The school’s track and field teams delivered an impressive performance at the regional meet this past weekend, with multiple athletes earning spots at the state championships. The success at regionals highlighted the dedication, preparation and teamwork that athletes have demonstrated throughout the season.
Leading the way for the boys team was the 4×400-meter relay squad of junior Deondre, senior Leondrez Leonard, junior Jonathan Walker, and junior Andrien Iziliaev. Competing against some of the top teams in the region, the group put together a strong race and secured a qualifying time for states. The runners maintained steady pacing throughout the event and executed smooth handoffs that helped them remain competitive.
Head coach David Suarez said the team’s ability to perform under pressure stood out the most at regionals.
“What stood out to me the most about the team’s performance at regionals was how much everyone was ready to perform when it mattered most,” Suarez said. “The regional meet is a pretty high-pressure, high-intensity meet because it’s the second-to-last meet where you’ve got to qualify for state, so for a lot of people it feels like the last chance.”
The boys’ 4×400 relay team also faced adversity during the meet after losing one of its relay legs due to injury. Despite the setback, the team remained composed and still managed to qualify for states with the help of an alternate runner, Leondrez Leonard, stepping into the lineup.
“The alternate stepped in really well and was still able to hold down their position and help qualify the team to the state meet,” Suarez said.
Junior Jonathan Walker said the team relied heavily on trust and preparation throughout the race.
“We knew the competition was going to be tough, but we stayed focused and trusted each other,” Walker said. “Everyone gave their best effort, and qualifying for states made all the hard work worth it.”
The girls’ 4×100-meter relay team also delivered a standout performance to qualify for the state meet. Throughout the season, coaches experimented with different relay combinations to determine the strongest possible lineup.
“The girls’ 4×1 was an interesting race because we had been trying out different legs in the relay,” Suarez said. “We have a really strong girls’ sprint group, so figuring out by the end of the season who the best four options were was the trick.”
In addition to the relay teams, Freshman Natalie Grausam earned a spot at the state championships in pole vault. Grausam delivered a strong performance at regionals, clearing the necessary height to advance and continuing a successful season in the event.
“Going into regionals, I just tried my best to stay confident and trust my training,” Grausam said. “I wanted to be able to clear the height I was training for, and when I did, it was a really exciting moment for me”.
With the state championships approaching, the athletes will continue training and preparing to compete against the best teams and individuals in the state. Coaches and teammates remain proud of the success already achieved and hopeful for strong performances at states.
