Sports and music are intertwined. Bands have played at football games pretty much as long as there have been football games. Baseball players have had walk-up music in some form for nearly 50 years. Scan a football field during pregame, a track and field meet as athletes warm-up or even a driving range before the round, someone–more likely, many someones–have their Beats, AirPods or other device in and their playlist bumping.

We're taking the time to explore the place music holds in our sports. After a dive into the walk-up music for our bat-and-ball sports, it's track and field's turn to take a spin on the ones and twos. Their response was overwhelming; so overwhelming, we split it into two parts.

Keleah Shell
Song: Kevin Gates, "Wish I Had It"

It's the beginning of the song that spoke to me when I first heard it. When he says, "A vision without action is merely a dream. It's the action, it's the grind, it's the hustle, it's the persistence." Those words just make me think of all the workouts, me and my teammates grinding it out at practice and the dedication. It pumps me up for the meet and helps me realize why I'm there.

Kori McDaniel
Song: Eminem, "Lose Yourself"

This song is always on my playlist because my mom would play it on the way to games or meets. My mom is somebody I look up to and is really close to. So I like to listen to this to remind me of her and to calm my nerves.

Maya Perry-Grimes
Song: Yo Gotti, "That's What's Up"

This song calms me down but also gets me hyped and ready to compete. This song is a song that my family and I listen to get in the zone. It has a lot of meaning behind it because it is a family thing that nobody understands. When I listen to this song I zone out and I know I am about to go give it my all. We play this song to get my family amped up for whatever comes our way. The meaning is something way bigger than just a song for myself and us.

Shyanna Chapman
Song: Ty Dolla $ign feat. Kanye West, "Ego Death"

I love this song because it gets me going. It has all kinds of dynamics. I like a song that I can sing along to even if I'm only singing in my head. This one is catchy and definitely gets you pumped. It gets my adrenaline going and hypes me for what's to come.

Kyra Wilder and Allana Johnson
Song: Lil Baby, "Get Money"

Wilder: The chorus is very catchy and it gets everyone hype.
Johnson: I always listen to it before I warm up for a race. This song gets me hype so I can cash out.

Denia Hill-Tate
Song: India.Arie, "Strength, Courage and Wisdom"

This song puts me at ease. Whatever nerves I have, they are put at ease when I listen to this song. This song reminds me of my growth as an individual and as student-athlete. This song also reminds me of who I am and who I have, yet, to become.

Sara Martin
Song: Passion, "My Heart Is Yours (Live Version)"

I like to listen to worship music because it takes the pressure off what happens today. I struggle with being a perfectionist and I put a lot of pressure on myself to run well. So, listening to Christian music helps remind me of what's ahead and what is truly important. The music calms me down by reminding me that it's just a race. And from an eternal perspective that is insignificant. At the end of the day, with any kind of sport, you win some and you lose some. But it is vital to remember that how you race does not depict who you are as a person.

Madison Morstad
Song: Eminem, "'Til I Collapse"

The reason I listen to this is because it reminds me that this hurt during a race is temporary. I have to push through it for my team because if I don't give my all then I'm not giving my all to my team and that's what my coaches and team expect out of me. This song gives me an extra push that I need when I'm thinking of quitting and I use it to feed the need of wanting to be greater than what I envisioned for myself.

Mikaela Smith
Song: NEEDTOBREATHE feat. Lauren Daigle, "Hard Love"

I listen to many different songs that vary from calm to hype music to get me ready for my competitions. This song has not always been on my meet day playlist because it is one of the newer songs that I recently found and have incorporated. I really like it because it just reminds me of the need to keep fighting and to roll with punches. When I first heard it, I felt like it related specifically to me and my sport, because I feel like I'm going through fire when I'm racing. I am reminded to remember to push through that burn and to keep going and to burn off all the doubts.

Anything that you love or strive for won't come easily, and this song reminds me to keep getting back up and to keep fighting. The song says, "hold on tight a little longer, what don't kill ya makes ya stronger, get back up cause it's a hard love." I truly believe that because if I want to be great, I must continue pushing for God and pushing for the people that I love.