Credit: Courtesy of Cordia Wang

WHS sophomore Sazie Wrentmore competed in the 4×400 meter relay at MIAA Divisional Indoor Track and Field State Championship. She finished off the race as the anchor of the four person team.

Energy drink in hand, sophomore Sazie Wrentmore prepares for the biggest race of her indoor track career, the New England High School Indoor Track and Field Championship. After beating her time of 9.68 seconds for the 55 meter hurdles by 0.78 seconds, Wrentmore ended the season with a new personal best of 8.90 seconds. Wrentmore placed third overall at the MIAA Division IV State Championships, ranking No. 25 in the state. So, what’s Wrentmore’s secret to success?

Wrentmore’s track career began five years ago in middle school, where she first tried the sport. She tried numerous events, but decided her two favorites and main events would be the 400 meter dash and long jump. She went on to train and improve in these events throughout her middle school career, into high school.

When entering the high school as a freshman, Wrentmore decided to start in the winter indoor track season so she could improve her skills before entering the outdoor track season. During winter, she learned how to race with hurdles and practiced by competing in the 100 meter and 400 meter hurdle events. She was able to qualify for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division IV Track and Field State Championships for both the 4×400 meter relay and the 400 meter hurdles, getting a personal best in both events.

During the 2025 indoor track and field season, Wrentmore performed in multiple events such as the 600 meter run, 55 meter hurdles, 4×4 relay and long jump. She qualified for the MIAA Division IV Indoor Track and Field State Championship in three events. She placed third overall for the 55 hurdles finals, sixth in long jump with a personal best of 16 feet and nine inches and fourth in the 4×4.

“[Performing well in Divisional State Championships] motivated me to do better throughout the rest of the season after that,” Wrentmore said.

Although track might not be commonly thought of as a team sport, teammates can play a major role in many aspects. Whether it’s physically during a relay, or mentally during a solo race, the people around you play a big role in your success.

“My teammates really help with my attitude and make me look forward to going,” Wrentmore said.

For some athletes, the hardest aspect of track is the mindset. Preparing for a race can be anxiety-inducing and that anxiety could possibly go on to affect performance in a race.

“It’s really hard to move past things,” Wrentmore said. “If you have a bad race, it’s kind of hard to get over it, but once you’re able to it gets a lot easier to prepare for future races.”

Wrentmore believes that preparing for a race is a very important aspect of a track meet. She thinks each runner can have a different routine to help them prepare in different ways. For Wrentmore, she finds it helpful to start her preparations as early as the night preceding the race.

“I eat pasta the night before [a race], and I go to bed a little bit earlier,” Wrentmore said. “Then at the meet, I’ll drink a Celsius or Red Bull before my race.”

Eating pasta the night before a sports event is a common routine among athletes. Pasta is full of carbohydrates. The body breaks down those carbohydrates into glucose, which is the body’s main source of energy. Another aspect that goes into the preparations before a track meet includes the mindset going into the race. It can be different for all athletes, but Wrentmore believes that it’s important to be mentally focused and prepared for the race as well as physically ready.

“[Going into the meet], I’m really focused on every little aspect of the race,” Wrentmore said.

Wrentmore encourages anyone who might be interested to give track a try, no matter personal experience with sports. Whether a person is a seasoned athlete, or someone who’s just giving it a try, track is for everyone.

“The [track] team is really fun,” Wrentmore said. “You should join if you aren’t planning on doing another sport because it’s a great way to stay in shape.”