PARK CITY--The State A and C track and field meet kicked off Thursday in Laurel, and one of the teams looking to make their mark is the Park City Panthers.
"We're a smaller school, so when we go to those bigger track meets, the boys score quite a few points and so do the girls, so I feel like that kind of stands out with so few athletes," freshman Macy Witt said.
The small but mighty Panther team has several athletes that are near school records as the state meet approaches. The good news is, none of them are seniors.
"This season, I just want to get closer to the school records for long distance, and just get better," junior Zach Downing said. "I'm hoping I can get close this season, but definitely next season, my goal is to get down to it."
"I feel like just continuing to improve myself, because I'm two inches away from the high jump record," Witt said. "So, if I could get that, but I don't know if I will."
The primary focus for Park City is continuing to develop and strengthen a program that's trending in the right direction, especially as the school moves up from Class C to Class B next year.
"We just have to keep pushing the freshman and sophomores, so when they grow up a little bit, they can push the freshmen and sophomores then and they can be good leaders when they're juniors and seniors as well," junior Gage Witt said.
"A lot of it starts early on, in the early ages when we're all working together and getting chemistry together," Downing said. "And then we're always pushing each other to get better and what not, which I think is the most important part."
Many of these athletes compete in five or more events during a meet, and they say that the secret to success is a good home cooked meal the night before, and there's a clear favorite.
"Chicken alfredo," Gage Witt said.
"Also Chicken alfredo," Downing said. "And lasagna."
They hope the pasta powers them to success at state.
Running events start Friday at 10:30am, and field events start at 9am
