By Derrick Smith

High school athletes’ senior seasons can bring a lot of different emotions. For some, it is happy because they get to compete alongside their teammates one last season, while others have a tough time dealing with the fact that this will be their last season alongside those they have competed with for years. Laiken Hackett, who is a junior at Chisholm High School, knows that her senior season is right around the corner, and she is excited and ready to get it all started.

“I am looking forward to my senior season of volleyball and track,” she stated. “I know it’s going to be a great year and a lot of my best memories will be made. This summer is all about preparing and bettering myself. I can’t wait to see what comes next. When it comes to sports, the biggest thing that allows me to be successful is keeping a healthy mentality. Confidence and getting over mental blocks are when I see myself excelling athletically. I still get stuck and frustrated but pulling myself out of that is where I’ve seen the most success. I know I will perform better physically if mentally I’m in the right headspace.”

When she is out on the track, Laiken says that keeping her mind on herself is what will keep her performing at her best.

“There are people I race against that I worry about,” she said. “But this year I’ve tried to change my mindset and worry less about them. It’s very hard to do but focusing on someone else’s race won’t make me run better. I have to focus on my own race and enjoy beating my own battles.”

While she has had a lot of great experiences throughout her career, Laiken says that making it to state in track during her sophomore year is her favorite.
“It was the coolest experience with my team,” she said. “I qualified for all my events. I came so close to winning my race in the 100m hurdles and then I clipped the last hurdle with my toe. I lost the race by points of a second. State is a surreal experience and being there with my best friends was a core memory.”