The Revere boys’ track team is hoping to improve on last year’s record and do well in the Suburban League, by adding depth and improving individual performances.

The team hopes to win more than the two meets the team won last year. They hope that this year, they will be able to place better in the Suburban League than they did last year. To do so, they will focus on improving each individual’s performance. Coach David Parry commented on the role individual performance plays in a track meet.

“We look at each [runner’s] personal records and make goals for this year. In track and field, if you can improve upon individual performance, you’re going to improve as a team. [Track and field is] a team sport, but it’s very much based on individual performances,” Parry said.

Seniors Devin Seay and Mike Miller talked about some of the goals they have set for themselves. Seay said he would like to get over nineteen feet in the long jump, whereas Miller would like to get under five minutes in the mile.

The team improves on individual performances through an off-season training program in which athletes train with those who run their same event. The team utilizes the training programs of other sports in conjunction with their own. Parry commented on this.

“Track is supposed to be all-encompassing of all our sports here at Revere. We have the football kids going through the football program, the soccer kids going through the soccer program, and I tap into that. I want our athletes to develop the skills in their sport, while at the same time, using track and field to become more athletic. That’s what track and field does; it makes better athletes. Our goal is to [make better athletes],” Parry said.

In addition to improving individual performance, the team hopes to add depth of quality to their roster, in order to place and score points in more events. Parry commented on this.

“There’s a lot of strategy in track and field . . . people think you just run the 100 meters, the 200 meters, well that’s not necessarily the case. You’ve got to know where to put your pieces and to have more depth allows you to move those pieces around and be more competitive. You don’t just put your best 200 meter runner in the 200 meter, if another team is really strong in the 200, and you’re not going to take that first or second place, but if I move that runner to another event where he’s going to take first place,” Parry said.

In a track meet, first place in events wins five points, second place three and third place one. To win a meet, a team must have a majority of the 137 points available, or 69 points. Seay commented on the point system that exists in track and field.

“It’s all about total number of points,” Seay said. The team has had issues in the past with being able to place in events. Miller explained.

“[The problem is] usually getting enough good people to fill those spots,” Miller said.

In addition to preparing for this year’s season, the team is also looking forward to years to come. Parry explained his anticipation for upcoming years.

“We have some great younger guys that are going to be coming up, I think [2016] might be a year where we go after Suburban League champs. It takes two years to learn events, so getting guys to come in and learn them in the first year and then to come back, they improve so much just because they’ve experienced more,” Parry said.

The boys won their meet against Cloverleaf on April 23.