Track and field stops for no one. So, even when high winds, pouring rain, and California-cold temperatures hit the team’s senior day tri-meet on Tuesday, April 1, the team kept running. 

“We suffered through six of those rain swallows, and then as we were cleaning up, the seventh hit us,” Head Coach Charles Alexander said. “All the coaches and athletes who stuck around and put things away were pretty miserable, but we were very proud that we pushed through.”

The tri-meet was scored as two dual meets, where the Eagles nearly swept Gunn but got swept by Mountain View. Against the Titans, both varsity boys and girls won by comfortable margins, with only JV boys losing. The lone winning team over the Spartans was JV girls — both varsity teams and JV boys solidly lost.

“We knew Mountain View was good,” Alexander said. “We talked all week about how we were gonna fire ourselves up to compete against them, but they got us in three out of four categories. We’re coming back — we’ve got the League meet coming up in a month, and we’re coming back at them.”

Senior celebrations

Before the weather turned against the team, seniors were honored with handmade posters made by underclassmen, speeches by coaches, and superlatives chosen by the senior class. As they walked down the football field with teammates and parents — “like a runway,” according to throws co-captain senior Isa Baratoff — coaches talked about each senior’s favorite memories and plans for the future. 

“It was a nice little moment,” distance co-captain senior Axelle Allanic said. “We heard about people’s favorite memories, where they’re going to college, and got some pictures.”

Axelle added that the vinyl posters of each senior at the track’s entrance were a new way to feature this year’s seniors, organized by the team parents.

“In track, there are so many athletes that it is hard to show the team together,” Axelle said. “Everyone on the team is really happy to see the posters up. It’s nice that the whole school can see the photos as they walk by, too.”

Running and reflections

Despite undesirable weather conditions and losing the rivalry matchup, senior Eagles reflected on their experiences and the lessons learned throughout their track and field careers. For some, those lessons would stick with them for life. 

“My biggest takeaway is to embrace the challenges,” Isa said. “Even though I’m not personally doing so great this season, there are so many people doing this for the first time, and the fact that they’re doing so amazingly is a big boost in morale.”

For others, their memories and fun times with teammates were the strongest.

“I’m only about halfway through my season, so it doesn’t quite feel like the end yet,” distance co-captain Sreyas Kadiyala said. “But walking down the field, all I could remember were all those great moments, runs, and memories I shared with my teammates.”

But in the end, every senior interviewed emphasized the same thing: Community. 

“The community has always been the most important part for me, trying to meet new people and make new friends,” distance co-captain senior Ozzy Valenzuela said. 

“People think track is an individual sport, but it’s really the team that supports you and helps you do better,” Isa said.

“I love how you have a really big team and compete together,” Axelle said. “It’s nice to have so many teammates, connect with so many people, and just have a big family.”

“All these senior events are starting to hit, and so those emotions are starting to hit a lot more specific to the track,” Sreyas said. “All those memories with your team, good days, bad days, come flooding to you. And it’s been a joy and a pleasure.”