At Media Day last week for the Greene County High School track and field teams optimism about the 2014 seasons was in the air, which is typical of a Media Day. If Friday’s performances indoors at the Buena Vista University Elite High School Meet in Storm Lake are any indication, the optimism displayed is warranted. Greene County won four events; two for girls and two for boys, and placed in the top 10 a total of 18 times. The girls had 11 top 10 finishes and the boys were in the top 10 seven times.

Senior sprinter Roman Phillips won both the 60 meter and 200 meter dashes for the Greene County boys, and he set a meet record by one one-hundredth of a second in the 200 at 23.81 seconds. He won the 60 in 7.24 seconds, and anchored the Rams to a fourth place finish in the 4 x 200 meter relay in 1:38.31, along with Dylan Hamilton, TJ Lint, and Max Neese.

Phillips has worked hard over the years and grown quite a bit since he wrestled at 112 lbs. as a freshman. He told Raccoon Valley Radio one of his goals this season is to break the school record in the 100 meter dash held by two-time state champion Todd Cleverly (1984, ’85). His training in the off-season included running on the track in December, then he switched workouts indoors to the Jefferson Fieldhouse, a sports training facility in its first year of operation. “They have this speed treadmill and stuff that’s helped a lot. It was only two times a week, but you get in shape fast.” He also is on the high school power lifting team, and he feels lifting helped in terms of strength out of the blocks and in arm strength. “Some kids just stand up right out of the blocks and that effects their times. But if you just explode out, then you’re going to have a much better time,”Phillips added.