Junior Serena Hooker finished off the indoor track season as a state finalist and school record holder in the 4×400 meter relay, but as winter comes to an end, Hooker is looking forward to the upcoming outdoor season.

“I like the weather.  It’s a lot better than running in the gym, too.  There’s also a good group of people in the spring,” Hooker said.

In the spring, she will participate in individual and relay sprints as well as in the long jump, though the exact events she runs varies by the meet.

“[The events I run] change depending on what we need in different events because if there are people absent that can’t make it to the meet I might run their race.  I can do anything from a 400 to a 55 [meter dash],” Hooker said.

Originally, Hooker got into track during middle school at the Advanced Math and Science Academy in Marlborough.

“I played soccer in sixth grade, but my math teacher who happened to be the coach of the track team approached me,” Hooker explained.  “That spring season I joined [the track team] and I did really well and I liked it, so I just kept doing it.”

Now she participates in Algonquin’s indoor and outdoor programs, as well as on a club team, which she enjoys equally.

“With school you have the benefit of seeing all of your teammates every single day and you get a consistent training regimen, but I do like going to Cambridge because it’s just a different group and it’s fun to see them,” Hooker said.

No matter which team she is on, Hooker strives to put in her best effort into each race.

“When your coach puts you in a race, they trust that you’ll do your best.  That’s where the whole team thing comes in because you rely on each other to score points… It takes a collective effort to win a meet,” Hooker said.