4/20 Update

Phoenix,

Another week down, and we're about to enter the final stretch, with less than 1 month to go.

This week so saw a raft of personal and seasonal bests, between our meets at Weber and at Davis. We had a large contingency qualify for the Davis invitational, which made for a fun and long day. Thank you to all the sups* who pulled up to support, whether you stayed long after your own race, (e.g. Phipps, Addy, Ethan), or came even though you weren't racing (e.g. Julia, Nathan, Swaggy P), or showed up 10 hours before your race (Huddo). The sups are what make our team great. May we all strive to be described as a sup.

*A sup is someone who is a supporter. More than just a supporter, a sup is someone who puts their teammates ahead of themselves, and goes out of their way to support those around them.

This Week

On Wednesday we will be hosting a meet with Syracuse and Weber. The meet begins at 3 PM. Talk to your event coaches about what you should do. Everyone can compete at this meet, but many racing Friday may be doing a workout instead, so talk to your event coach.

We will have a job list for the meet, but we don't have concessions, gates, wind gauge, or some of the more tedious things.

We are going to be taking a team picture for the yearbook at 1:15 on Wednesday - be in your uniform. That will be done on the bleachers.

On Friday we go to Woods Cross. That meet begins at 2 PM. That is a recent time change, so please be aware of that. We have an entry limit there, as well as event standards, so not everyone will be able to compete, but everyone should come be a sup.

Pole Vault for this meet is on Thursday at Davis High, since WX does not have a vault space.

We will not be bussing to WX, so you should arrange your own transportation. You will be excused from 8th period.

Next Week - extra credit

On Monday we will be hosting a Junior High Meet on Monday, which begins at 1 PM. Any of you who did not scan out at the end of previous meets we have hosted, the JH meet will be an opportunity to make up 10 points, by being there from 12:00 until the end of the meet. You will be excused during 4th period.

Anyone not needing extra credit is still encouraged to come and help, but you won't have to stay until the bitter end.

On Wednesday 4/30 we go to Weber again. That meet will go much better than last time so don't agonize too much.

Then, that weekend, is the BYU invitational, where they accept the top X number of athletes into the meet, depending on times set during the year. That meet is Friday and Saturday. Please go look at the schedule on Sporttrax and see if you could compete at the hour that your events are listed, and communicate with your coaches. I know it's prom on Saturday, so that may affect some of you.

4/13 update

Phoenix,

Thank you all so much for your help in putting on two meets this week. That is no small feat, and I know it required a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice on your part to be there putting it on.

I received many compliments from other coaches about how much they enjoyed the meet and how well it was run. The credit for that goes to each of you. Sometimes I wonder if all of you understand why it is so important to me that we run a quality meet. There are many reasons, but ultimately it comes down to the experience of the athletes, including you. We've all been to meets that are poorly run, and it makes the experience less fun, and the atmosphere less energized, and the chance to have a good performance diminishes. 

On Friday. over 700 athletes competed at our meet, with 1377 finishers, and each of them had a great opportunity to showcase their hard work. I know how hard you guys work, and the last thing I want is for you to spend weeks, months, and years working hard, only to get to a meet where the communication, atmosphere, or competition is poor, and you're unable to show your full skillset. We offered that to people, and you should be proud of it. It didn't make me any richer (although the profits will allow us to get a new long jump board, a new canopy, a high jump cover, new hurdles, more shots/discs, etc.) but I feel richer because of being able to work alongside each of you. 

So, on my account, and on behalf of those teams that came to the meet, especially those that thanked us repeatedly, thank you for all of your hard work, commitment, and sacrifice. You helped a great number of people have a positive experience, and I hope that it was something you enjoyed as well.

A few of you were singled out as being noticed going above and beyond, and obviously we cannot name everyone. Sara "best attitude" Taylor, Annie, Katrina, and Tatum were ballers out at discus. Belle and Kiera at shot then gates, even withstanding some peanut gallery remarks. Koda was goated at moving hurdles, Eli and Jed were rockstars at making sure the alleys were set for a great many distance races. Ava, Logan, Lucas, and McKay worked the PV for about 6 hours super well. Lorelei and Gifty were at concessions the entire time without a complaint. Henry, Seth, and Kenzie grinded away at Long jump for forever, James and the other jav crew were super helpful out there, getting a sunburn I imagine, while shagging javs and pulling tape. And don't forget my guys Swaggy P and Lando up in the box helping the audience understand the race and enjoy it. I did not have Swaggy P on my bingo card as being the GOAT announcer in 2025, but here we are.

Thank you all again. Those who aren't named, don't feel slighted, we only have so many eyes and our brains are a bit fried from the week, so I'm sure many of you weren't named above who were as good as those listed.

The good news is, we have a little while until we host again, and even then, those will be smaller meets (a tri meet and JH meet). 

This Week

Training returns to normal for a few days before we head to Weber for a meet on Wednesday with them and Davis. The buses will leave at 1:30. 

Those racing on Saturday may or may not be competing on Wednesday, so talk to your event coaches about that. 

Then on Saturday is the Davis invitational. That is one of the biggest meets of the year, and it is an "all dayer". You can see the meet information on Sporttrax. The way this meet works is they take the top 8 people in each event and put them in a one heat/flight final in the afternoon session. The morning session they take the top X number of entries (that number is tbd), so you can see who is in line to be accepted into the meet, and who probably won't make the cut a few days in advance. Thursday at noon those entries will be official.

We would love for you all to come and watch even if you aren't competing, and if you are competing, to hang out with us throughout the day. Honestly it's one of the coolest meets of the year, and the temperature looks like it will be downright delightful.

There will not be a bus to Davis.

Upcoming

Next Wednesday 4/23 we host a tri meet, then go to WX on Friday. Monday of the following week we host a JH meet (which I'm hoping to make extra credit), and then on that wednesday we go to Weber again, that Friday/Saturday is BYU. The next week is Region, then it's state, then you graduate (seniors, in case that wasn't clear).

There are like 5 weeks left. That is nothing. Use your time wisely pham!

Coach Jacobson

3/23 Update

Phoenix,

We had an awesome two days at the super meet! With your help we were able to allow nearly 1200 kids to participate in the meet. Ultimately a huge motivation for hosting that meet is to allow almost our entire team to compete, allowing other teams to come and have a chance to race, teach the value of teamwork in pulling off big events, and do some serious fund raising for our team. 

There were a ton of PRs at the meet, and I know we'll see so many more, because the vast majority of our team is putting in quality effort each day at practice. Those of you who aren't being completely consistent, meaning being at practice day in and day out, find a way to do better. 

A few performances to shout out are Addy Webb in the 100m, who qualified for state, and then Landon Sturgeon who came from behind to win the 1600m. Many more of you set personal or season bests, some hitting big milestones like going under 5 in the mile, or 29 in the 200. There were a lot of exciting things, and the best part is, we're just getting started.

We have so many kids who are eager to help others have a good experience by volunteering their service that it's hard to shout everyone out. The long jump helpers have one of the most physically tasking jobs. The field events have to be engaged nearly the entire time. The bull pen, run by Marianne and Sahara, is a thankless job but essential in moving the meet along. The finish line crew, gate crew, concessions, announcing and results, hurdle crew, WIND GAUGE, all of it. It takes work, and we appreciate your time and effort to do your job well. We have 4 more meets that we're hosting, but only one will be lengthy, the others will only be like 3 hours. I'm kind of sad about it tbh, because I enjoy seeing so many athletes competing at our school, and seeing each of you compete your best, and volunteer your effort to make the meet a quality one for everyone else. 

This week

This week we head to Syracuse on Tuesday and Wednesday for the district championships. We are limited to 4 people per event, so we won't be able to enter everyone, but we will do our best to fill those entries out. We have a few extra spots in the 100, mile, and pole vault, but still not enough to get everyone in. 

That said, we encourage you all still to come and support, whether by bussing with us or driving on your own. You are welcome to get yourself to the meet rather than riding the bus. We may not have room for everyone again, if everyone comes to support. 

The buses will leave at 1:45 PM both days. On Wednesday you will be excused for all of 4th period. Tuesday is the ACT day for juniors only.

The schedule for the meet can be found on Sporttrax. 

Also, in the sporttrax app or on the web you can select rankings, and filter by school, region, classification, etc. and see where you stack up. It's a pretty nice feature. I recommend checking it out, especially on the region level. 

Spring Break

We will still be practicing Thursday and Friday this week, so don't start your spring break early (unless you've legitimately left by then). Then next week during spring break, we may try to get together a few times for those who are in town to get a workout in. Those spring break practices are usually pretty vibey.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Coach Jacobson

3/16 update

Phoenix,

Our first meet is in the books. It was great to get out and compete and give us an idea of what we need to do in training to get better every day. The highlight for me was everyone getting on the line to run a 4x4 at the end of the meet. Working hard as a team, and having fun, is what we need to be about. 

This update is going to be a bit lengthy, so buckle up, but like tbh, it's solid. I don't have any Severance references today, so I apologize in advance for those who only came to look for Easter eggs hidden in the update.

We as coaches learned a lot about our team, and I hope you learned some things that will help you moving forward as well. We encourage you to become a student of your events, ask questions of your coaches with the intent to learn. We have very knowledgeable coaches with great experience. On the sprint/hurdle side with Brian, Marianne, Sahara, and Rachel, there is a ton of experience, and current talent in the case of BYU's Marianne. Sahara and Marianne have arranged their lives for this year to help you out, so tap in to their knowledge while you can (we have almost exactly 2 months remaining). Ask about their experiences and technical knowledge. Ask for them to critique your start or mechanics. Ask why they want your blocks set a certain way. 

Our vault coaches have so much experience and knowledge, we're fortunate to have two coaches there to help more athletes, as well as throws, jumps, and distance. When they tell you a reason, ask them why. The other day Austin and I had an interesting chat about the why of standing up gradually and hitting top speed later in a 100m race as opposed to hitting top speed early, all because he asked questions with the intent to learn and improve. When your field coaches tell you how to do an approach, if you don't know why that is, ask, with the goal to understand not undermine, to strategize not skepticize (I totally thought I made that word up, turns out it is legit). When you seek to learn and understand, you'll be better able to implement the techniques and methods necessary to reach your full potential.

Practices

Even if you are not in the 8th period class, you still need to be scanning in on A days. That is how we remember who has been attending, and who we will enter into meets. We have over 130 kids who have attended a practice this year, so it's very difficult to remember who has been attending and when. Which is crazy because we should all just attend every day, with rare exception, so then it's easy to remember when you've missed.

Figure out your schedules so you can be at practice. Every day matters. On days when your motivation is low, that's when you need it most. That is when you create habits and develop discipline that will allow you to be successful. 

I said this the other day, but I'll say it here too. Odds are every single one of you will have a PR or seasonal best at some point after our first meet. That's all well and good, but, truthfully, isn't that hard, especially the more inexperienced you are. The less experienced you are, the more significant your adaptations and fitness improvements are with less work. Even if the only time you cared about getting a PR was on race day, most would would see an improvement, albeit, far from what you would with true consistent effort and care.

Caring only on race day, or test day, is a sure way to feeling unsatisfied. What is important is working to reach your full potential for the season and beyond. It's not just about getting better, although we are always striving for improvement. It's about building daily habits that will allow you to reach your full potential as a track athlete and a person. 

Take Brayden Scoresby, for instance. This is a kid who barely dipped under a 7 minute avg for 5k his sophomore year, and then ran about 5:30 in the mile that spring. His junior year he saw a big jump in the 5k, shaving off a cool 30s per mile and another 30s in the mile in Track. This year, he ran 5k at very nearly his sophomore MILE pace. Had he not developed a stress fracture he likely would have made it. Since healing up and recovering, he's gone under 4:50 in the mile already, and looks poised to have another big jump. While he was cooking a workout the other day, I remarked to some of his teammates, in my typical dry but joking tone, "do you guys remember when Scoresby was slow?" He's a far cry from who he used to be. Years ago, after his first race, I wouldn't have predicted how fast he'd become. But after seeing his work ethic, I'm no longer surprised. I can't remember who said it, but in response to my question, he said, "yeah but he's been crazy consistent." Even his teammates have noticed his consistency. And now he's generating interest from programs like Snow College. 

If the only time he cared about having a PR was on race day, then he'd still be "slow", but slightly faster (slow is all relative, and I said it as a means of comparison between where he was, and where he is now. 7 minute avg for 5k isn't "slow", but compared to how fast he is now, it is.) But Brayden didn't care only on race day. He cared every day and gave his best effort day in and day out and as a result has seen more improvement than nearly anyone I've ever coached. If there is someone who is tapping into their potential, it's Brayden, and he will continue to see a lot of improvement. He became a student of the sport, he is passionate, and he is a fantastic teammate who joys in the success of those around him. 

And what's fascinating is that this is only part of Brayden's story. There is a lot more to it, both in the past and future. 

This week/meet hosting

This week we will be hosting a meet over the span of two days, the Super Meet. On Wednesday the girls will compete while the boys "work" the meet. On Thursday, the roles will reverse. I say "work" because everyone will have a job and will be responsible in helping us put on a great day for competition. 

As has been explained since the beginning of the year, everyone is expected to help at each of the track meets that we host, from start to finish. We will scan in at the start, and then out at the end. Those leaving early will not get credit for the day. With over 120 kids on the team, I cannot be fielding all the exceptions and reasons for missing for each athlete. The expectation is that you are there the entire time so arrange your schedule to be there both days. 

Your goal in your various jobs is to make this experience as great as possible for the competitors and spectators. That means doing your job as best you can, both quickly and correctly. If we need hurdles moved, you'd do it without waiting to be asked. 

Each of you will have an assigned job. I will post that job list in the various groupme chats and in canvas. Descriptions of those jobs are on there as well. 

Thank you for all you're doing. Let's continue to strive to hit our full potential day in and day out.

Coach Jacobson

3/9 update

Phoenix,

We've had another solid week of training, and I'm eager to see you all compete. I've been pleased with the effort and consistency from most of you. However, too many kids have missed at least one practice this week. Missing practices is not the strat to reaching your full potential, and it weakens our team. Arrange your schedules, your school work, etc., so that you can be at each practice.

The end of term has come, and with it, a reset of eligibility. If you have more than 1 F, and "U"s, or a GPA below 2.0, you are not eligible to compete. The Us can be cleared, and must be before you can compete, but the others are basically set in stone barring some very extenuating circumstances.

Monday

There is no school on Monday but we will still be practicing. We are scheduled on the field for 1 PM. This is our final workout before our first meet, and will be essential for relays, blocks, fitness, etc., so be sure to show up on time ready to roll. 

First Meet

Speaking of eligibility, you must have met the above criteria and you MUST be completed and approved on register my athlete or you WILL NOT be competing on Wednesday at Fremont. If you don't have it done cleared by Tuesday, we won't be entering you. That means everything should be entered and done by MONDAY. ("Why all the caps, coach? Are you mad?" No, I'm not mad, I just want to be as clear as possible so no one acts surprised that their register my athlete isn't completed. If it says completed in green next to your name, under track, then, and only then, are you good to go.)

Do you know how many people haven't even selected track on register my athlete? A whole host of people. 12 girls and 19 boys. Please tell me that's a joke. Half of them are xc kids that I know have an account they just haven't selected track yet. You can't think you have nothing to do on there just because you did another sport, you need to go on and check that you've selected track.

I'm ranting at this point, and yet still there will be people who don't do it correctly, and they won't be entered into the meet.

Anyway, the meet this week is on Wednesday 3/12 at Fremont. There will be buses going to Fremont, departing from the west side of the school at 1:30. If anyone chooses alternate means of transportation, that is acceptable if we do not have space on the bus. You may also right with a parent.

The meet will last several hours, but the end time is never predetermined.

Entries for the meet will be done on Sporttrax. You should always check sporttrax to make sure you are entered when you ought to be, or not if you shouldn't. You should also claim your profile on sporttrax through this link. 

For these small meets, everyone can go and compete. If you are in a field event, you should be in the habit of talking to your coaches and letting them know which field events you want to do. You should check sporttrax and make sure that is correct prior to the meet as well.

Hoodies, Sweats, t shirts

If you have not already filled out the form for the hoodies and sweats, I've extended the time to do so. The reason I've done that is that I still have a few extras here in my room that I can give you right now, if you request the correct sizes. Some of you didn't fill it out, so I am going to order a medium for you, unless you fill this out by Monday. 

Form for hoodie, sweats, t shirt

Uniforms

Most of you have your uniforms by now, but if you don't yet, we will be handing them out Wednesday before the meet. If you haven't paid your fees by Wednesday at 7:30 AM however, you won't be getting a uniform. I can't keep checking repeatedly who has paid the fees, so I'll print the list for this meet on Wednesday at 7:30. If you happen to not have fees loaded to your account, let me know and I will get those added. 

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Coach Jacobson

3/2 update

Phoenix,

Our first week of outdoor practice was a lot of fun, and we were fortunate to have fantastic weather. We likely won't be so lucky to have weather like that the rest of the way, so get in a habit of checking the forecast and dressing accordingly. We will pretty much be outside rain or shine, so #stayready.

I'm very pleased with the team we have, I'm excited to see each of you progress in your events. I have been getting a similar question over and over, and that is, if it is too late for your friends to join the team. The answer to that is that it is NOT too late, and they are welcome to come out.

This week

We will practice as usual this week, and on Friday during the class period we will be holding a time trial. Talk to your event coaches about which events we will be doing. 

Slight Schedule Change

Many Wednesdays there will be soccer games out on the field shortly after school. We are almost completely relocated when those days land on an A day, because we can't be on the track during the game (it's really frustrating that soccer games are all done on turf these days). On B days we have a bit more time, but even then, we are crunched for time. Therefore, we are going to begin the class on Wednesdays at 1:15 just like we do every other class period. 

What that means for you is that you will have a slightly shorter lunch on Wednesdays, so please plan accordingly. Some of you have been saying that you just skip lunch on B days because of class, and I don't love it. You need to eat. But, if you need more time to digest, then I suggest you pack a lunch and eat it during 7th period. Not every teacher is cool with that, but as long as you aren't ripping open bags of chips, or being a nuisance, most wouldn't even notice, let alone care.

Spirit Pack

If you did not previously fill out the form to get the hoodie, sweats, and t shirt, which are included in your track fees, please fill it out by Tuesday 3/4 at 7:30 AM, otherwise you will receive a standard medium size. Spirit Pack Form

Uniforms

If you are new to our team and do not have a uniform, please fill out this form to let us know you need one. We will arrange for a day at practice to distribute uniforms. Uniforms will not be given to anyone who has not completed registration or paid the fees.

Team Store

If you ordered items from the team store, they are in my classroom if you'd like to come get them.

Registration

Make sure you have completed registration or you will not be able to compete. If you don't know what this means by now, you should reach out and ask me. Or, you could also go click on "register my athlete" at the top of this page (or in the drop down menu on mobile). 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Coach Jacobson

2/23 update

Phoenix,

The season is officially upon us! We begin today, Monday, 2/24 at 2:35 at the bleachers. I couldn't be more excited to get started. We have an amazing coaching staff, outstanding athletes, and the best school around.

I said this on Friday, while today may feel like a long way from May, we are less than 3 months from State and graduation, for you seniors. These 3 months may be the fastest 3 months of your life. I continue to implore you to use your time to the fullest. Don't squander your days. There are only so many days for us to get better and improve, so, as Mr. Milchick so beautifully uttered, "you must eradicate childish folly from your essence." (If you know that quote without having to look it up then I'll give you a Gatorade.)

We will  be practicing every day now. The expectation is that you are all there, each day, whether you are in the class or not. If you are in the class, practice on B days DO NOT end at 2:20. Please arrange for transportation home accordingly. 

Parent Meeting Recap

If this is your first day viewing our website, please view the parent meeting recap here. 

Schedule

You can find the season schedule at the top of this page in the dropdown menu or across the top. 

Registration

Each of you needs to complete registration through register my athlete prior to our first meet, or you cannot compete. If you don't know what that is, go to the parent meeting recap above and check it out, and then ask me any questions.

Eligibility

If you have more than one F, less than a 2.0 GPA, or any Us, then you will be ineligible to compete. You can clear Us, but they need to be signed off prior to your competing. That means they need to be done at least 2 days before a race, so that the proper people can sign off on it. 

Make sure you are on top of your grades.

Uniforms

Those who do not have a uniform will have them issued this week or next, but only after you have paid your fees. Anyone who has not paid their fees will not receive a uniform. 

Spirit pack items

I got two more boxes of items this morning, so if you didn't receive items last week when you came to get them, I might have them now. Swing by my room at your convenience to get the hoodies and sweats. 

If you have any other questions for me, please let me know.

Coach Jacobson