Lafayette has many amazing sports and extracurricular activities offered to its students. One of the most outstanding is the Track and Field team.

Track is a sport where athletes run around a 400-meter track or less, or do other field events to gain points for their team.

There are four types of track athletes: distance, mid-distance, sprinter, and field. Distance runners will run the mile or the 2 miles around the track. The mile is 4 laps; 1600 meters first, and the 2 mile is 7 laps, which is 3200 meters.Mid-distance runners will run the 800 meter and the 400 meter. The 800 meter is 2 laps, and the 400 meter is 1. Sprinters run the 300 meter, 200 meter, and 100 meter. These types of events are fragments of the tracks. All of these events are raced for the fastest times and highest placing.

Field athletes do hurdles, javelin, discus, shot-put, and long jump. In events like discus, shot-put, and javelin, the main goal is to throw your item across the field the farthest, or farther than your opponent to gain the most points. In hurdles, you race 100 meters while hurdles are placed in rows across the track. Racers run for the best times and highest placing. In the long jump, jumpers jump across a 20-meter sand pit with a 20-meter running start to get the longest jump across. Whoever does the best gets the most points for their team.

Track and Field began February 14th. All athletes that wanted to participate, could have joined the team until February 28th. Track is from 4:00-5:30 on the Lafayette track every day. Every Saturday, they have meets where Lafayette competes against other schools in the county.

A Track and Field athlete, Javon Adams, has a few words to say about his experience in this sport. “Lafayette Track and Field team is like a family. We all work hard to improve together. As a sprinter, mid-distance, and field racer, I have to work especially more for my team.  However, in the end, it is all worth it to become a better team member and runner”.