Like other spring sports seasons, the track season for Jamestown High School athletes was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and has affected the senior athletes on the team.
Keegan Borts said he knew the season would eventually be affected as he had been discussing it with his classmates during classes and at the Jamestown Rural Fire Protection District, where he is a volunteer firefighter.
"It was something that was eventually going to happen - I wasn't sure when or how sudden it would be, though," Borts said.
Borts said he saw the season being canceled coming, but he will still miss track no matter how much he could've prepared himself for the bad news.
"I somewhat expected it to be canceled first, rather than be delayed (initially). I do know I will miss it, though, and wish I could have had the chance for just one more track meet representing my school," Borts said.
There are multiple parts of being on the track team that Borts said he will miss, and he said he has made plenty of memories from his time on the team.
"I will always miss going to track meets with my teammates. I'll always miss the confusion of the track meets when events began to overlap, and I had to sprint from a throwing event to make it in time for the 800-meter run," Borts said. "I'd say my only disappointment is that I won't have another chance to set a record in any of the throwing events this year. I have been striving for it for so long and looking back now, I realize even though I didn't set a record I still made an immense amount of memories and it was all worth it."
Borts said he made many friendships and plenty of memories during his time on the team, but one specific meet in his junior year stood out to him.
"I'll never forget the first track meet of junior year when I threw the javelin for the first time since sophomore season ended. I had been throwing low 90s all sophomore season, and I didn't have big expectations that I would improve. I still remember the look on my friend Ian (Sumner)'s face whenever I threw a 112 feet on a practice throw," Borts said. "Another thrower who we had been talking to was watching us and was just as surprised as we were when I threw it. He suggested we measure it and Ian and I thought it was just a fluke until I threw another two during my actual throws. Even though Ian still beat me and I didn't place, I still was excited to have set an impressive new personal record."
Borts' teammate Tim Hodges said when the season was delayed, he thought it was going to be for a short period of time. When the season was canceled, Hodges said he was hoping he was going to complete his senior track season.
Nonetheless, Hodges said it was a good experience looking back.
"It was cool to be on the team," Hodges said.