WHITEWATER Track 2023

The Whitewater Penguins Track Team grew a little larger this season and has retained a lot of talent that they had last season.

The girls team consists of seniors Kora LaBrie and Sammie Wisher, juniors Ava Hanley, Kendall Scheffelmear and Paige Wasson, sophomore Shelbi LaBrie and freshmen Sommer Green and Kennedy Simonson.

The boys team consists of sophomore Korbyn Skubinna, and freshmen Austin Hanley and Tyler Scheffelmear.

Though they haven't been able to practice outside, the team has been practicing indoors everyday.

"We only ran outside intervals once in two weeks because of the cold weather," Whitewater Head Coach Charlene Wasson said. "We are pretty lucky with what we have in our gym to work with. There is a plywood shot put ring we made a few years back; Mr. Cummings made it for us, and we have a treadmill, bike and elliptical along with two row machines to use for inside conditioning work."

She also said that the jumpers have a large mat to practice long and triple jump. The hurdlers have indoor hurdles that they use on the gym floor.

"The only thing we really haven't been able to do anything for is high jump," Coach Wasson said. "The mats are hard to get out of the track shed with all the snow that is in front of the shed. Pole vault has been going to Saco once a week for practice and getting some reps in that way. We also went to the Sleeping Buffalo once a week to do a pool workout for conditioning. Just to mix things up a bit."

The team returns three state placers including Shelbi LaBrie who took third place in the 1600 meter run, Sammie Wisher who was sixth in the 3200, and Paige Wasson who was fourth in javelin.

"We missed placing in the 4 x 400 relay by .23 hundreds of a second, and instead we ended up 7th. Our 4 x 400 relay was Kora LaBrie, Kendall Scheffelmear, Shelbi LaBrie and Paige Wasson."

The Penguins Track Teams have retained the same coaches as last year. Carly Hammond is coaching pole vault, hurdles, and distance. Heidi Cummings is coaching shot put and discus. McKinnon Little is helping out where needed and keeping track of the junior high athletes but she does a lot of block work, triple and long, and helps condition sprinters. Coach Wasson is coaching javelin, relays, high, triple, and long jumpers, and trains mid-distance.

In terms of goals, Coach Wasson had every team member send her three goals that were SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

"I typed them up for each of them so they would have a visual of what they wanted to get done," Coach Wasson said. "Then half way through the season after we have seen a little of what each of them can do I ask the coaches to come up with a goal for each athlete as well."