Bright and early Saturday morning, as some of their contemporaries lounge lazily in their own homes, senior and captain of boys track and field Jad Kassir and junior Terry Chiou practiced their hurdles, determined to improve their flexibility, speed and general performance from last season.

This work ethic is not an anomaly for the boys track and field. While Kassir credits much of the team’s hard work to their coaches, Michael and Patrick Glennon, he said it is partially due to his teammate’s own commitment.

“I think we have a pretty good work ethic. Our coaches are hard on us and it kind of instilled a lot of work ethic in us,” Kassir said. “But naturally, I think we hold ourselves very accountable. So I think that’s the best thing that I want to keep going through this spring.”

Senior Dagne Auditore, who has just begun his fourth season on the team, said the coaches’ rigid style has pushed them to be better. Auditore said in the beginning, the coaches didn’t prioritize popularity and approached training in a more militant manner.

“They definitely set a precedent where it’s like, “‘I’m your coach. I’m the leader. I’m not here to necessarily be your friend.’ But when you do put in the work, when you do take it seriously, that’s when the coaches open up and become super cool people to be around,” Auditore said.

Patrick Glennon said he is proud of the entire team’s grit and dedication and of the leadership displayed by captains Kassir and Alex Petersen, as well as the rest of the upperclassmen. He said that he is confident that their goals will be achieved throughout the season, both tangible and otherwise.

“The captains and our seniors definitely lead the way and make sure that our young guys are not only talented, but really know how to show up and work. I think it’s a really good balance that we have and will make for a very promising season,” Glennon said.

Track and field athletes are constantly in competition with themselves, and the next meet is always on the horizon. While their personal goals may sound like a foreign language to someone unfamiliar with the terminology, they can be consuming for the runners. However, Chiou said the environment and culture within the team is very positive.

“We’re constantly pushing each other, whether that’s during our workouts, during races. It’s just a great place to be after a long day of school. You immediately have a bunch of friends that you can work out with, run with and compete with. It is a really positive environment,” Chiou said.

Auditore said that, on occasion, it can be difficult to summon motivation to get to practice but that the experience is almost always rewarding.

“There are a lot of days where you may want to go hang out with your friends or you’ve just had a tough day at school and you want to go home. But you have to go to track, where you know you will have to run super fast up a hill and then walk down and run up the hill again. It’s not always the most fun thing,” Auditore said. “But, when you go to practice not wanting to go, you almost always leave happy you went.”

Kassir has run on a track team for six years and since the current season has just begun, he still has a long course ahead. Despite the rigorous conditioning, vulnerability to injuries and ambitious goals that come with the sport, Kassir said he maintains an enthusiastic attitude. He summarized the season into just six words that paint a very clear portrait.

“I love the spring season,” Kassir said. “Good vibes. Nice weather. Fast times.”