While “high-risk” sports are coming back into the high school fray, winter track athletes have already been competing – just not like ever before.

Wantagh, Farmingdale and MacArthur high schools recently held a meet, but it was on three different fields without an opponent in sight.

The virtual meets require coaches to put up times on Google Classroom, then the nerve-wracking waiting begins to see the final results.

Melissa Markovina, an athlete from Farmingdale, said that it was not as competitive but “better than nothing.”

Other athletes told News 12 that the new format, in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, takes lots of self-motivation and a willingness to use teammates as their primary competition.

Some are using the lost spring 2020 season as motivation.

“We look back to spring seniors and say if you can’t run for yourself, run for them,” says Nicole Colombi, of Wantagh.