For Warren County Pioneer Kolton Wood, track and field started as a way to stay in shape. Now, the sport fuels his competitive drive every time he steps onto the track.
Wood is entering his third year with the Warren County High School track and field program. Wood said what began as conditioning quickly turned into something more.
“It [gives] me a drive to do better,” Wood said. “When somebody else is doing good, that’s great, but I always feel like I need to be the better person out of any meet or any group of people.”
Wood has competed in a variety of events during his career, including the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and distance races, along with the triple jump.
In the triple jump, Wood has posted a mark of 34 feet, 1.5 inches, while also running personal bests of 13.08 seconds in the 100 meters, 28.27 seconds in the 200 meters, 1:04.66 in the 400 meters, 2:34.79 in the 800 meters, and 5:37.56 in the 1600 meters. Earlier in his career, he also competed in sprint events during middle school. Wood said he looks to tie or beat his personal record every meet while remaining consistent in his approach.
Wood said one event where that improvement has been clear is the 4×800-meter relay. Wood said the team’s early mark stood at around 10 minutes, but as the group developed and improved together, that time dropped significantly. Wood’s personal record now stands at under nine minutes and 30 seconds.
Wood said he personally strives to maintain a 2:10 pace during the relay leg, while also targeting faster splits in his individual races. In the 400 meters, Wood said he aims to push toward a time under 45 seconds as he continues working to lower his marks. Wood said he focuses heavily on consistency during races to reach those goals.
“Keeping pace and like running my own race,” Wood said. “But staying competitive in the race and not falling behind like crazy or being way ahead of everybody and gassing myself before I get to the finish line really helps.”
That preparation does not happen only on the track. Wood said his training takes place across several areas of Warren County’s athletic facilities.
“It’s everywhere,” Wood said. “In the weight room, getting more explosive in the facility with doing sled work or footwork stuff, it all helps, not only just on the track.”
Wood said as he continues his track and field career with the Pioneers, his focus remains the same: Improve each meet, stay consistent, and keep pushing his limits against the competition.