With a heat index easily in the triple digits as practice began, Wright City senior pitcher/outfielder Ava Swaringen chose to focus on the process Monday rather than dwell on the heat.
Swaringen and her teammates took to the turf to improve despite the temperature, knowing full well that brighter and, hopefully, cooler days lie ahead.
“We know what we’re here for and we’re going to do it no matter what the conditions are,” Swaringen said. “I like to (work through the heat) at the beginning of the season. As it goes on, things cool down, and everyone gets more comfortable. I’m so excited because I think this year is going to be so much fun.”
Swaringen said she’s excited to see just what her teammates can accomplish, no matter the conditions, after the Wildcats won 13 games last fall.
The Wright City softball team joined the school’s football team with a mid-afternoon practice time while the Wildcats’ boys soccer team and cross country teams got their work in before the oppressive heat took hold.
Like Swaringen, Warrenton senior volleyball player Grace Ruediger said she and her teammates were raring to go, albeit in a much more conducive atmosphere.
Coming off a nine-win season a year ago, Ruediger – a setter – said she’s full of excitement with the chance to see just what a young Warriors’ squad can accomplish this season.
“We have a lot of new girls on the team this season,” Ruediger said. “There is a lot of potential for good things this year. I’m excited to see how all the teams work together and how people will fit into different positions than they might have played before. Today is just the start of that.”
Monday marked the start of something special, Ruediger said, regardless of result.
“This will be special for me because it is my last season,” Ruediger said. “It’s exciting to be here.”
At Liberty Christian, freshman Brady Russell said he’s going to be excited for his first run of the cross country season when it comes early Tuesday as the Eagles, too, try to beat the heat as the program makes its debut.
“I’m very excited for this team,” Russell said. “Many (of our athletes) are great runners who competed with me during the LCA track season and who helped us win a state championship. I hope we can win one this fall, too. Running in the heat will be bad, but we just need to stay hydrated, and we’ll get used to it.”
Eagles Coach Jeremy Russell said that while the early start on Tuesday will somewhat counter the heat, it won’t eliminate it completely.
The team still has its work cut out for it, the coach said. Running a mile, coupled with some other training, has earned its reputation among his runners, the coach said.
“We’ll be running two miles along with bleacher runs at the old Wright City High School,” Russell said. “My track athletes affectionately call it the ‘Russell mile.’ This will be the first time we do it twice.”
