Our second year junior high track teams wrapped up an amazing season! With 37 student-athletes, the team won every home meet—competing against Southern Huntington, Huntington, and Tyrone.

Some of our 8th grade athletes, Sophie Lovrich and Abby DeArmitt, shared that their favorite part of Track & Field is spending time with friends. Two standout team members, Kiera Pennington and Miles Smearman, qualified for the New Balance Nationals in hurdles and sprinting—an incredible achievement!.

This success would not be possible without our dedicated coaches: Coach Soisson, Coach Lovrich, Coach Frye, Coach Taneyhill, and Coach Gerwert.

Our boys’ and girls’ teams are led by Coach Lovrich and Coach Soisson, who also coach the high school track team. Coach Soisson shared that she has always loved running and helping others reach their goals. Before coaching, she owned a running and outdoor store, which she eventually closed to spend more time with her family. In 2019, she began coaching as a volunteer for the Altoona Girls cross country team. Just three years later, she helped coach the Bellwood distance track team under Miss R, which led to her becoming the head coach of the Bellwood Cross Country Team. In 2022, with support from our elementary school principal, Mr. Stinson, she started a running club for elementary students.

Coach Soisson’s passion for running began in elementary school, when she and her friends would run through a patch of woods together. When asked why she coaches distance runners, she said, “I love the mental toughness it requires.” Our coaches are committed to helping every athlete to be the best version of themselves.