The Bobcat track and field teams are running towards much needed wins!

With a new coach and no home track to compete on, Beaver Area has faced a whole new set of challenges this season.

Leading the Bobcats this season, Mrs. Allison Churovia replaces Mr. Jason Gallagher as the head coach of the track and field team.

Due to the ongoing track renovations, the team currently practices at Central Valley from 5-7 p.m. (once CV finishes their practices) which is quite different from traditional right-after-school athletic practices.

An additional challenge is that many key team members who competed in years prior did not return because of conflicting schedules and the team now practicing at CV.

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a home track [this season] but it will be worth it for the future of Bobcat sports,” said captain and senior Reed Garrett.

These gaps resulting from the lack of experienced team members have proved to be problems when trying to play the numbers game and rack up points.

The Bobcats have only competed at three meets so far, one being yesterday, and the scores and record have been subpar thus far despite several individual victories.

Sophomore Derrick Anderson explained, “Going to CV is inconvenient. Our meets went well but we lost.”

For their season opener March 23 Beaver Area faced Freedom and Beaver Falls in an exciting tri-meet.

For the girls on the track, sophomore Rylie Teapole earned first in the 800 meter run, and junior Izzy Meadows finished first in the 300 meter hurdles.

Senior Ella Andrew also won both the one and two mile runs by an impressive 30 seconds and minute and a half margins respectively.

Sophomore Lilia Battalini won both the long and triple jump, and junior Lizzy Michael won the pole vault.

Sophomore Chloe Tooch threw a winning 79 foot javelin throw to pull a win for the throwers.

On the boys’ side, junior Amari Jackson won the 200 meter dash, and junior Eli Bechdel won both the one and two mile run.

Sophomore Dre Hall won the triple jump, and senior Carter Hagen won the long jump.

For the throwers, senior Dylan Young took the discus and shot put events while Garrett earned first in the javelin.

The Bobcats then faced the New Castle Hurricanes March 28. The girls left with a victory while the boys suffered a loss.

The final scores were 75.5-70.5 for the girls and 90-59 for the boys.

Battalini won the 100 meter dash against the Hurricanes, and junior Allison Tate won the 400 meter dash.

Andrew won the one mile once again while Teapole took the two mile.

Michael won the pole vault again at this meet, and junior Delaney Thomas won the javelin throw.

The boys’ track points came from Bechdel in the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter runs as well as freshman Issac Burtt winning the 110 meter hurdles.

Hagen won the high jump, and Young once again won the shot put throw.

Read the next issue of the BASD ECHO to see the results of yesterday’s meet against the Blackhawk Cougars and other future meets.