June 19, 2020 at 10:40 a.m.
'There's nothing like high school sports'
Track standout Peyton Erikson reflects on losing final high school season
'There's nothing like high school sports'
Peyton Erikson will have a chance to continue his athletic career. In February, the Rhinelander High School senior committed to play football at Division-II Minnesota State Moorhead this fall.
While that offers some consolation, Erikson said it does not make up for losing his senior track and field season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"There's nothing like high school sports, no matter what it is, but I'm glad I have the opportunity to continue athletics past high school," he said. "There's nothing like high school sports."
That's the situation for Erikson and class of 2020 graduates nationwide who saw their high school careers cut short due to the pandemic and subsequent governmental response. Instead of spending their final few weeks in the classroom and on the athletic fields, the class of 2020 ended up at home, learning and practicing virtually.
"It's been disappointing not being able to go anywhere, do much of anything. Everything's just limited. It's been tough," Erikson said.
It's been extra disappointing for Erikson, who was the Great Northern Conference runner-up in both the long and triple jump last season - as well as a WIAA sectional qualifier in both events. Erikson's efforts helped the RHS boys' track team to its first conference title since 1967, and a regional title to boot. Now we will never know how the team, and Erikson individually, would have built upon those successes this year.
"I was really excited to try to repeat the success we had, in track anyway, from last year. I thought we had a good chance of repeating it," he said. "Last year, for a couple of events, I was pretty close, a spot or two away. I think that this year I would have made the jump and made it to state, which would have been amazing. That's definitely the most disappointing thing about this break, I guess you could say."
Moreover, the loss of the spring track season cost Erikson an opportunity to train with, and compete against, his best friend Drake Martin (who we profiled in our June 16 edition). This month the two have been able to get together for some independent workouts, but nothing like what would have took place as both strived to take the step from sectional qualifiers to state track meet participants.
"We both had, we think, pretty good chances of making it close to state or to state. We would have definitely been pushing each other hard this season," Erikson said.
Erikson said he's been doing his best to stay in shape during this period away from organized sports. During the track season, head coach Aaron Kraemer posted links weekly to workouts the athletes could do on their own. Additionally, Erikson said he received a detailed workout plan from the Minnesota State Moorhead football team. He has tried to meld the two workout programs together as he gets ready for football in the fall and, potentially, an abbreviated track season.
"I've been trying to work on my speed. That's the main thing, I think. That's what I want to get out of the track workouts," he said.
Even if practices go off as scheduled for track next month, Erikson said he will have a few logistical hurdles to clear to make sure he can balance practices and competitions with his work schedule.
"I'm trying to as much as I can," he said. "I know we have to have a certain amount of practices. With the practice times and with my work schedule, it's going to be tough to do, but I really want to be a part of a team one more time in high school before I leave."
As a football and track athlete, Erikson has heard Kraemer's mantra of how one's response to an event will ultimately determine whether the experience has a positive or negative outcome. That message was reflected in what Erikson said he has learned through the pandemic and his advice to those going through the ordeal along with him.
"Anything can happen at any time. You've just got to be prepared and you've got to deal with it," he said. "It's not like it's just happened to Rhinelander specifically. The whole world has been affected by it. We're all in the same boat. I think that's helped everybody stay connected and cheer each other up, stuff like that.
"Keep your head up. Hopefully this will all end soon and we can get back to normality. Just keep looking forward and pushing yourself as hard as you can."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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