been seeded first, one place in front of Conestoga. 

“Henderson was the one big team that was suddenly good this year, and I really wanted to beat them,” O’Neil said. “I had the lead and there was no way I was giving it up.”

The girls are currently ranked ninth in the nation, a great way for three of the relay’s seniors to end their high school track careers, winning one last time.

“The race was really painful but really exciting,” O’Neil said. “It’s still sinking in now that we won. Even getting up on the podium, we were still winding down. But we did it.” 

Staff writer Emily Seeburger contributed to this article.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

This article originally appeared on pg. 21 of the June 7 2010 issue of The Spoke.

By Emily Seeburger, Staff Reporter

They’ll do it through rain, snow, sleet or shine—and we’re not talking about the postal service. They are the Conestoga winter track team, and for the past two months they have been running through the uncomfortably cold conditions in preparation for their weekly meets and, hopefully, a lengthy post-season.

As the team begins its warm-up, it’s apparent that it has considerably more members this season than any other year in the past. With more than 100 newcomers, ’Stoga track has a current count of close to 200 participants, easily larger than any other team at Conestoga.

“I remember when I first started coaching we could fit our entire team in the trophy room,” head coach Ryan Comstock said. 

Now, the same team that was once able to stretch in the 750-square-foot area is forced to split into two different factions on either side of th track for their stretches and drill routines: girls on one side of the track, guys on the other. 

For many, their reasons for joining the team came to a resounding consensus: They love to run. And the team is hard at work, setting their sights on the upcoming season: districts, states, and for a few, even nationals. But they all have one goal in common: Run fast. 

“I’d like to go to states and really like to go to nationals, but I have to focus on the present and just run if I want to get to that point,” senior Shonté Kennedy said. 

The girls 4×800 relay in particular has immense ambition for this season. After winning both indoor and outdoor states last season, they achieved All-American status. After losing only one member of the relay, they are returning with a double title to defend. The boys 4×400 relay, with a strong all-senior showing, is also hoping to go far during the upcoming meets this season. 

As the only sport at Conestoga that takes place during all three seasons (cross country is run in the fall),  track has a following unmatched in year-long dedication. But, although meets are held at various indoor facilities, the name indoor track remains a complete misnomer. Practice is always outside even in the bitter cold, often mixed with various stages of precipitation. But ’Stoga track never lets the weather stand in the way of its success.  

“We always try to kick some butt, even when it is cold,” junior Adam Rodriguez said.

Emily Seeburger can be reached at eseeburger@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 21 of The Spoke’s Jan. 12, 2010 edition.

By Dolly Prabhu, Staff Reporter 

In constant battle with aching limbs, deprived lungs and overwhelming fatigue, it’s no surprise that ’Stoga runners cannot afford to be faint-hearted. 

The boys’ cross country team finished fourth in the Central League with a record of 7-4 while the girls finished third with a record of 9-2. Juniors Maddie Klebe and James Ferguson advanced through the district meet and on to states, where they placed 41st and 93rd, respectively. 

But even after the season conclusion, the runners never stop. Unlike most other athletes, the ’Stoga track team has the benefit of year-round bonding, as the inevitable end-of-season heartbreak is quickly remedied by the ensuing winter season. 

Although the track team practices outside at Conestoga after school, their league meets are held on smaller 200-meter tracks at various indoor track facilities on Fridays and Saturdays. As the season begins, the team as a whole is anticipating success with impressive confidence. 

In particular, the boys 4×200 and 4×400 relays are hoping for success after finishing second at states last year, while the girls 4×800 relay will be defending their state title from last spring. 

To get an edge on the season, many sprinters found a way to compensate for team losses in the off-season, and joined the cross country team for some anticipatory training. 

These additions, as well as the extra conditioning, are likely to help strengthen the sprinting team. Instead of returning from an inactive slump, the runners will require less initial conditioning before building up to strength and speed workouts for the rest of the season.

So, as the thermometer drops and the ground starts to freeze, the ’Stoga winter track team will don their hats and extra socks and head out to the track, ready for a fresh new season. 

And maybe some snow.

Dolly Prahbu can be reached at prahbud@stoganews.com.

This article appeared originally on p. 22 of The Spoke’s Nov. 24, 2009 issue.