From starting track in eighth grade to breaking low 15s in 100-meter hurdles, junior Julia Montgomery, member of the Salem Varsity Track, has succeeded in regionals by qualifying in the top two for states, next to someone who was always challenging her. One of Montgomery’s favorite meets was against Canton because the track team was able to keep their streak alive as Park champs. Montgomery sat down with The Perspective to discuss her experiences on the team and what she has learned this season from being a junior captain.
Molly Okon: When did you start running track?
Julia Montgomery: I started in eighth grade, my first year at Liberty.
MO: What inspired you to start running track?
JM: I was always kind of fast, but I had never done running. So then all my friends talked me into joining the track team. I wasn’t going to, and so I got kind of convinced into it, and then loved it.
MO: Have you played any other sports?
Julia Montgomery: When I was little, I tried all the sports, but for high school, I’ve been on the swim team and the basketball team as well.
MO: How long have you been playing those sports for?
JM: I’ve been doing basketball since freshman year and swimming since seventh grade.
MO: What were your goals for the season and how close are you to achieving them for the season?
JM: I wanted to make it to states, which I did end up being able to, and at least by the end of [the] school season, I wanted to get to low 15s for my 100-meter hurdles, which I did. So that kind of moved my goal to now trying to break 15. Then I think just overall improvement. I wanted to get into, mid to low, mid 40s for my 300 hurdles, at least below 50.
MO: You qualified for states for the first time. What was that like? Do you have any goals for states?
JM: Right before states, I got pretty sick, so that kind of scared me a lot because the way that I was seeded [in the meets], there was one other girl who for both conferences and for states, she would always, in prelim, qualify for finals by me, faster than me by .01 or .02, which happened both times. And so that scared me, because I was sick and I had to qualify top two. Yeah, and [qualifying for the state meets] was also based on time, but it was a time that I hadn’t beat before, so I had to qualify top two. But I ended up doing it, and I felt so relieved because that was one of the goals that I wanted really bad, and so being sick kind of scared me, but being able to get that was really exciting,
MO: It looks like you have a few events up your sleeve. What is your favorite event to compete in?
JM: 100-meter hurdles. That became my favorite this year. It used to be high jump.
MO: Can you tell me about your experience as a junior captain? What have you learned from fulfilling that role?
JM: Yeah, I’ve loved being a captain. I’ve kind of learned how to become more of a leader within the team, like I’ve been able to be that person where people can come to for advice and questions, and knowing that, because our coach definitely has a lot of stuff he has to do, and being able to be kind of one of the people we can rely on to help keep track of the team and get information out there. I definitely loved it. It was a great experience.
MO: Tell me about one of your favorite meets. What made it so special?
JM: The Canton meet. Because I just remember everyone was so excited, especially all the new girls on the team who kind of hadn’t had that Park rivalry before, and getting them to be Park champs again. Because we have been, at least the last two years that I’ve been on the team, and I think before that as well. So that was kind of big. Because last year, and the year before, we went undefeated, but this year we didn’t. So I think Park champs was just kind of at least one of the bigger goals that we got to accomplish, which was really nice.
MO: Do you plan to continue track in the future?
JM: I hadn’t made the decision yet before this year, but the season kind of was a big step up for me. So I’m deciding to continue track into college. I’ve already talked to some colleges, and I’m kind of focusing my training now for the rest of the year, going into senior year, just solely on track.
MO: What had made this season different from previous seasons?
JM: I’ve just kind of started putting all my things together, like being able to get all my events in line, and start figuring out what I’m doing to the point where I’ve gotten a lot better. And then I think team wise, I feel like we had a really good community this year, which it’s always been a good community, but I think being an upperclassman and some of my friends on the team, it was just great, like we were having so much fun, getting to drive each other around and stuff after practices. And I think this season was just a great year.
MO: Is there any advice that you would give to someone who is thinking about joining the track team?
JM: If you’re thinking about it at all, even if you’re not going to, just do it. I think just kind of throwing yourself into something, because obviously I joined, I didn’t want to do track at all. I didn’t even think about it. It was more just, I was kind of convinced into it. So I’d definitely say that you’re not going to regret it. Just try it out, because when you join one year, it’s not like a full commitment that all four years you’re going to be doing this, and you’re going to be doing this off season, all this stuff. So I think just try it out, because the track team, that community, is probably one of the best teams I’ve ever been a part of, just that whole community itself. And all the friends you make on the team, you spend so much time with them that you all become really close, and I think it’s just great, especially the coaching staff. Yeah, so I think it’s definitely, definitely worth it.
