Bursting off the starting blocks, Taleah Watson, 8th, dashed down the track. With eyes fixed on the finish line and inhaling through the diaphragm, she pumped her arms to propel forward. Pure adrenaline and perseverance kept her going until the end. Meanwhile, over at the high jump, Timothy Reed, 7th, sprinted toward the bar, planted his foot at the take-off point, and launched himself upward, over, and onto the mat.

Even though several track meets were canceled, the track athletes worked to improve their mindsets and strategies with determination to win.

“I worked hard on my own, not just in practice,” Taleah said. “Wanting to be better pushed me even more.”

Jacob Harris, 8th, learned to not goof around so much during practice.

“I practiced throwing the shot put until I got better,” Jacob said. “At the conference meet, I placed in the top three, and all my friends were there.”

Jose Guerra, 7th, had to learn to be humble.

“I thought I was gonna beat certain people, but some of them beat me,” Jose said. “The highlight of the season was when I ran my first 400. I thought I wasn’t going to do good since it was my first time, but I did okay.”

Having so many track meets canceled discouraged Laura Diaz Del Rio, 8th but did not stop her from continuing to work to be prepared for the next one.

“I improved when I stopped trying to beat others and instead focused on getting better and beating myself,” Laura said.

Scarlett Shook, 7th, had a similar strategy.

“I went on daily runs to condition, and during practice, I took hurdling very seriously,” Scarlett said. “A highlight was I got better at 300 meter hurdles and didn’t fall. Plus, I placed first at the first meet.”

While the athletes did try to better themselves, their excitement went downhill with the loss of opportunity to compete.

“I didn’t get to experience as much and see what I could do against others,” Yaretzy Centeno, 8th, said.

Angelica Brown, 8th, felt the same way.

“It definitely has caused us to lose our motivation a little bit, but we took it as an opportunity to work harder and improve together as a team,” Angelica said.

Charles Cotton, 7th, had to learn how to control his temper and be more laid back.

“A highlight of the season for me was placing in hurdles in my heat with three six-foot-tall kids,” Charles said.

Jayden Charles, 8th, did not like having less access to real competition, but he did find some positives, such as getting better times, beating his old personal records (PRs), and competing against some of the best people in the state. He also enjoyed traveling.

“The bus trips were fun, and I had a good time with all my teammates,” Jayden said.

The void left Genesis Monterroza, 8th, confused and almost sad. However, she never gave up on herself or her teammates.

“A highlight was the first track meet because everybody had good energy and had a fun time,” Genesis said.

Mariela De la Fuente, 7th, also loved the team’s camaraderie.

“Everyone cheered for each other, even if they felt like giving up,” Mariela said.

To keep in shape, Lamont Dunson, 8th, wore a weighted vest when he ran at home, but his reaction to canceled meets was different from his teammates’.

“It kinda relieved a lot of stress because I had so many things on my mind,” Lamont said.

Jamarius Johnson, 8th, made the most of a bad situation by running at home and staying in the gym to avoid getting out of shape.

“At first, I was losing a lot of breath after running, but I learned how to control my breathing,” Jamarius said. “The highlight for me was when I started on the high jump at 4.6 and ended at 5.0.”

Improving on themselves, Tatyana Sudds, 8th, had a similar highlight.

“I got first place in my heat on the 200 meter, and I usually never get first place, so I’m very proud of myself,” Tatyana said.

Josue Barosso, 7th, improved his speed and stamina.

“At the first meet, I was slow on my first 400, but at the 2nd one, I thought I was gonna be the last one, but I did okay,” Josue said.

Aaliyah Rangel, 7th, valued the people cheering her on from the sidelines, which included athletes from other schools.

“That is real and great sportsmanship and something that is amazing,” Aaliyah said.

Grace Fuentes, 7th, appreciated the support her coaches gave her.

“They wanted me to be better, so they pushed me way past my limits, and that’s what made me better,” Grace said. “I’m so grateful for them! After my mile run, I made a personal record with a time of 7:50. I was proud of myself and my coaches for all the hard work.”

Coach Loyd took pride in how the kiddos came out and competed each and every week.

“Some of the courses and meets they ran were difficult, but they pushed through and continued to improve,” Coach Loyd said.

Coach Curry found the athletes’ dedication and drive to improve with each meet truly commendable.

“I am impressed by the open-mindedness of our students when it came to trying new events,” Coach Curry said. “With no hurdlers returning from the previous season, our athletes showed a lot of determination and stepped up and excelled in a new role.”