Track is an individual sport — one lane, one runner, one finish line. But for a senior captain, leadership extends far beyond the race itself. 

“I saw the difference between how much I cared about the sport and how everyone else looked at it,” stated senior Thomas Lewis.  

Lewis started his freshman year full of hope for the opportunity that track brings. Now in his last indoor season, being captain has made his experience more meaningful. 

 “I talked to my coaches, and they thought I would be an amazing fit for it, and it turns out they were right.”

Indoor track is a whole different beast to tackle. From running in the Woodland halls to running in indoor facilities at other schools, spirits can be difficult to keep up. Lewis makes it a point to keep his fellow athletes motivated. 

“Keeping the team energized is no problem for me,” said Lewis. “I show up every day ready to work; I feel like the team feeds off that wanting to get better.”

Since freshman year, Lewis has been motivated to improve better no matter the circumstances. 

“One piece of advice I would give my freshman self would be to work hard at what I do; ‘go all out on the track because that’s the only way to become mentally strong at this sport’,” stated Lewis. 

Past captains have always had an impact on the teammates that they leave behind. The higher the standard they set for themselves, the more others will follow. Lewis hoped to keep the lessons that he had learned with the athletes he will leave behind. 

“One important lesson I learned from past captains was to be consistent and show up every day, no matter how I’m feeling,” stated Lewis. “Just go all out no matter what.”