MITCHELL HORUCY
Staff Writer
Captain of the men’s track and field team, Josh Walters, runs year-round for the Blue Devils. He is a member of the cross-country team as well.
Walters, a junior exercise science major, ran track in middle and high school. He debated on if he wanted to pursue track and field at the next level for a while, but ultimately decided to keep running at the collegiate level.
With track having one of the longest seasons, it is possible to lose focus throughout the season. Walters said that the team tries to take it one week at a time and one meet at a time. He added, “All of our meets are always [at the end of] the week so it’s always like something else to look forward to.”
Since the season is so long and takes up so much time, it could be hard to squeeze in schoolwork. Walters said it’s very important to find a routine that works for you and stick to it.
He also talked about how things are always changing, so it can be hard to adjust sometimes. But, he said, it’s important to always set aside a couple of hours a day or week to sit down and focus on your school work.
Since the track team is co-ed, they have one of the bigger teams. Walters said because of how big the team is, it’s important to bond and get close.
He said the team doesn’t do anything special when it comes to team bonding. They usually try to have team dinners or hang out at someone’s house, just to be around each other.
He mentioned that it’s hard to find time where everyone is available to hang out, so when they can all get together, it’s “really nice.”
Walters mentioned a couple of things that the team does to stay in touch over the summer. He said they will set up a group chat, and he also talked about an app that a lot of people on the team get that allows you to record a run and then upload your stats.
He said it’s a “cool way to see [his] teammates putting in work over the off season.”
The team will be losing seven seniors after the end of the season. Walters is already a captain on the team, and he will be a senior next year as well.
He said he doesn’t try to “reign control over everyone” or try to control what other people do as a captain. He said that he tries to just lead by example and hope people follow.
He said he’s learned a lot from previous Blue Devils from his time here at Fredonia. One of the biggest things he talked about, though, was the importance of keeping your body healthy and staying in shape.
Walters’ favorite moment as a member of the team is when he won his first 800-meter run at a meet at the University of Buffalo (UB) last season.
As the season wraps up, they will continue to compete and participate in the SUNYAC championships on May 5 and 6 in Oneonta.