As the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, track season begins, and with the first meet just days away, athletes who have put in the work this winter offseason will soon reap what they’ve sown.
The Wolf caught up with two senior track athletes – Gerardo Vargas-Miranda (VM) and Cameron LaGrow (LG) – who have been training all winter, both with big aspirations and the talent to make it happen this season. The full interviews can be found at tuhswolf.com.
What events will you compete in this track season?
LG: “I will be competing in all three available throwing events: discus, javelin and shot-put.”
VM: “I will be focusing on the 800, 400 and 4×400. My coach said I should try the 300 hurdles, as well; I would be able to compete well with other hurdlers since I will most likely be faster than them.”
What is your sleep schedule like?
LG: “Sleep is super important for any athlete/weightlifter because of the need for muscle recovery. My sleep schedule is pretty good; I usually go to bed at 11 p.m. and wake at 7 a.m. on school nights. On the weekends, I sacrifice a little bit of sleep by staying up late but make up for it by sleeping in.”
VM: “I have been sleeping earlier now because the season is about to start; I usually sleep around 11 p.m. and wake up at 7:20 a.m. This schedule works well for me and I feel refreshed throughout the day, giving me enough time to do homework after practice.”
What is your diet like?
LG: “As somebody who gained 90 pounds in two years, it’s no surprise that a lot of the foods I eat are heavy in calories/protein. I make sure to very sparingly eat fast food/junk food, and also make sure to drink sodas infrequently, most of my drinking being water.”
VM: “I have never changed my diet to help me in track, but I do try to cut down on heavy foods before my race, just so I don’t get an upset stomach. I like eating rice or chicken because I feel good without getting stomach pains. Since I’m still pretty young, I can get away with eating whatever I want without repercussions, but I do eat lighter foods before my meets so my stomach doesn’t get upset before a race.”
What do you do immediately after school? When does training begin for you?
LG: “Right after school is when track practice starts for me, from 4-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Aside from actual practice, I train once on the weekends and focus on only one event. Additionally, I work out around six times a week, one of those workouts being specifically altered and catered towards my events…. Outside of regular practice, my weekend practices can last anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours.”
VM: “For track, practice is usually around 4:10…. Right after getting back home [from track], I relax for a bit on my phone and do some homework (sometimes). For ICT [Inner Circle Track Club], practice starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends around 8:30 p.m., so it’s kind of late when I get back home and shower to do homework, but it’s still enough time to get my stuff done before heading to bed and getting enough rest.”
What is unique about your training, and how long have you been training like this?
LG: “As for TPT (Tom’s Performance Training), I have been training with [my private coach] Woody since January 2023. I train in Woody’s garage once a week with my brother, where our workouts prioritize athleticism, speed and strength. I took a little break from working out with him during football season, though I have been back training with him since December and will continue to train with him for the rest of the school year.”
VM: “I have been in ICT for a couple weeks. It’s four times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Practice consists of 30s [30 meter sprints] all the way to 300s. Days are usually split up from block starts to 60s to longer distances like 300s. The workouts are mostly at 100 percent [effort], so they do put lots of strain on my body, and I have now noticed problems with my hip flexors. I think it will be all good, but I’m going to transition to longer distance workouts [with Coach Bonica] to not put so much strain on my hip flexors.”
What are your goals/priorities this season?
LG: “My goal for this track season is to have fun and make memories. Sure, throwing far and winning meets is definitely fun and exciting, but even just being able to hang out with my fellow athletes/friends is something even more special to me. Aside from that, being on the varsity team for all three throwing events is a goal of mine, as well as going to state in at least one event.”
VM: “Goals for this season are sub 2:00 on my 800 and sub :50 on my 400. I want us to win the 4×4 in districts and get top three for 4×4 in state. I want to get really good at the 300 hurdles as well. If I end up getting my goal of sub two earlier and we break the school record for 4×800, I will put all my focus on 400 and the 300h to be able to compete better with other sprinters. I also can’t wait to run with Carson Page during races and really want to see all the improvement he’s had; he will for sure be great motivation for me this season, and I can’t wait to start competing in meets and seeing how much all my teammates will improve this year. I also want the boys to win state this year. I want all the boys to get a ring this year. That would be great, and it is my main motivation this season.”
Both of these athletes will begin competing very soon, and you can follow their performances on Athletic.net, or support them in person at meets. Some of the major competitions to look out for this season are Oregon Relays from April 19-20, Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays on April 26, TRL Championships (A.K.A. Districts) from May 8-10 and, finally, OSAA State Championships from May 17-18.
