A Season of Cancellations

Students and coaches will remember the spring 2010 track season as one that was full of cancellations due to weather.

The only word Coach Rachel Clevenger could think of to describe the cancellation of four meets so far this season was crazy. Last week, because of cold, windy and rainy weather, they missed the Charlo Invite, which was scheduled for Thursday, and they missed the Superior Invite, which was scheduled for Saturday. And while the Superior meet has been scheduled for this Thursday, May 6, the Alberton team won't be there because there's a spring concert already filling the schedule.

Clevenger said that some students won't mind too much as it's a dirt track at Superior and they're used to competing on the rubber ones, but suspects some students will be disheartened.

"It's kind of nice to be able to have a small meet," Clevenger said. "I've liked it, it's been fun."

As for the other meets that have been cancelled, Clevenger said that they probably won't be rescheduled even though there has been some talk. She noted that even if they were rescheduled the likely hood that Alberton to go would be slim as it is the end of the year and everything is busy.

So far this season, the team has only competed at three meets outside of practice. Clevenger said that it's been hard, but they've been doing the best they can with the circumstances.

"The more meets, the more practice we have doing that activity," Clevenger said. "And as a young team, it helps if you can be out there competing."

She said that going into districts that she feels that the other teams are sitting in the same situation and that they should fare all right in the competition.

"Compared to everybody else, we are all about the same," Clevenger said. "I think everybody has had about the same number of meets. Some might have had a couple more meets, but the weather's going to be the same, you just give the best effort wherever you go."

Clevenger said that there have been some days where they've only practiced for less than an hour on days where the weather has been uncooperative. Clevenger said that in the past while they may have missed one or two meets, this one has definitely been one plagued with crazy weather.

"It's just crazy," Clevenger said. "At 2 o' clock, there's sunshine and they by 4, it's a tornado outside."

Clevenger said that in practice that they've been focusing on fundamental stuff and trying to improve on all those skills. She said that some students still haven't settled on their events that they want to compete in at districts. Another disadvantage is that they haven't had much of a chance to improve the official recorded times and that the students will take their best marks they have up until this point to districts.

Students will have one more meet before districts to improve upon their times. Weather permitting the Panthers are headed up to the Seeley Invite at the Big Sky Track on Saturday. Clevenger hopes the weather will be a bit more reasonable.