With the weather improving and spirits high, spring sports have officially begun. Hopkins, also known as Tracktown, kicked off their track and field season with a meet against Eden Prairie.

The influx of HHS athletes joining the team leads many to believe that Hopkins could be a powerhouse on the track this year. The girls team currently has over 100 runners, and the boys sit around 90 runners.

Coming off a successful cross country season with many team accomplishments and individual performances, many HHS runners have trained during the winter and are now ready to compete in shorter distances. Suhayb Ali, senior, and Landon Hering, junior, are the most notable runners from the boys cross country team who also run track, while Sydney Drevlow, sophomore, leads the girls track team.

After 16 events, the girls team came up just short against the Eagles, losing 72-64. Although they suffered a narrow defeat, Drevlow shined bright in multiple events. In the 1600, she finished with a time of 5:06, over a minute faster than the next runner. She also led her team to a large victory in the 4×400 relay, finishing 30 seconds faster than the second place team.

On the field side of things, Joelle Kurus, junior, led the charge for the Royals. In the shot put she placed first with a distance of 30 feet and 2 inches, almost 3 feet longer than the Eden Prairie senior who placed second. She also placed third in discus with a distance of 68 feet and 5 inches.

The boys were able to have more success in their opening meet, handling business against the Eagles with a 75-61 win. The 1600 was all Hopkins, with Ali and Hering leading the pack with sub 4:30 finishes. Emmett Morse, eighth grade, and Tristan Schmanski, junior, came in third and fourth place with sub 5:00 finishes. The team of Ali, Hering, Schmanski and Logan Drevlow, freshman, also took home first in the 4×400 relay.

The shot put and discus events for the boys side also had some representation at the top from Hopkins athletes. Maverick Meschke and Jude Lulu, juniors, finished first and second place, respectively, in the shot put event. Theo Roberts, senior, who finished fourth in the shot put, placed first in the discus throw. 

Along with excitement stemming from the meet itself, runners and spectators had their first experience seeing the new running track in action. The former red track that had been used for years was replaced by a silver and blue polyurethane track to show Hopkins pride, and the athletes who raced noticed the difference. 

“The new track feels a lot softer on my feet and there is not as much of an impact, which feels really nice,” said Charlotte Li, senior. “I love the new color and think it is really great for school spirit, and it also makes it easier for handoffs.”

Breaking in the new track and putting the large team in action was all the talk before and after the first meet took place, and a successful first meet brings a lot of excitement to the HHS community.