Track team is sprinting into Regionals

Starting off with a boom the track team continues to fight for first place.
The track team has competed in five meets, including one that was hosted by the Bowie track team at Burger stadium.
“The last few meets have all been a

mazing,” Sophomore Courtney Simonetti said. “We are such a close team and always encourage each other.”
For the past few years Bowie boys and girls tracks team has won the South Austin Relays and continued that domination again this year in late March.

 
“The whole team has practice so hard and it really wasn’t surprising that we swept away with a first place at the South Austin Relays,” Junior Mia Richardson said.

 
Track practices have changed in difficulty level to prepare the athletes for district.
“Practices have definitely been getting more serious as district is coming up. We are really paying attention to times, and cleaning up starts, form, etc,” Simonetti said.

 
The South Austin Relays hosted by the Bulldogs, is the last meet before the intense district meet at Del Valle High School.

 
“I really can’t believe this is our last meet before district,” Simonetti said. “It’s been the best season so far and went by so quickly, but I think everyone is ready for district so I’m excited.”
In order to continue to regionals the member must be in the top three places. After area if eligible the team member can advance to Regionals and then finally state.

 
“At the beginning the meets were relatively easy, but as we got into the season, my legs wanted to fall off after the meet, it only get harder as we progress through the season,” Sophomore Stephen Demerson said.
District will be on April 9th and 10th. Area Championships will be held on April 16th at Burger Stadium, Regionals is April 25th and 26th at the Hart-Patterson Tack Complex in Waco, Texas and for those who continue to state it will take place at the UT stadium on May 9th and 10th.  by Staff writer Isabel Rosales

Senior wins 4th place at UIL swim

Senior Zachary Cootes swam the 500 yard freestyle event at the UIL state swim on Feb. 21 and 22 at the University of Texas Swim Center in Austin. His times for the event were 4:35.16 during the preliminary race and 4:33.59 during the final race.

 
“It felt so amazing to go to state because of all the people who have gone before me and all the people I was representing,” Cootes said. “To know that people like Michael Kleuh and past swimming legends had gone to this meet representing the same school was great and it made me so happy to be the next one to follow in their footsteps.”
Many of Cootes’s friends and family showed up to watch him swim the day of the meet. Some of his teammates even surprised him a few days before the meet to get him excited.

 
“A few days before the meet I woke up for morning practice and my house was decorated with ‘Good Luck at State’ signs and my car was painted with the words ‘State Bound’ across the rear windshield,” Cootes said. “It just made me feel like I wasn’t the only athlete going and like I had people there every step of the way.”  by Editor-in-chief Rachael Crawford