The Revere indoor track team will compete at an Olympic training facility and is making its debut this year with hopes of improving performance in the regular season.

The team, coached by Kevin Somerville, competes in the Erie Division of the NEOITC Series against ten other teams at an Olympic training facility in Geneva, Ohio called the SPIRE Institute. Competing at the SPIRE Institute has required some adjustment due to its 300 meter track, which differs in size from Revere High School’s 400 meter track. The team competed in one meet on January 4 and will compete in one more on February 1. Senior Jack Bollinger competes in the two-mile and 4 x 800 meter eavents. Bollinger commented on the new experience that indoor track provides.

“We’ve never really done indoor track before, so it’s definitely new. The track’s a little shorter, so it throws off some of the distances of the events,” Bollinger said.

Although some runners attended indoor track clinics on Tuesdays at the University of Akron last year, this year marks the indoor track team’s first official, organized year.  Team members continue to attend the clinics at the University of Akron, but they also practice as a team after school at the high school and compete in meets at the SPIRE Institute. Junior Paige Mesecar, who competes in the 1600m and 3200m, mentioned the team’s consistent group practice.

“This is the first year we’ve had a group getting together and doing consistent training . . . after school,” Mesecar said.

Mesecar also described her experience from the first meet at the SPIRE Institute, including her first impression of the arena and the people she met at the competition.

“It’s a really cool facility, and it’s fun to go there and visit . . . . It’s really fun getting together with other groups of people that also love the sport enough to do it in the off-season,” Mesecar said.

Athletic director Tom McKinnon stated his perspective on the training opportunities indoor track provides.

“The season can help our students with techniques and form before our track season begins. Our athletes who are not in other sports during the winter are also getting valuable training,” McKinnon said.

Both Bollinger and Mesecar stated that they believed participating in the indoor track club may help them to improve their performances during the regular season. Mesecar specified why she decided to join the indoor track team.

“I really love track, and it’s hard to keep in shape during the off-season after cross country ends, so I’m trying to keep up that and go into the season strong,” Mesecar said.