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03/06/2019 11:00 PMAndrew Ferguson is making a name for himself as a member of Valley Regional boys’ track program. Andrew turned in impressive times in several events for the indoor team this winter, including a mark of 37.08 seconds when he placed 10th in the 300-meter dash at the State Open Championship. Prior to that, Andrew finished fourth in the 300 and sixth in the 55 at the Class S State Championship.
Andrew also competes for Valley’s outdoor track team during the spring. Last year, he ran on a 4x100 relay that set the school record by recording a time of 43.96.
This winter marked Andrew’s first season on the indoor squad. He was surprised that the 300 proved his strongest race, since that event is not even contested at outdoor track meets.
“This is my first year doing indoor track. Given the fact that it was my first year, I didn’t expect to do that well,” says Andrew. “I’ve never run the 300 before this year, and that ended up becoming one of my best events.”
Andrew says that one of the biggest keys to his success with both track teams is the support he’s received from senior teammate Nick Braga. Andrew feels grateful that Braga, who runs in many of the same events, shared his knowledge and took time to help him train up.
“Without Nick Braga’s help, I wouldn’t be that good of an athlete. My first couple of meets were a little iffy, but he took me in, and kept working with me. I didn’t really know what I was doing,” Andrew says. “I broke his record in the 100 in middle school. Nick heard about that, and he took me in and started working with me. He saw my potential, and he’s worked with me since.”
Since Andrew and Braga compete in the same events, they often end up going head-to-head during the final heat of a race. Instead of worrying about who wins, Andrew feels the most important thing is that both athletes finish up front in order to benefit the Warriors.
“We tell everyone that you aren’t running against anyone but yourself. That’s how you get better,” Andrew says. “I’m always saying to Nick, ‘One and two. We’re going one and two.’ We don’t think about racing each other. We race against our own times. We just want to get those points for Valley.”
When Andrew first started running races, he often found that his nerves made it difficult to get off to a good start. However, Andrew has worked on techniques to help him relax and get prepared to grab that early jump.
“I was so scared before a race, but I’ve learned that I just have to clear my mind. Sometimes, I’ll just count to 10 keep myself settled and ready,” says Andrew. “If you’re not in the right headspace, you’re not going to perform well at all. I want to be ready to go when the gun goes off.”
Valley indoor track Head Coach Brian Drinkard loves what Andrew brings to his team in terms of both athleticism and leadership. Coach Drinkard knows that Andrew and Braga and form a formidable duo in the sprinting events.
“Andrew is a highly motivated athlete. He works so hard at practice, in the weight room, and on the track. He’s also very helpful with the younger athletes,” Drinkard says. “Having him get second at Shorelines right by Braga was such a joy to watch. It was pretty cool for Valley Regional. He should have continued success heading into the spring outdoor season.”
Andrew is hoping to run at the collegiate level after he graduates from Valley Regional next year. While he’s already drawn interest from a few schools, Andrew believes he can run better times this spring because of his experience from the indoor season.
“I have a couple of colleges already looking at me for track,” says Andrew. “That’s the main reason I wanted to do indoor. I’ve been getting a lot of attention through that. Now, I get to do outdoor and keep it going. By doing indoor, I’ll be in shape for outdoor.”
As the winter crests into spring, Andrew feels eager to make some noise with his fellow Warriors on the track. Andrew is looking to throw his hat in the ring for several events and see which ones he sticks with by the end of the season. He also wants his 4x100 relay to follow up last year’s school-record performance with another excellent campaign.
“After school, I’m working on the track or in the weight room. I’m just working. For outdoor, I will run the 4x100, the 100, the 200, and I might do the 400. I’m down for it, but it might be a bit too much,” Andrew says. “I want this year to be my breakout year and, with the 4x100 team, this year should be our breakout year, too. We’re really excited for what we have coming this season.”