Yana Patel & Hermione Leon
5 February, 2024
The track season began on November 13, 2023. Chris Halstead, Gareth Gibbs, Nick Mancuso, and Imogen Lopez are the coaches. The team has already competed in two meets: the kickoff meet at the Armory Track in Fort Washington Avenue, New York and the Dendy Meet. The Suffern Invitational RCC will host a meet on January 12, 2024. Throughout the season, the team has had students advance to state. If a student-athlete advances to state, this determines when the season will officially end. This is due to the amount of practice that will be needed to prepare for states. The season is expected to come to an end in late February. Because it is mainly about the events, there are no formal roles, but the captains are Alejandro Salinas (12th), Elizabeth Cruz (11th), Casey Schult (11th), Jonathan Abraham (12th), John Delcid (12th), and Alexandra Cruz (12th). The Port Light spoke with two of the senior captains, Alejandro Salinas and Alexandra Cruz, in a brief conversation.
What events do you run?
Salinas: “I’m a distance runner so I run the 600m and 4x800m relay for indoor track. The same goes for outdoor track.
Cruz: “I am a mid-distance runner. During winter track, I mainly run 300m, 600m, and the 4x200m relay or 4x800m relay. In spring track, I run 400m, 800m, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay.”
What is your favorite part of being on track?
Salinas: “My favorite part of track is the friendships I have made from it and the pleasure of being an athlete for PCHS. This has definitely been one of the best decisions I have made in my time being at PCHS.”
Cruz: “My favorite part is being able to workout and run with my teammates. During our easy runs we love to talk about certain things and just enjoy ourselves as we run. My team is definitely a big part of the reason why I still do this sport. Track is not an easy sport, it’s both mentally and physically exhausting. But being able to share with others who can relate is one of the most helpful things to ever learn.”
What got you into Track?
Salinas: “What got me into track was when a friend told me to come and try out for the track team. From there, my journey started during freshman year. At first, I really didn’t like running at all, but as I was disciplined though my way, I started to really love and enjoy running.”
Cruz: “My sister is actually the reason I’m in track right now. She started running before I ever did and she told me that I should join because it was fun and I used to run around a lot when I was younger. So that’s when I decided to join sophomore year for the spring season. I definitely would not be doing track right now if it wasn’t for her.”
How’s the season going?
Salinas: “The season is going very well for me! Although we have lost some core members for our 4x800m relay team, we are still doing our best for the event! Being captain is a great honor, and I love leading my distance crew alongside my fellow captains.”
Cruz: “This season is going way better than I could imagine. I’m definitely growing compared to last season and I’m very proud of that. My main goal for the winter season is to push myself so I could be better in the spring. I’m also proud of my team because they are also improving and starting to reach their goals. Overall I love being captain because I get to help my team with whatever they need not just in this sport but in life too. We grew together and it’s definitely fun being able to talk and be serious at the same time.”
What are your future plans? Are you planning/trying to go D1 for track?
Salinas: “My future plans do see me doing and continuing running in the army but I do not have plans on committing to any college teams.”
Cruz: “As of right now, I plan to go to college and pursue a degree in computer engineering and hopefully continue doing track and flute because it’s something that I like to do in my free time. I honestly have never really thought about going D1 for college for the reason that I’ve mainly been so focused on the present when it comes to track. However, if I do go to a college that has track, I’ll definitely consider doing it and try out for it.”
What is some advice you would give people wanting to start track?
Salinas: “Go for roles that best fit your athleticism track. If you are a power based athlete coming from football, you should try out sprinting, jumping, or throwing. If you are coming from cross country give a try at the distance events in track like the mile. If you are new to athletics try and take freshman year to figure out where you belong.”
Cruz: “Honestly track does seem like an easy sport because all you do is run, I’ve definitely have thought this before. But being realistic the hardest part about it isn’t the running but it is the mentality. Track is about pushing yourself even though you’re exhausted and sore from running. You have to be able to stay focused on what you’re about to do, especially in a race. What I like to do before a race is focus on what I need to do from start to finish and tell myself that I could accomplish it. When starting out, focus on some realistic goals that you want to achieve and work towards them. Whether it is to be able to run a mile in under 10 minutes or being able to breathe properly while running. Achieving the smallest goals helps you improve as a runner and it’s all about working towards that goal. Overall you have to believe in yourself in order to improve because it helps you want to push yourself more as you continue.”
As the season progresses, the track team will seek to finish strong. After speaking with two of the senior captains, it appears that they, along with many other members of the team, have several ambitions for their winter track season. Good luck to all the members and the seniors on the team as it is their last year. Let’s finish the season strong for all winter sports! Go Rams!!
Photo Credit: Westmore News