The slowing of footsteps sounds as freshman Reese Broyles finishes her run. Sweat drips from her face while her heart beats at a blinding rhythm. She steps off the track and quickly walks to her mother’s car so that she does not miss dance rehearsals. During the 2025-26 school year, Broyles ran in track and cross country while also participating in competitive dance.
“Track impacts my daily life because it makes me a more determined and stronger person,” Broyles said. “It helps build my confidence and mental toughness. It makes other things feel easier because you have to work hard, continue to push and trust the process.”
Broyles began running track and cross country when she was in seventh grade. She runs in both JV and varsity races, participating in the two-mile and mile events for track and the 5K for cross country.
“I just slowly started to fall in love with [track] and continuously get better,” Broyles said. “It’s not like everybody can do it. You have to work hard, and the harder you work, the better you get.”
Broyles runs in weekly meets, competing to win in each of her events. Throughout the cross country season, her run times shortened, ending with a personal best of 21 minutes, 17 seconds 5K.
“The overall best part is the community and the friends,” Broyles said. “You could need something, and [the team will] always be there for you. Even if your race doesn’t go well, you get the opportunity to support other people and see them do good. And it inspires you to work harder. We push each other every day to go farther.”
Broyles also participates in competitive dance at Stagedoor Dance Centre, training in styles such as tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, lyrical and contemporary. She began her training at 5 years old.
“The hardest thing is going straight from track to dance,” Broyles said. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep going. I feel like if I have a hard track practice, then I won’t do as well as at dance or I feel like the hardest part is not feeling like you’re putting one over the other or overworking yourself, I don’t want to feel too tired to do one or the other.”
Broyles participates in daily rehearsals for dance while also maintaining grades in AP and advanced courses to remain eligible for track.
“The most difficult part of being in dance is that it’s hard to stay completely motivated,” Broyles said. “Sometimes I feel unmotivated to go to dance, even though I’ve always loved it, sometimes I feel like I take it for granted.”
Both track and dance require different strengths, meaning that Broyles conditions for different skills at each practice. Her track coach, Jeffrey Lindsey, works to hone her skills and improve her times at races, while her dance teachers work to train Broyles in the artistry required to dance.
“I think it just takes a toll on her body,” Coach Lindsey said. “But a lot of kids do multiple things, so I’m glad that she has multiple things that she loves and can do.”
Coach Lindsey works with Broyles to ensure that her schedule does not impede her ability to participate in events for dance.
“I think we have a pretty good culture already, she just contributes more to that,” Coach Lindsey said. “Coming in as a freshman, she gets along with everyone; everybody likes her. So I think that she just contributes her hard work and good loving nature and it just builds our program up even further.”
Though participating in dance and track creates a busy schedule for Broyles, she continues to show up to each practice and further her skills.
“I think it all works out and just the perfect way possible,” Broyles said. “I feel like the schedule always works out and it’s easy to love both and still to be able to work hard at both and the determination it gives me.”
