Laura Veldhof

“My first year in track was the spring of 2023. Trying to browse other options than golf, I made the spontaneous decision to join. I joined with curiosity and excitement to try something new. Most of my friends were already on the team at the time, so I made the jump from spring golf to spring track and field. I was most nervous about not knowing what to expect from practice and meets and the idea of not being able to succeed in events I hoped to. My first day of practice consisted of doing different drills and meeting the team. Starting inside, we jumped up staircases and ran in the hallways. To my dismay, it was more difficult than I figured it would be. Meeting the coaches was scary, but as the season progressed I was able to create a friendship with most of them. Coach Gerig, Addy, was the jump coach and reached out to me trying to recruit me to long jump. Not knowing how or what to think, I was nervous but quickly became aware of how and what to do. My first jump I performed a 14′.6″ at a meet. Taking this and learning from it, my distance rose to a 19′.2 ” at the end of my sophomore season. With this, I started doing both 110m hurdles and 300m hurdles. I definitely prefer the 110m over the 300m because it’s a much faster-paced race.  Doing indoor track this past December allowed me to further improve my distance to a 20′.4’’ at a Grand Valley meet. Coach Gergig helped me through every jump and permitted me to do my best. The most current season, the spring 2024 season, was one of the most challenging, but enjoyable seasons I’ve experienced. I PRed my previous distance by .5’’, which led me to a 20.9’’ jump. Being able to compete with my senior friends definitely made the season better, but I’m sad to see them go and continue my track seasons without them. Overall, I’m very appreciative to be doing track and I’m super happy I decided to join,” Jr. Dexter Ruhl said.