W’boro Summer Track Program continues winning tradition, fields eight State qualifiers

The Whitesboro Summer Track Program will continue its winning tradition of sending athletes to the State Games of Texas in College Station in two weeks. Last week the program saw 20 athletes compete in the regional meet held in Princeton, Texas. Of those 20 athletes, eight advanced to the state competition.

The program started with 55 young athletes aged 6-16. As the summer progressed, the athletes moved from four-day a week practices at Bearcat Stadium to practices followed by local track meets on Saturdays throughout the DFW area. The meets were held under the regulation of the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF), and athletes participated in track and field events ranging from distance running and hurdles to high jump and shot put. 

The competition is different from UIL school competitions in that athletes are separated by age rather than grade or school. This allows these young athletes to compete against other athletes similar in age, allowing for success in competition that might not come from Junior and High School track meets. This success goes on to foster a love for the sport and motivate young athletes to continue to pursue track and field competition.

The Whitesboro Summer Track Program, as it has been called for decades, is now a 501(c)3 nonprofit group started several years ago to ensure the longevity of the program. The 
Whitesboro Area Youth Summer Sports, or WAYSS, organization focuses on growing the summer track program and helping young athletes appreciate competition through peer mentoring, goal setting, athletic achievement and building a sense of community.

Head Coach Amy Velten is in her fifth year of heading up the program. She has worked hard to grow the program and recruit coaches and parents to aid in its long-term success. While numbers were down a bit this year, she feels confident the program is headed in the right direction. 

“Since Covid closed the program for a couple summers, we have worked hard to bring it back to the levels it was prior to that. We have some really solid leadership from coaches and numerous parents have stepped up to fill vital roles. This program has always been a communal program, and parents and coaches together create the environment for success for our athletes,” Velten said.

This year, Assistant Head Coach Mikayla Morris and coaches Skylar Brannan, Lynn Baillio, Clay Cohorn, Clay Gamble and Jake Anderson volunteered a lot of time to make the program successful. The mixture of former participants, parents and grandparents made the year enjoyable for all and ensured the young athletes had plenty of guidance and teaching as the summer progressed.

The athletes are excited to participate at the state level, and, if they finish in the top spots, can compete at the national level next summer. Watch for articles regarding updates and state competition results in future issues of the Whitesboro News-Record.