Kahuku’s Joshlyn Noga may not have dominated at track meets the way teammate Zhane Santiago did. But she says competing in field events during the season has helped her improve her conditioning in preparation for next school year’s basketball season.

“Track is a great sport. I enjoy participating, but my goal is to work hard in practicing various field events because I want to get stronger. I’m hoping the workouts will eventually help me play basketball better,” Noga said. Noga was among the leading scorers this past season in the Oahu Interscholastic Association White East Division. Her team finished 9-1 in regular season games and appeared in the state division II tournament.

“Practicing field events almost every day is great exercise. I can really tell the difference in my conditioning.  I think all of this exercising will enable me to be better at powering my way to the basket,” Noga said.

Noga finished fourth in the recent state track championships in the girls shot put event with a toss of 38 feet, 2.75 inches. “Being on the track team is fun. The field events normally end early so I usually have time to root for my teammates in the running races. The races can be exciting at times,” Noga said.

Participating in sports also helps Noga in the classroom. “No doubt I study harder because I want to play. So I will take the extra time to make sure I do my school work correctly. I know that doing good in school will help me in the future,” Noga said.

“I really want to do well this upcoming basketball season,” Noga said. “But I know I’m going to have to continue working hard this summer.”