<p>Yeah, track is a huge time-suck. Sorry to hear about that. 
Do any of your friends participate? The season’s just begun, so maybe you can talk to your coach about switching. How about asking if you can be a team manager or coach’s assistant instead? I know that sounds kind of lame, but you’ll still get the credits and not be penalized, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to leave at a reasonable hour!</p>
<p>And haha, “the regular running” would likely be even more time-consuming. Distance and sprint events usually have much harder workouts and require a lot more commitment. You’re not just aimlessly shuffling around a track. If anything, I’d recommend OP to stay in jumps because that’s normally the least time and energy-consuming event other than throws.</p>
<p>For the record, colleges don’t really care about the grades you get for sports. They might not even appear on your transcript. But if you’re really gunning for that A, I’d maybe try to stick it out for the next few weeks (preseason’s a joke and you might even be able to place in some meets) and see how that goes. If it’s too much trouble, then ask about any other opportunities you could do to get credit or conveniently get injured or something. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Source: Recently liberated varsity sprinter/leadoff runner </p>