The IHS winter track team competed this year at a sectionals meet where their scores did not count and winning was impossible. Thanks to a miscommunication with the BOCES athletic program leadership the winter track team was put into class B when they were moved down to class C thanks to a change in class size.
The Irvington team had run in class B meets before but had never been told until the class C section meet had finished that they were running with the wrong group.
While the team had no big aspirations in the class B meet it could have been one of the top performers in class C.
“To bring home a section title would have been nice, but I think it wasn’t so hard on us because we don’t expect too much out of the meet anyways,” said top distance runner Scottie Mitchell, who was out with an injury for most of the season.
The coaches of other schools vouched for Irvington to the athletic leaders. Some even suggested that they be allowed to compete above their class size for this one time given the special circumstances. Ultimately, the league allowed Irvington to compete, but decided that they should not be scored as to not affect the scores of other legitimate class B teams.
“Track is such a personal sport that the team didn’t feel the loss of not being able to compete like they would in more team-based athletics,” remarked track star Zoe Maxwell. “We’re all looking to beat [personal records] mostly, and we still can do that even if we aren’t scored.”
Mishap aside, the team had a great meet and set many personal records.
