by Karli Stichter
The 2015 Tustin High School track and field season is now underway. This year the track team is introducing Coach Tom Giebe as their new head coach. Since 2013 the track and field team has struggled to create an organized, team oriented program. But this year will be different. Coach Giebe has the team under his reins and has many other cooperative coaches to help him along the way. Coach Giebe’s, “number one goal for the track team is to have fun and to learn how to compete. I want to see each athlete strive to reach their fullest potential, and to understand that to be successful, you must put forth the work and effort to reach those goals.” He believes that, “The more the students enjoy and are engaged in what they are doing, the more they are going to work and improve each day.” Coach Giebe, along with all the other track and field coaches, hopes the team places in league this year and desire to move athletes along to the CIF rounds of the season.
Track and field has been around for centuries and caters to the interests of various athletes. Football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country, and other athletes join together during the spring season to participate in their desired events. Track and field consists of races on the track such as the 100, 200, 400, and 800 meter sprints, and the one and two mile. There is also 100, 200, and 300 meter hurdles and the four by one and four by four relay races. Mychal Robinson, one of Tustin’s track stars, shared with me some of her favorite track experiences over her past three years at Tustin High School. “My first memory is when I ate crap for the first time hurdling my sophomore year. What people don’t understand about hurdling is that it’s totally normal to fall. I actually took a gnarly fall last week which caused a minor concussion and abrasions, but these mistakes will shape me into a better hurdler, let alone a better athlete.” Mychal plans to drop her times for the the 100 and 300 meter hurdle races, be part of the top ten in Orange County for the 100 meter hurdles, win league for the SECOND year in a row and go to CIF for the THIRD time since she started track her sophomore year. This season Mychal and other track and field athletes will be “running” toward success.
Track races bring excitement from the spectators. Although there is pressure, the athletes are constantly encouraged by the coaches, parents, students, and their fellow teammates. Through the cheering and yelling, Tustin High School’s track and field athletes take competition to the next level and do their best to represent our school.
As for field events, there is the long jump and triple jump, high jump, shot put and discus. Cara Chipman, the only female high-jumper this year says, “To me, high jump is about more than just getting over a bar. It’s about consistent improvement and getting higher than you have before. It means raising the bar just a little each time so that before you know it, you’re jumping heights taller than yourself.” This year Cara plans to reach her goal of 4’10ft and reach new heights each and every meet.
Thursday, March 5, Tustin held the first track meet of the season, the District Track Meet. Tustin competed with our rival schools, Foothill High School and Beckman High School. Although it was not an official meet, this was great practice for all the school’s athletes in preparing themselves for their challenging seasons. Track and field may be overlooked by many in the sense of its competitiveness and hard work, but Tustin High School’s track and field athletes train rain or shine to run the race, fly over the last hurdle, sprint the fastest, throw the farthest, jump the highest, and be the best they can be. Great job in the meet and good luck to all the track and field athletes and their season to come!