MILTON — Milton High School’s boys and girls track teams this week celebrated a successful season with an awards ceremony.
GALLERY: Photos from the MHS track awards event>
Girls track coach Kelly Gillis and boys coach Joe Austin treated team members to pizza and refreshments Tuesday in the school’s cafeteria.
Gillis praised the group for their commitment to track and field.
WATCH: MHS track and field students receive medals>
“To come out here and dedicate January to April and May to run, you really got to want to do that,” he said. “(In track and field), there is not a lot of accolades; it’s not a Friday night atmosphere; you have to really want to do it. I was really pleased throughout the year with the struggles we had that we rose to the occasion.”
Challenges included injuries for the girls team, Gillis said. However, the loss of senior leadership allowed younger performers to step up.
“We are returning our kids in distance running and they are all freshmen,” Gillis said. “We are really excited where the program is going.”
Austin expressed the same sentiment for the boys team.
“Our district is probably one of the toughest in the state, dealing with Pine Forest, Pensacola High, Washington and Pace,” he said. “Qualifying for the regional state meet is a big deal. So … it does take a special kind of athlete to come out for track.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: MHS track and field coaches award student athletes (VIDEO, PHOTOS)