Andrew Konieczny and Courtney Humphries are track runners to look out for this upcoming outdoor season. These two had good indoor and outdoor seasons last year, performing well not only on the track but in the classroom as well while having accolades to show for it.
The rewards that they received last semester during the indoor season didn’t come overnight for them as they both received First Team Atlantic East All-Conference accolades after making the Atlantic East weekly honor roll. Their success was possible with the help they received from their head coach, Chris Simpson, who believes in them and pushes them to reach their full potential.
Coach Simpson is the track and field head coach for Neumann, and this will be his second-year coaching both Konieczny and Humphries. “They have both progressed a lot since coaching them their first year,” he says.
One of the keys to their success is what Coach Simpson tries to instill in them, which is confidence. “Ninety percent of it is mental,” Simpson stated. He also noted how they were both coachable runners, team players, and great leaders.
Humphries says what helps to keep her ready for meets is eating healthy and resting properly since she runs all year round. “Going over strategies for the races by remembering the attention to details on the things I practice” also contributes to her success.
Even with success, she mentioned how hard it can be at times to balance both track and school life. But she overcomes it as set practice times help manage her focus between the two in order to give her full dedication to both areas.
“Eating healthy, stretching, getting enough sleep, and being disciplined helps me to get ready for my meets,” said Konieczny. He also tries to not put too much pressure on himself as he says it gets nerve-racking sometimes because he wants to do so well.
“One bad race doesn’t determine what you are,” he said.
There are many races, and he doesn’t let one race define who he is as a runner. He also discussed the difficulties in handling both track and school, but said that there is always help when needed.
In the end, they both mentioned how much Coach Simpson has had their backs and fully supports them by checking their grades to make sure they’re students first and athletes second and by making sure they practice hard to prepare for meets with unique strategies. Both say that their coach is very flexible and accommodating them. In addition, they have a good relationship with one another that formed these past two years.
After having success in the previous seasons, these two will look for more this outdoor season. Courtney is improving every meet and placed first in her last meet in the 800-meter competition. Andrew set the record time for the 800-meter race in the Atlantic East Conference Championship. These two will be the runners to look out for this season.
Their next meet is on April 15th at the Bill Butler Invitational in West Chester.
Zachary King
