Boys Track Squad Hones in on Improvement

If there's one thing the Westwood High School boys indoor track team hopes to accomplish this season, it's to improve their skills from one meet to the next.  

"In a nutshell, we're looking forward to being competitive in the league," said Joe Mascia, who takes the helm of the team's head coach full time this year, after serving as a throwing coach last season.  

But Mascia, who will be assisted by this season, hestitated when asked which opponent he saw as the biggest challenge in the season ahead, saying that all of the team's meets will be approached with the same mentality.

"The Tri-Valley League is a tough league every year," he said. "The whole league is tough; it's a strong league from top to bottom. We're just looking forward to taking it one meet at a time and improving."

The team comprises a variety of skill sets from athletes at various levels, but one of the team's benefits this season will be a number of seasoned athletes returning to the sport.

"We're lucky, we've got some great returners coming back," Mascia said. "It's a learning process for some and for other people it's putting on the final touches," Mascia said. 

Among those returners are seniors Erik Brakke, Matt Reissfelder, Sam Malonson and Morgan Walker, as well as junior Bob McLaughlin. 

The team takes on Medway today in its season opening meet on the road at 9 a.m., and will take on Ashland Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Ashland. 

"Saturday's our first meet, and we're going to go from there," Mascia said. 

Mascia, who also serves as an assistant coach for the , says track, unlike football, allows athletes to focus on their individual skill set and improving on it, which in turn contributes to the team as a whole. 

"What we stress from the beginning, whether you're a senior all the way down to a freshman, everybody has a job and a responsibility," he said. "Do your job individually and take care of what you can take care of and the rest will take care of itself."