Athletes waiting idly by for what they hope is a competitive 2020 spring season have been trying to stay in shape in case they come back to play.

Pella Track and Field Senior Elsie Thoreson is one of the state’s top hurdlers, but without access to a track, teammates, and several hurdles, it’s been a unique challenge to prepare–even in a family full of hurdlers.

“It’s hard to train for track and field when you don’t have a track or hurdles to run over,” she says. “So it’s a lot of makeshift things — little barriers you can jump over.”

“I’ve been training and going to the trails and trying to get my workouts in there and doing it home,” he says. “I’m lucky I have a brother [Reece] training with me, so it’s not like I’m doing everything by myself, but it definitely is different not having my friends there or a track to run on.”

As of now, schedules have been developed by the IHSAA, IGHSAU, and conferences everywhere to begin competition in the first full week of May if school returns.