Well stretched, laced up, and fired up are perfect descriptors of West’s track team. Besides a new season of competition, the squad is entering a new paradigm with new head coach Nicole Fischer. With the departure of Brett Hartman, the dedicated chemistry teacher and avid running lover stepped up to take on the challenge.

“When I was student teaching, I coached at Pacelli High School in Stevens Point,” Fischer said. “When I graduated, my first job was at Mosinee High School, and I started teaching and coaching there, and now I work here.”

Senior Lauren Braun was pleasantly surprised to learn that Fischer would be her new track coach.

“I was actually really excited when I found out she was going to coach track because she was an assistant coach for cross country, so it was nice that I already knew her,” Braun said. “Preseason, Maddie Nesterick and I ran with Coach Fischer, and it was really nice to just talk about our days and just train together.”

Senior Jacob Larson, the captain of the track team, has run track all four years and intends to run during his college career.

“It’s a sport that I love to do and that I love seeing everyone else do,” he said.

Larson and his fellow teammates have high expectations for the season with Fischer and expect nothing less from their new head coach than they did her predecessor.

“The hope is to get as many people as we can to go to state and see everyone improve from their times at the beginning of the season,” he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of 100 times, 40 times, two-20 yard times, and I really want to see everyone improve.”

Senior James Bradley holds some of the same high hopes for the season as the team starts attending more meets as the notorious Wisconsin ‘spring’ improves.

“I don’t expect us to do any differently than we did with Hartman,” he said. “I want the same amount of people going to state or, hopefully, more and to stay consistent with last year.”

Assistant Coach Stephanie Polak is determined to see these hopes through and has a positive attitude while reflecting on the season’s progress thus far.

“I hope the season keeps continuing the way that we’re doing; the kids are getting personal bests each and every meet so far, that’s coming in out of outdoor,” Polak said. “We’ve had some great performances at the indoor state meet; now, we’re going into our outdoor season, in which I’m hoping for continued success for all the athletes.”

Fischer shows no signs of backing down from the challenge. She has been dedicated to the sport for much longer than just her time at West.

“I’ve been coaching track for seven or eight years now,” Fischer said. “I’m the head coach now, so I get to coach everybody, but more specifically, I coach the sprinters this year. Last year, I helped out the distance runners, and in previous years, I have been the distance coach.”

Coaching is not a position for just anyone to take up. West’s track participants are well aware of what it takes to hold such a big team together.

“I think it’s really important to have a good coach because they organize all of the practices, they plan all of the meets, and they know what you’re strongest at and what races you should run,” Braun said.

While Braun is expecting organization for the season, sophomore Isaac Palomaki looks for similar qualities that will keep the team engaged in what they’re trying to accomplish.

“I think the most important thing about having a good coach is having a prepared coach,” Palomaki said. “A coach that is coming to practice knowing what we’re doing for the day because an unprepared coach will make people not want to show up because they won’t know what’s going on.”

Senior Katie Eiteuner also has ideas on what will take the team to the finish line.

“The atmosphere is so important,” she said. “A good coach makes sure they’re pushing you to your fullest extent and not letting you slack off, and helping prevent injuries as much as possible.”

Larson has expectations as a team captain during the transition from Hartman to Fischer.

“Leadership and confidence as a new coach and some of the kids being here when Hartman was here, it’s a new workout, and some of the kids may not trust the workout yet,” Larson said. “So having confidence and knowing what’s going to help makes everyone buy in and give one hundred percent.”

Despite coaching distance for the majority of her recent coaching career, Fischer knows all around the extent of opportunities within track and field, and she believes that any type of athlete can excel on the team.

“If you're strong, you can excel in throwing; if you can jump really high, you can do well in high jump or triple jump; if you know you’re fast, you can make a good sprinter; and if you know you like to run for longer times, you can be a distance runner,” she said. “So, it really covers every type of athletic ability.”

Bradley feels a similar way about the diverse athletic abilities that track can take in.

“I do suggest running track while in other sports because it’s going to keep you conditioned, and it’s going to only make you better,” he said.

Not only does track invite students of all athletic levels, but the coaches agree that it can be whatever type of sport an athlete chooses.

“I think track is one of those amazing sports and that it can not only be a team, but it’s also an individual sport,” Polak said. “It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s really an opportunity for you to grow as an individual.”

Polak recognizes and appreciates the hard work and dedication Fischer is putting into the team and the future of the season and is positive about the new attributes she brings to the table as head coach.

“I think the season is going great so far,” Polak said. “She’s doing an amazing job. She's developed a really nice website that keeps everyone organized with details from practice results as well as meet results and personal bests, records from the past which really engages athletes a lot.”

Fischer is excited to take as many students to state as possible.

“Since I’ve been coaching it for so long, and I enjoy the sport, once you get to that high of a level in the sport it gets very exciting,” Fischer said. “The meets are nothing like anyone’s ever really experienced with other sports, so I like track because it’s both an individual and a team sport and there’s a place for everybody.”

By Paige Helfrich

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 7

April 25th, 2022

Wildcat track adjusts to shift in leadership as outdoor season gets off and running