Coach James “Jaws” Jarovski and the track and field team are preparing for the new season, which starts on Monday. The year brings bigger goals and another opportunity to win the state title.

“Our [first goal] is to win our 3rd consecutive state title. I would like to score over 180 points at the state meet. This would be an all-time AA record,” said Jaws.

Last year the team won boys, girls and combined team championships according to the Lincoln Track and Field website. Eight boys and four girls won individual state titles during the 2017 season. Jaws points to the variety of athletes on the team as one of the reasons for its success.

“Our team’s strength is our depth. We have many athletes in all areas of the team that can score points,” said Jaws.

Another reason for the program’s success is the coaches who train the athletes. Each of Lincoln’s 14 track coaches specializes in a specific set of events like sprints, distance and throws. This year coaches will be tweaking their methods so they can continue to be successful.

“All our coaches go to various clinics throughout the offseason and adapt their training.  For example, The sprinters will focus more on speed training and less on developing lactate threshold.  I know the distance group is adding in some morning training sessions,” said Jaws.

The combination of the coaches’ experience and the athletes’ hard work is what will ultimately result in a successful season.

“Our sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, distance and throwers should all be strong. We have athletes who are dedicated, hard-working, and enjoyable to be around!” said Jaws.