Seniors Embrace Their Final Track Season

Photo from Jessica Nomura | The seniors of the track team celebrate as their final season comes to an end.

As the season came to an end for the John F. Kennedy High School Track and Field team, the seniors of the team reminisced about their time in the sport and reflected how their values and goals changed as neared the end of their time on the team. This year, seniors aimed to enjoy every last moment of their last season, while also leaving an impact on the team.

Hardik Arichwal (12) said the team was ending the season on a high note, with multiple members advancing to the North Coast Section (NCS) championships.

“It was a good season, and we are going on to NCS,” remarked Arichwal. “It was really fun being able to run with my friends one last time.”

Along with making NCS, other sections from the JFK track and field team also ranked highly in the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL), which was a satisfying way to close off their high school careers for many of the seniors.

“This season, we wanted to become MVAL champs in the 4x800, so we worked really hard for that, and we did it, and we are really proud of our team,” explained Narain Jay (12).

However, the team’s success did not come without challenges, challenges which the team had to navigate together. In the end, though, such obstacles aided in strengthening the bond between the team, bringing them closer together.

“We switched coaches and lost a lot of members on our team the last couple years because they were seniors, but nevertheless it’s been fun because it’s always just fun to run,” commented Jay.

Each senior reflected on how their perspective about their sport changed over the years. Many of them described how their previous years were heavily focused on just improving and competing. However, that changed this season, as their approaching graduations shifted their views.

“This year, I decided to have fun, because all the past years I’ve been in track, I took it

really seriously. So, this year, I wanted to actually enjoy the sport instead of putting too much pressure on myself,” remarked Josefina Hernandez Paredes (12).

Paredes also stated how she strived to create a welcoming environment for all team members and how it was fulfilling for her.

“I tried being there for them and talking them through the sport. I helped them with their nervousness, I was always rooting for them and telling them everything was going to be fine,” said Paredes.

Jessica Nomura (12), another captain, echoes a similar sentiment, “"I approached the season a bit differently as a senior because I wanted to take on a much larger leadership role, and not only because of the circumstances of our team... I also wanted to focus on bonding with the team to make the season fun for everyone and my last memorable.”

Nomura recalled team bondings after practices or meets, getting ice cream, boba and going to BJ's and fighting over giant pizookies. Nomura also PR'ed in long jump and triple jump at the last meet, qualifying her for NCS for a second time.

While their high school careers are coming to an end, the seniors still look forward to seeing where the team goes in the coming years.