Tahoma Track and Field is having an exceptional season thus far. This popular spring sport has had a large turnout in past years, but nothing like the over 200 participants of this season. As they say, there’s strength in numbers, and Tahoma is a prime example of this.
The Team
As previously explained, Tahoma has one of the largest track teams in the state of Washington. Tahoma Track and Field is a non-cut sport, so everyone who tries out has a spot on the roster. However, this doesn’t mean Tahoma lacks high standards for its athletes. The team is led by several amazing coaches including Jeff Brady and Anne Hobson, and all their hard work is paying off. Tahoma has won every meet so far, and the girls won the Arnie Young invitational. Things are looking promising heading into the postseason.
On top of winning, the bears are enjoying the process of self improvement. Makaylah Johnson, a junior hurdler and jumper explains, “my favorite part of track is getting to compete and hang out with my teammates.”
Practices & Meets
A typical track practice usually includes lots of stretching and an intensive warm up. Then, athletes will split up into their respective events and do drills and workouts tailored to their event. For example, sprinters may work on their starts, or relay groups may work on their handoffs.
Meets prove to be very rewarding for Tahoma athletes, with all the success the team has had in league and non-league competitions. Junior Sofia Guevara, is a varsity sprinter and talented hurdler. She participates in the 100m, relays, and 300m hurdles, and has offered some insight into how meets are structured. Guevara explains, “meets start around 3pm, and for every event there’s about 4 heats. The first heat is varsity and the top 3 placers score points.”
On the weekends, there are also invitationals, like Arnie Young, which include talented athletes from other schools in Washington. Each team is allowed to take only the top 2 athletes in each event, so these invites are highly competitive.
Post-Season
Postseason is rapidly approaching as league competition comes to a close. After the regular season ends, athletes that have made the time/mark that the league requires, advance to the league championship. Then, qualifiers move on to districts, and from there the top finishers at districts move on to state. The Washington Track and Field State Championship will be held at Mount Tahoma High School, in Tacoma, on May 23-25 2024. Wish the bears luck as they blaze their trail to victory!
