Bradley Edwards and Morgan Womack said in order to be successful in track and field, you not only have to perform well physically, but you also need to focus and have a positive outlook mentally.

Edwards regularly runs the 800 and is on the 4×800 relay team at Brownstown Central.

“Running always helps me clear up my mind,” he said. “It helps me get my mind off stuff. If I’m having a bad day, running helps me with that, but also, it’s fun to talk about how not everybody can go out there and run 3 or 4 miles without stopping.”

Womack runs the 100- and 200-meter dashes and throws the shot put for the Crothersville girls.

In throwing the shot put, Womack said, “It takes a whole lot of not overthinking. If I overthink, my elbow and shoulder will drop, and then my form is bad, so I just try to do it with a clear head. I try to focus on the little things.”

Edwards, who started track in sixth grade said, “I’ve been running circles on this track for quite some time. Unlike the 4×8, you’re actually running with people on the 800, so it’s easier to be able to compete and be able to run the way you want to run. In the relay, you’re just running by yourself.”

Of his racing strategy, Edwards said he tries to stay with the front people.

“Depending on how I feel, I’ll try to negative split my first lap, which means I run the second lap faster,” he said. “I’ll just stay close enough where I can make a move, and he won’t be able to match my moves. I figured my best times were when I ran the second leg in the relay.”

He said his best open 800 time has been 2:07, and his best split in the relay has been 2:09.

“I usually run better in the 800 than I do in the 4×8, so if I run like a 2:09 in the 4×8, I would probably run a 2:06 in the 800. That’s just how I’ve always been,” he said.

He said it is important to work hard during practice.

“We don’t go by time. We do specific workouts, and when that workout is done, that’s when practice is over,” he said.

Edwards, who also ran cross-country for the Braves, said his goal is to drop his times.

“My 2:06 is seeded fifth at sectional. I want to try to get down to 2:04 so I have a chance to get top three at sectional,” he said. “I’ve made a big jump this year, and it is due to me putting more miles in, more work in. This is probably the best group of kids I’ve had to run with.”

He said he has enjoyed attending Brownstown Central.

“When it comes to sports, parents are so supportive,” he said. “Brownstown has always had a good fan base, which helps with the energy at all the sporting events, but also the teachers. All the teachers are good at what they teach. Not all schools are fortunate enough to have that. We have a good administrative staff also.”

Womack said she began competing in track her sophomore year.

“I love the 100 because I recently set a PR (14.7),” she said. “For the 200, I ran 32.7. I don’t do blocks. I’ve been doing standing since my sophomore year. I tried to start from the blocks a couple times, and my time got slower by almost 2 seconds, so I’m going to stick with standing and hope it goes well.

“I prefer to be right smack in the middle (running the 100) so I can see the people in front of me, and I just try to pass them,” she said. “In the 200, I try to push myself even more. You run out of breath at the very end and you feel like you’ve really pushed yourself.”

Womack said she hopes to heave the shot 28 feet or further at the Southern Athletic Conference meet today or at the sectional next week.

“I’ve been told if I throw that far, I would be the second-best in Crothersville history,” she said. “So far, I’ve only been able to get 25 or 26 feet. I’m consistent. I just do a power throw where I’m at the front (of the ring) the entire time.”

Womack played basketball the past three years.

“In basketball, I really enjoyed trying to get out of my comfort zone, doing stuff I’m not typically doing,” she said. “In middle school, I was so self-conscious. Here, I am trying basketball, trying track and enjoying them. I prefer track a little more than basketball. We’re a little looser in track compared to basketball. There is stress to do well individually, but your teammates kind of bring you back down from the stress.”

She likes going to school in Crothersville.

“I’ve been going here my entire life, so basically, it’s all I’ve known,” Womack said. “I’ve enjoyed going to school at Crothersville because you get to help the school build a reputation. We only had five girls in basketball, and in track, I’m going to be the only girl going to conference, so people think, ‘She’s trying.’”