By Cooper Chadwick
Coming back from an ACL tear last season, Maize senior Luci Knaak is excited for her final year of high school competition.
“I am most excited to be back for one last year and enjoying it so much while staying healthy from past injuries. I love my friends I gained from track and the excitement that comes with a promising senior season,” Knaak said.
Knaak competes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes for the Eagles, but her specialty is the 400-meter run.
“There have been a handful of 400-type runners that have done this since I’ve offered it, going back to 2019. Luci is one of the few to do it. One of the biggest compliments I can pay her is that she has the mentality to train that is like a distance runner, and that mentality is expressed through her discipline and work ethic to improve her craft. I have seen her out there in windy, 30-degree weather in the winter, when it’s really tough, particularly for sprinter physiology,” head track coach Skeeter Rankins said.
During the offseason, Knaak spent significant time rehabbing and now hopes to show that effort was worthwhile.
“During the offseason I had to fully change my mentality of the sport because of my injury, and my coaches and family were a great help for that,” Knaak said. “My main motivation for this season is that it is a comeback from my knee injury last season, to prove myself, and also my last season so I only have one more chance to show what I am really capable of, leave it all on the track, and trust God’s plan for my season and His timing.”
