Seymour senior looks forward to final track season

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Jalen Snider has enjoyed competing on the Seymour girls track team the past three years, and is expecting a lot of success again this spring.

She has been a regional qualifier in the 200 and the 400 relay, and has helped the Owls win sectionals in 2016 and 2017.

“I like the team aspect of track,” Snider said. “While it’s an individual sport, you’re working as a team for whatever the competition may be. In the 400 relay, each leg is dependent on you, and you depend on each other so that is really nice.

“You get a lot of options out of it. That’s the nice thing about track. Anybody can do it.”

The senior began running track in the seventh grade.

“In middle school, I was more middle distance. I did the 400,” Snider said. “Since I’ve been in high school, I’ve been mainly sprints. I run the 100, 200 and 400 relay.”

The track at Bulleit Stadium was resurfaced when turf was put on the football field, and Snider said she enjoys running on the new surface.

“It’s a lot better now,” she said. “They changed where the start-finish line was. At the beginning of the (2017) season there was a little bit of confusion but we got used to it.”

She said her favorite away track is Bloomington North, where the regional is held.

In the 100, Snider says that a fast start leads to success.

“If you don’t come out of the blocks then there is a big issue,” Snider said. “That’s probably the only positive of not having a field event because you get to focus more on the blocks and coming out of those, which matters a lot.”

Snider said when she first started running the 200 she had to learn how to pace herself.

“Personally, I like the 200 better just because the blocks aren’t as big of a deal,” Snider said. “You get to take up a lot of space between those. I like the curves, obviously, because it seems like it goes faster. I’m running quite a lot on the curve, then with the third leg in the 400 relay you on the curve as well.”

Snider said everyone needs to work hard in practice.

“Practice is extremely important. If you miss one day your body is completely out of proportion,” she said. “We haven’t timed anything yet because everybody doesn’t exactly know what events they’re doing, so right now we’re doing shorter distances. We’ll do a bunch of 100s, we’ll do 50s, and we’ll do a bunch of 25s just to get our form down so when you get in your event you’re well prepared for it.”

Once the postseason comes around, Snider hopes to make it far in multiple events.

“I want to make it back to the regional in the 200 again, and I’m hoping the 400 relay team gets to go again.”

She said she is hoping to break 26 seconds in the 200.

Snider said she has enjoyed the opportunities she has had at SHS.

“I like all the opportunities that they provide and everything from that. Most of my classes are AP or dual credit,” she said. “ I’ve enjoyed bonding with my teammates.”

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Name: Jalen Snider

High school: Seymour

Parents: Mechelle Bottorff, Carl Bottorff

Siblings: Jordan, Justin, Carissa

Sports: track 4 years, cross-country 2 years, wrestling manager 3 years

Athletic highlights: regional qualifier 200 dash, 400 relay, sectional team champions 2016, ’17.

Plans after high school: attend college

Favorite food: French toast

Favorite TV show: Riverdale

Favorite musician: Thomas Rhett

Favorite team: Indiana University

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