The Spartan captains driving to the finish for a victory. photo courtesy of @jkproductionsphotography on instagram.
The Spartans started the season by hitting the ground running, quickly going up in the state rankings, constantly setting personal records (PRs), and multiple school records have been broken.
This season, the Spartan Track and Field athletes have performed extremely well, and the individuals continue to improve as the season nears an end. Track is an incredible sport, and many athletes join this community simply to improve their mental well being. Junior team captain and returning state qualifier Lola Lopez said the most exciting part about track isn’t just getting in shape, but “for my mental health to improve from laughing with my teammates and getting outside in the sun.” She described the importance of just being around teammates, building bonds, and forming deeper connections, not only as a team, but as individuals in order to continue to have the skill sets and outlets outside of the season.
Though Track is a fun and exciting sport, it can pose many challenges because of conditioning, hard workouts, and inevitable soreness. Combined, these aspects can be exceptionally overwhelming, but the senior team captain Aahmir Hopkins encouraged runners by giving them advice to boost “confidence and motivation to get better and be the best I know they can be.” Through the trials and triumphs this sport can bring, the team will always uplift and support every athlete to ensure individuals are reaching their highest level while still having fun. Lopez emphasised how she “created amazing friendships with people she would’ve never met.” Without Track and Field, none of these connections would have been possible.
One of the most fantastic parts about track is being able to overcome challenges as a team and reach higher levels together. Lopez’s favorite part of her team events is being able to “challenge [herself] to get to my teammate, and when we all inspire each other to work together efficiently.” Hopkins personally favors participating in meets with multiple schools because he enjoys “meeting new people and talking.” Win or lose, the community and friendships athletes build will never be broken.
One hope the captains have for the team is to bring support and community. Hopkins hopes the team can “actually enjoy the season.” He doesn’t want them to simply just show up to practice or meets every week to check a box, but to truly be intentional and dig deep into the fun factors and fundamentals of the sport. The captains also want to build off of each other. Lopez explained this by saying she hopes the team can “work together to improve and use each other to create competitive drills in practice.” This is a huge factor in success because athletes improve their performance through growth and repetition. Competition in practice will prepare athletes’ minds for the actual race, and this will also build a runner’s confidence through practice victories. Not everyone will see these small victories, but each person grows from them.
As a returning state qualifier, Lopez obviously hopes to return to the state track meet, but she needs to “achieve [her] smaller goals first. For example, set a new PR.” Lopez is fighting to achieve not only what she did last season, but to progress even more. The saying head coach Fred Van Remortel gives athletes daily is for the team to “Win the day!” Stepping out while giving each practice and meet everything every day is what helps athletes to achieve their goals little by little; winning the day is what brings athletes a step closer to their personal goal. Hopkins, who had come up just short of the state track meet the previous 2024 season, feels motivated and as though the small shortcoming has lit a fire within him to “do better and want to be even more of a team player, so I can help my team make it to state.” A team driven by motivation, a hunger for greatness, and heaps of determination is seeking state medals this year, but they continue to remind themselves that achieving this feat begins with winning the smaller battles first.
For those who are debating whether or not they should come out and join track and field, the captains give this advice to those on the fence: Lopez states, “Try out Track and Field but also stay committed.” Hopkins follows with his own advice, saying, “Never give up and push through the hard days.” So much greatness comes out of Track and Field, so step up and give this sport a shot, find new connections, and have fun! The team is there to support and uphold everyone who is fearful, so do not miss your opportunity because of fear.
