Leadership in HSE Boys Track and Field

In any given sport, senior leadership is a top priority for coaches and players. Leaders are important for the development of younger players. On our very own Hamilton Southeastern boys track and field team, the same is true. When interviewed about leadership on the team, head coach Garrett Lawton pointed out Drew Kennedy, Xavier Dokes, Lamine Sall, and Alex Boothby as positive leaders on the team. These leaders help their respective categories improve and succeed.

These leaders all compete at a high level and are role models for many HSE track and field athletes. They have developed during their high school career tremendously and are all seen as leaders for their respective categories. Coach Lawton also mentioned how these seniors had to fill the shoes of last year’s seniors, which was a tall task, but the vacancy left by graduating seniors was filled with these five athletes. Part of being a leader on the HSE track and field team is being an inspiration for younger athletes and to help develop the underclassmen on the team. According to Lawton, these athletes did all of those.

Drew Kennedy

Kennedy is currently a senior at HSE and competed in the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter races this track season. Posting a personal record of 4:49.89 in the 1600-meter race, he demonstrates leadership through helping and inspiring younger players. A 4:49.89 means that he had to run 100 meters every 18 seconds, and a full lap around the track every 72 seconds.

Xavier Dokes

Dokes is also a senior at HSE, and he competed in the 200-meter race this track season. With a personal record of 23.19 seconds, he needs to run with a speed of over 19 miles per hour. Incredible athletes such as Dokes are what inspires underclassmen to be better and improve. His coach Garrett Lawton thinks highly of him, seeing him as a positive leader in sprinting categories for HSE track.

Lamine Sall

Lamine Sall is a senior that competes in the long jump and the 4×400 relay for Hamilton Southeastern. His personal record for outdoor competition in long jump is currently 22 feet, 11 inches. That’s over half the length of a school bus. Regarded by his coach Garrett Lawton as the biggest leader in the jumping category for Hamilton Southeastern, his impressive statistics can blow away any athlete or coach. As for his 4×400 meter relay time, he posted an impressive 3:32.81 with his teammates Blake Braden, Jack Tholen, and Noah Link.

Alex Boothby

Alex Boothby is a senior at HSE and competes in the shot-put event. His personal record with the 12-pound ball is a very impressive 49 feet and nine and a half inches during the 2023 outdoor season. That is well over the length of the largest school buses. Coach Lawton regards him as a leader for the throwing categories, especially with his personal record of nearly fifty feet. Boothby will be heading to Taylor University to play offensive lineman for their football program.