By: Frankie Toppi
The 2023 winter season is ending, and athletes all around Wallenpaupack are preparing for the
2023 track season. This season is a big one, with a lot of expectations and shoes to fill. Everyone from
the freshmen to the seniors are prepared to make this track season their best one yet. I recently spoke
with various senior athletes and asked them what their goals for this season were and heard, first-hand,
what their expectations for themselves and their team are.
From throwers to pole vaulters to distance runners, all their goals were similar in that they
wanted to excel. They want to improve their times or distances or just contribute to the team.
The Wallenpaupack 2022 track season was full of new records and personal bests and this year’s
athletes are looking to become even better.
Here are some quotes from ten athletes on the track and field team regarding their goals for this
season.
(Throwing) Aviona Rosenthal: “Honestly I want to throw over 115 this season in discus, I feel like its very
capable. Freshman year I was easily throwing 100.”
(Pole Vaulting) Ella Mancino: “Right now my PR is 9 ft, I want to get to at least 10 ft, if not 10.6, and I
want to make it to districts and place in districts.”
(Distance) 3200 Morgan Anderson: “I want to PR and hopefully the team will go really far like last year.”
(Pole Vaulting) Chase Gramling: “I want to pole vault 11 feet, it’s a solid goal.”
(Throwing) Grace Steffen: “Break the records both the shock and disc records.”
(Distance) Stephen Bryan: “Break 6 in the mile.”
(Distance) Michael Kelly: “Probably to go under five minutes in the mile.”
(Distance) Abdul Malik Lawal: “My goal is definitely to improve myself however I can and contribute to
the team as much as possible, and I want to make this season as good as I can for the other people on
the team.”
(Hurdles) Sara Marino: “My previous seasons have been affected by covid freshman year and injury
junior year, so I haven’t had a full true season. My goal for my senior year is to have a full season and
get as far as I can with it.”
(Distance) Lizzie Higgins: “I want to make it to districts again and hopefully score some points for my
team.”
Even from these few interviews, the drive of the Wallenpaupack 2023 track team as a whole is
very easy to see. The overall goal of having a great season and winning is something that I believe is very
attainable. I want to wish the track team the best of luck with their personal goals and with their season
and I want to thank each athlete that gave up some of their time for this short interview. Go Bucks
