By ALISON PARK, sophomore

Rain or shine, the boys and girls spring track and field teams are known for always giving their all to their sport, regardless of challenges that they face on the track. In fact, a key to success for this sport is the ability to easily adapt to various weather conditions, which could vary from scorching weather on one day to frigid rain on the next. Thus, the spring track teams train their endurance in order to guarantee success, regardless of outside circumstances.

An early challenge that the team faced this year was the lack of experienced runners on the teams. With only three seniors running this season, juniors Demetri Wojo, Neehar Mahidadia, and Violet Kimble have all stepped up to lead their fellow runners in the path to success. When asked how the senior absences affected the team’s performance, Demetri admitted being in a “hard position, but with arduous training [and motivation], the team rebounded and came back stronger than ever”, thus continuing to improve greatly. The results of their hard work were proven successful at the GMC Relays where Jamina Morris medalled first at the triple jump and Rashiek Harvard placed third at the triple jump. Jamina Morris also took home third place for the 400 meter hurdles, an event in which she previously qualified for the State Championships for winter track.

The girls varsity team also proved their success by finishing their races in stunning, record-breaking times. Most notably, runners Mikhayla Sabo, Lillian Chen, Violet Kimble, and Ava Dul ran the four by 1600 in a total of 23:33, taking home fifth place out of 13 teams. Reflecting upon a successful and exciting season, Ava states, “I was ecstatic about running at the varsity level of high school competition, coming into this team as a freshman. Though I was nervous at first about adjusting to the environment,  I believe our team has bonded throughout the season in a way they bolsters our chances for success.”  Although the season may have opened with a rocky start, JP’s runners stepped up to the challenge, knowing that with sufficient effort and dedication, they were all capable of stunning other track teams with a strong performance. Coach Riggi commented that even though “there is always someone faster or stronger” JP’s runners still establish their own success by “never being satisfied with the okay.”

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meadowbank-track-and-field.jpg