The Track and Field team welcomed the San Marino Titans to the second home track meet of the season on April 23. This meet marked only the third time in the past seven years that the Rams ran events on the home track, after running events at home against the Blair Vikings in the second league meet of the season.
The Boys Varsity team is currently undefeated in Rio Hondo League competition. The Rams beat San Marino 75-56 and beat Monrovia 75-52 on April 16. The Rams will be at South Pasadena on April 31 to fight for the league championship.
All of the Varsity and JV teams were victorious against the Vikings on April 9. The Rams faced La Cañada on March 26 to open league. The Boys Varsity team came away with the 72-53 victory, but the girls lost by a score of 72-57. However, both Frosh-Soph teams dominated their competition and won by large margins.
The team’s greatest strength this season is its size. The Rams have over a hundred members on the team whereas other schools have significantly less. These additional athletes have been essential to the team’s success because Coach Jose Marquez can slot in students in events where only a few people are participating. This way, the team can pick up free points from an event even though the particular athlete is not participating in the event they are accustomed to.
“This year’s team is definitely more committed,” Coach Marquez said. “The athletes have been dedicated and training all year. Truancy and quitting have dropped big time and it has translated into success. We beat Monrovia, one of the best teams in the state talent wise, even though we have a lot of freshmen and sophmores because our athletes have worked so hard. Our goal is to win league and send kids to C.I.F. We are currently undefeated and that’s progress.”
Junior Karlly Feng participated in the Pole Vault competition at the Arcadia Invitational meet on April 10. Only the top performing athletes from across Southern California can represent their schools at this competition and take part in events.
For new members of the team, track and field has been a journey full of new experiences and challenges. Many athletes, especially those who compete in field events, have never tried their particular event before joining the team.
“One challenge I had to face was relying strictly on myself during my events,” Liang said. “Shot put isn’t a sport that you have a team to help you physically like in football. In shot put, it’s only you throwing by yourself on the ring.”
Off the field, Coach Marquez and the athletes worked hard to raise funds for new equipment and other necessities. The team contributed by selling Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough and collected donations by running laps, throwing or jumping as part of the annual Jog-Jump-Throw-A-Thon. With these funds, the team purchased new poles for the vaulters at the beginning of the season.
“Coach Marquez emphasizes the fact that despite the fact that we participate in different events, we are all one team,” Liang said. “We all know each other quite well and we communicate a lot. At the meets it is important that we support our teammates when they are doing their events and cheer them on.”