Wildcat track has produced multiple successful conference and state athletes. However, the program focuses less on these results and more on the process it takes to get there.

Girls track and field head coach Nicole Fischer believes that the team has a lot of individuals who are willing to work hard for their goals.

“One of the biggest challenges is just balancing everybody’s ambition to do more and practice really hard, but also making sure everyone can stay healthy,” she said.

Senior Kerrigan Kimball believes that her coaches play an important role in her motivation, while also giving her the abilities to motivate herself.

“Coach [Adam] Stuiber is very motivational and gives good pep talks before attempts, and then I can also motivate myself in order to meet my goals,” she said, “One of my goals is to go to sectionals this year, and I am practicing hard and practicing every day to get there.”

The team believes that progress is not always linear, but defined by process. Fischer is a strong supporter of this idea and believes that it can help motivate athletes.

“I try to have athletes focus on the process and work back and see how far they have come and not just focus on an outcome,” she said. “I try to use data as much as possible to show progress over time and focus on how progress is not necessarily linear, you just have to stay patient and trust the process.”

During his first year on the team, freshman Mason Clark has been impressed by team leadership and community.

“I feel like we have great leadership throughout practice and that’s been improving our mentality and making everything better,” he said. “I think the people around me motivate me; I think we have a good program and I feel that everybody motivates each other.”

Kimball also gives insight into one of the team’s challenges, their mental fortitude.

“I think one of our biggest challenges is getting in our heads and we have to get past our mental blocks,” she said. “I try not to listen to other people’s scores; I just focus on my own form.”

Sophomore Colden Searles has a similar routine, making sure to only focus on his own results and not comparing his results to others.

“I try to not focus too much before jumps, I just kind of make sure to not put too much pressure on myself,” he said. “I just try to make sure to realize that it’s just a jump and don’t put too much pressure on myself.”

To Fischer, an athlete does not need to win races to be successful, but rather they need to be able to focus even when they are having a difficult time.

“A successful athlete in track and field is one that stays patient and continues to build on their progress, even when they’re frustrated or have had a bad couple of races,” she said.

Clark also believes that the team’s maturity and focus has dialed in towards the end of the season, resulting in better results.

“Our focus has definitely improved this season; towards the start of the season, we were a bit unfocused and now it’s better. Now we just keep putting good work in every day,” he said. “It has also helped motivate me and make goals going all the way towards my senior year.”

Kimball believes the team has really bonded this season, leading to it creating a feeling of support within athletes on the team.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot closer and bonded more, and we’re all kind of like a big family,” she said. “We all cheer for each other when we go up and we are still happy even if we have a bad day.”

Fischer agrees, adding that the respect and relationships formed during the season is one of the team’s greatest strengths.

“I think that the team is very close. I think that everyone has a mutual respect for each other and they do a really good job of encouraging each other and supporting each other.”

The team has been able to steadily improve this year in part due to their experience and readiness throughout the season, according to Fischer.

“We have improved in consistency this season,” she said. “We’ve been able to stack a lot of speed and a lot of years and experience over time and that’s paying off.”

Looking ahead to conference and state, athletes face a risk of injury after a long season and need to make sure they are staying healthy for these important events.

“The absolute most important thing in track and field is staying healthy at this point in the season,” Fischer said. “There’s not really a whole lot more work to be done. We can refine things here and there but the biggest thing is injuries just holding people back.”

by Mason Callahan

Published May 26, 2026

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue VIII

Track athletes learn to trust process over long season as state competition beckons