By Jeffery Laux
The historic sport of track is the designation given to contests for men and women that involve running at intensifying speeds. The running events taking place on a portion of or around a 400-m (437.2-yd) or 440-yd (402.3-m) oval made out of cinders, clay, or synthetic compounds. Unfortunately Apopka has a track made out of pretty rough asphalt but the runners still remain at their best throughout the tough season. Hopes are flaring for next year as the school has the funds to implement a new rubber track. Rubber will prevent the amount of injuries and soreness that accounts from daily practice. Sophomore Jackson Davis is “ecstatic” about the new rubber coming to their track. “It makes it easier for all our players to run more efficiently”.
The sprints are all-out efforts over the entire distance run in this game. In the outdoors the sprints are 100 – 440 yd (91.4 – 402.3 m) or the metric distances of 100, 200, and 400 m (109.3, 218.6, and 437.2 yd). Apopka has had a history of solid teams that partake in these track meets. Last year they won the district championship as senior runners Giovanni Herrera, DeShawn Massey, and Trey Cooper all put their “heart” on the line to put their team above the rest. The momentum has carried upperclassmen to set bigger and farther goals for this young and dynamic team. “Our next step is winning a state championship” Head Coach Cecilio Fowler said.
Apopka’s track team Head Coach Cecilio Fowler is familiar with this sport as he has run his whole entire life. He’s grown up being around competitive racers such as his mother. She ran for her home country of the Bahamas. She was a major influence on Fowler throughout his running career as he looks to her for guidance in technique and mindset. His talents in the sport helped him receive offers from major schools around the country. The University of Florida is where he ran for four years and graduated as a top of the class talent. Fowler has been coaching for more than 16 years and has always wanted to translate his knowledge to his student-athletes. Rising-Junior Cornelius Williams has always enjoyed the knowledge and enjoyment of the game that Coach Fowler brings to the asphalt track.
I had the chance to speak to Saypadia “Deuce” Desaussure about this upcoming season and what it means for him as a player. As an individual player, he has been recruited by many elite schools such as Florida State, Rutgers, and Miami. At the top of the list is Rutgers due to their “excellent coaches” and “hard-working environment”. As a USATF All-American runner, Deuce has been eager to move forward in his career to one day being able to run for his country at major events such as the Olympics and other world-class competitions. One thing among many that Deuce succeeds at is his IQ of the sport. He gains this knowledge by consistently questioning his coaches, Olympic athletes, and fellow teammates so that he can take the answers and drive off of experience.
Nothing has been easy for Deuce as he pushes himself to his limit each and every practice to better himself mentally and physically. During the offseason, he never takes a break. “Muscle memory and form are two vital skills of this sport”. Taking time off has never been a choice for Deuce as he will continue day in and day out to fulfill his dreams of running for Team USA. Team practices consist of 20-30 warm-up drills which will focus on dynamical running to release muscle tension to reduce the cost of injury. After that, practice will move into hip mobility and plyometrics training (exercises in which muscles will exert maximum force in short intervals of time). “I will continue to strive and prosper” is a motto that Saypadia lives up to each day and for the rest of his career.