Urbana Track Season Begins: Why and How You Can Join the Team

As the track season is about to start, let’s talk to some of our veterans about their thoughts on why you should join Urbana’s 2026 track team!

Veteran and senior Kaleigh Bell says that “everyone should join track because it’s a good experience. It teaches you a lot of things like how to be disciplined, humble, a leader, role model, taking accountability, etc. It’s not just about how fast you run, or how far you jump or throw, it’s about finding yourself as an individual and believing in yourself especially when going through mental blocks. Track is one of the best things that has happened to me and practically saved my life!”

Beyond the excitement of competition, track is about pushing yourself to be better every single day. That’s why joining track isn’t just about running or jumping, it’s about growing as an athlete and as a person. And as a teammate!

Veteran Senior Sorell Darough Jr. said “People should join track this year because we’re trying to build something special. Over the past three years we’ve grown a lot, and even though other schools doubt us, we have way more talent than they think. A lot of people don’t try track because they think it’s just running, but it’s actually fun, competitive, and exciting. We have a supportive team, good energy, and coaches who push you to be better. This season we’re aiming higher, and anyone who joins can be part of building a super team.”

Interested in bettering yourself personally and athletically? Give track a try by following these steps:

1. Registration must be completed on 8to18 at https://urbanahs.8to18.com/

2. Make sure you have valid athletic physical on file with the main office

Physicals are good for 13 months from the date they were done.

If you have questions regarding your physical being on file or if 8to18 is giving you trouble, please contact Brandon Glass (bglass@usd116.org) in the Athletics Department.

Registered and ready to practice? See below for more information from Head Coach Forrest Farokhi:

Practice begins at 3:30 PM and ends at 5:15 PM (distance team may end closer to 5:30).

We have mandatory practice 4x per week, with one day that is optional in order to give kids the chance to recover physically and maintain balance amongst their other life’s responsibilities. This is especially important as we approach meets, many of which are on Saturday.

This is primarily something we offer just during the indoor season. As we move towards the outdoor season, we are 5x per week unless stated otherwise.

Good luck, athletes!