The relationship between the indoor and outdoor track seasons shares a special connection.
They’re dependent on one another from a development standpoint. It’s an opportunity for up-and-coming talent to discover their strengths and weaknesses to improve on during the outdoor season; for returning athletes, a chance to showcase their growth and set a standard for the warmer months.
But the relationship between the two seasons has been strained. It’s been two years since young Granite Staters have competed in a formally-sanctioned indoor season and as a result, it’s forced area programs to creatively find ways to keep running.
In the city’s namesake school, the athletes at Concord High in the winter of 2021 formed a running club so as to stay in shape and prepare for last year’s outdoor season.
“(The club) was OK,” Daly said. “Kids came, we got fit and we got ready for the spring.”
But there was more to be desired than just running the halls of the school. This past winter coaches around the state hung in balance as the NHIAA and the state’s colleges and universities tried to make the indoor season happen. Traditionally, UNH, Dartmouth and Plymouth State offer their indoor facilities for the high schools to use for competition. The season looked in play until the decision evidently was made to have another postponed season because of the pandemic, leaving coaches to once again figure out a solution.
For the Crimson Tide, a running club wasn’t going to cut it. Daly led the charge for area schools to utilize the Hampshire Dome – a multi-use, indoor athletics facility in Milford that’s complete with four-to-two lane track. With the usage of the dome, an informal indoor season took place with various schools “hosting” meets with limited events.
Concord hosted four events and saw area schools Merrimack Valley and Coe-Brown attend, along with fellow Division I competition Salem. According to Daly, each meet saw about six different teams there and an opportunity for athletes to race during the winter months for the first time in two seasons.
There were of course limitations in the interest of safety, including a fixed number of heats for events and how many events in general would take place. Even the meets themselves had time constraints – no longer than two hours.
“It turned out to be fine,” Daly said. “We got a timing service – North Star Timing – and they were awesome. We only had high jump and shot put. It worked out, it was better than I thought it was going to be.”
While the informal indoor season provided widespread opportunity for athletes to compete, some of the area’s top runners expanded their reach to run. Seth Baylus, a senior sprinter at MV, competed at the New Balance High School Indoor Nationals in New York City against some of the country’s top high school sprinters.
Baylus placed second in the rising stars division and looks to close out a storied career for the Pride this spring.
Area teams have been practicing since March 21 but begin competition this week with several meets scheduled for the next few days. The area’s first home meet, however, isn’t until April 12 when Concord, Pembroke and Coe-Brown all host meets.