Track athletes miss out on a special night
Wilsonville Track and Field poses for a picture during the State Championship at University of Oregon. Many Wildcats walked away with medals this day.
Senior Night is an incredible night that all senior athletes look forward to. It is a time for them to celebrate their successes, celebrate how far they’ve come, and look forward to the future that awaits them. Every sport has a Senior Night. Except for track.
Why is it that track, a sport with many seniors, doesn’t partake in Senior Night? While Wilsonville has many dual sport athletes who have the opportunity to participate in Senior Nights for their other sports, what about the athletes who only partake in track? They deserve the right to be celebrated for their commitment. “We already don’t get enough recognition so being one of the only teams without a senior night sucks,” said Jill (name changed for anonymity)
Many say that it would be hard to organize due to the large team with many seniors and events happening at different times. “To be 100% honest, I have no idea why we don’t have a Senior Night. Our coaches are very persistent about celebrating leadership and not age” said junior Avery Devincenzi. Frankly, like other sports, the senior night can occur before the meet even takes place. This would be a fun opportunity to celebrate the seniors who contribute to our track and field team.
We already don’t get enough recognition so being one of the only teams without a Senior Night sucks,
— Jill
“It sucks because we don’t know if we will get a Senior Night. I know I am a good leader and represent my team but how much is enough? I want to be recognized for my success and especially for the kids where track is their only sport.” said Jill. Devincenzi agreed, adding “When this is your main/only sport and you are surrounded by your peers who do get that opportunity to get recognized, it sucks.”
Many of these track athletes are wondering how much more they have to do to be celebrated. It seems as if other sports get the right to celebrate their seniors but these track athletes have to earn it.
