Track and Field ‘Sets the Pace’ With First Meet of the Season

Kayley Winata and Kelly Yeh | 82 Views

Varsity distance athletes, sophomore Ahana Bhat and junior Karlyna Chokry high-five after Bhat ran the varsity 1600-meter run. “Pushing your teammates to do better, carrying each other throughout the workouts and staying together during the long runs is just what pushes us forward as a team and as individuals,” Bhat said.

Track and field hit the ground running after winning its season opener dual meet against Villa Park High on Feb. 24. Their first league meet will be against Woodbridge High on March 19.

During the meet, 7 Bulldogs won first place in their respective varsity events. Standout athletes include high jumper, hurdler, team captain and senior Tiffany Chu, who was just 2 inches away from the school record during the season opener, as well as hurdlers seniors Andrew Magpayo, Jonathan Chen and Taylor Nguyen and sophomore Isabella Lee.

“We’re really excited about this meet,” Track and Field head coach Cale Kavanaugh said. “We get to shake the rust off for all of our experienced people. For all of our new people, they’re a little bit terrified because it’s their first meet. They don’t know what to expect, but they’re learning by doing. We tell them to be track sponges and just soak it all in today.”

Despite the meet being a strong season opener, the Bulldogs are actively challenging school records and top-10 school performances, establishing great momentum for league invitationals to come and learning as they go from coaches and peers.

Bhat said her coaches give her “a rundown of what I’ve done good, what I could do better and what to expect for the next race. During practices, there’s constant advice on how you should be running and curating workouts that would push you to be a better athlete, but also won’t burn you out to the point that you’re prone to getting injured.”

The team hopes to qualify for CIF this season, and Chu said that she hopes to break the school record. Besides these goals, the team members enjoy the community that the sport offers.

“One of the big parts I enjoy about track is cheering on our teammates,” Chu said. “Especially at the end of the meet, when we’re all gathered around the grass and cheering on the last few events as our teammates run by. It’s a really communal experience, and then having the last team meeting in the dark all huddled up together, I think it’s just really nice seeing us all bond and connect.”

The team hopes to retain its three-year title as Pacific Coast League champions on the girls’ side and send more athletes to the CIF state championship, according to Kavanaugh.

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About the Contributors

Kayley Winata, Media Director

Kayley Winata is the Media Director for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. In the newsroom, you can find her sipping her matcha latte or plotting her next cafe adventure with Nina. When she’s not rotting on Pinterest or procrastinating on deadlines, she’s probably struggling to keep up with the reels Zoha has sent her, crunching on Costco green grapes, or fulfilling her dream of becoming her own personal barista. She’s bittersweet about her last year on Pilot, but she can’t wait for what this year will bring!

Kelly Yeh, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Kelly Yeh is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. Outside the newsroom, Kelly can be found perfecting her daily matcha latte, cafe hopping, splurging on concerts, binging TV shows or harassing her dog, Teddy. She is excited to make the most of her senior year and cherish every last moment with Pilot.