Track and field season is coming soon and the coaches have been focusing on an offseason program based on strength, training, and running form for this year.

Last years track season had a lot of success with athletes advancing to the area and regional track meets. Head Coach Stephen Meine said they are excited to go further this year.

“We have really set our expectations high,” he said. “We have a lot of girls who have their sights set on regionals and even state. If they work hard, we can really surprise some people this year.”

But at the end of the season the coaches realized the runners were lacking in two areas: running form and starting.

“Both our relays and open events lacked the explosiveness that the athletes from other schools had,” Meine said.

In order to achieve this, the track team has been working hard on incorporating more plyometric, or jump training, exercises into their weight-room routine using maximum force in less time. They have made power cleans a focal point, and have one-day running forms drills each week.

Sophomore Leilani Caballero is a track runner continuing from last year. She sees this year’s difference from last year as an improvement.

“We are now stronger,” she said. “We now know what other teams weaknesses are and we now know what to improve on.”

They work out in the field, sand, and on the track; improve foot strength by working out in the sand; use the track to put the practice in having the athletes learn and get used to run the curves run out of blocks and placement on the race, and the field to put less strain on the joint to help athletes with soreness and helps them during the season.

The workouts and exercises the coaches use to improve the runners is based of the off-season program at the University of Houston created by the two Olympic gold medalist Leroy Burrell and Carl Lewis.

“U of H is recruiting athletes that lose regional and state meets in Texas high schools, and then winning national championships with them,” he said. “So, they must be doing something right.”

Meine went to a coaching clinic in Houston and decided to base the work out plan out of the off-season program at the University of Houston after listening to its head coach.

While talking about the university, Meine said, the head coach described the type of athletes he recruited reminding Meine about the athletes at Caney Creek.

“This off season program seemed like a good way to maximize our potential,” he said.

Track tryouts will be held Monday, Jan. 15 at 2:15 p.m. on the track.