Track and Field Trick

By Jake Maddox

The Sally Ride track and field team’s season is off to a rocky start thanks to some suspicious activity. Missing field equipment, stolen uniforms, and finally blackmail notes to the assistant coach, Josh, make it clear: someone wants Coach Josh out of the way. But why? Shot put thrower Sena is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. But soon the culprit frames Sena herself! Will Sena add up the clues in time to save her season and Coach Josh’s job?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666330106

Jake Maddox

Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler – or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps – literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

DISCUS PRACTICE

On Tuesday afternoon, Sena stretched her legs straight out on the grass of the Sally Ride High School football field. She raised her hands up high, then bent from the waist, bouncing a little as she tried to reach her flexed toes. She sat up and reached her right arm across her chest as she held it by her left arm, then switched arms.

Warming up her muscles was very important, especially after her best friend, Cole, hurt his arm at the very beginning of the spring track and field season.

The second day of practice he was late, skipped warm-ups, and pulled a muscle. For the rest of the week he had to sit on the sidelines at practice with a bag of ice on his arm.

Sena, Cole, and their friends Evelyn and Grady walked over from the junior high wing of the school every spring afternoon for track and field practice. The junior varsity team was primarily seventh and eighth graders, and Sena was finally old enough to participate.

Her older sister, Kwan, had been throwing discus and shot put since she was in seventh grade. Now that Kwan was a junior, college track and field teams were starting to scout her.

TWEEET! Coach Josh, the new assistant team coach and head throwing coach, loved blowing his whistle. All right, team, time for warm-up laps! he shouted.

Ugh, said Cole, boosting himself up. I chose to throw discus so I wouldn’t have to run.

Sena rolled her eyes at her friend. He said that at every practice.

The full team ran a couple of laps around the track that looped around the football field, then split up into their events. Evelyn and Grady joined the jumpers.

Since Sena and Cole were the most junior of the throwers, they jogged over to the shed and wheeled the equipment cart over to the throwing area. There was a sand pit for shot put and a large grassy area for the discus.

Sena and the other throwers changed into their throwing shoes and lined up near the discus area to take turns throwing. Sena could see Kwan and Kwan’s best friend, Vanessa, at the front of the line, making big circles with their arms. Sena started making big circles too.

Finally, it was Sena’s turn to throw. Cole handed her a discus, and she walked around the cage and entered the throwing circle. She took a couple of deep breaths and stood with her back to the grass.

She could hear Cole cheering her on. "Woooooo, Sena! Let’s go!"

One more breath, then she swung her arm, launched herself into a spin, and released the discus. Whoosh! It flew across the grass and landed just inside the white marker line.

Sena was pleased. She sometimes had trouble keeping the discus within the marked spaces. If the discus landed outside the white lines, it would be considered a foul and would not count during a meet.

One of the team managers ran out to the field with a stake attached to a measuring tape. She stuck the stake in the ground where the discus first landed. The other team manager stood on the throwing circle where Sena threw the discus.

As Sena walked over to pick up her discus,