Track and Field is often a forgotten sport, due to the timing of it. It’s in the spring, and everyone has just about checked out of school by then. But the team works hard, traveling far to participate in events, and spending hours in the sun waiting for their moment to shine.

Not many people ever go to the track meets, except for scouts, coaches, parents, or players.

Conrad Carrigan ’18, said, “Many people do not attend the meets, because the marketing around campus is not good for it. The meets are extremely long with a lot of sitting and waiting; students don’t understand the

sport, and there are no rivalries.” Coach Benny Willers ’08 said, “It’s undertandable. It has never been a popular sport. It’s painful and boring. It doesn’t make me mad. I only care about my athletes and them loving the sport, and reaching their potential.” Riordan Track and Field has been pretty good the last couple years, and is looking to improve this year. Two years ago, Jason Smith was awarded several scholarships for his impressive leaping ability and he is now at Long Beach State, furthering his track career.

Similar to Smith, Carrigan competes in the long jump and also runs the 4×4. He is also trying to earn himself a scholarship and continue his athletic and academic career. He said, “We will have a bunch of athletes going to state this year.”

Track is an individual sport, just as much as it is a team sport. The state meet is one of the best experiences to get exposure, so this is important for the program.

Trevor Paulbitski ’18 runs the 800, the mile, the 2 mile, and said, “This year, we have attempted to improve the distance team’s culture. We focus on mileage and being consistent.”

The team has competed well so far in dual meets, and looks to do well for the WCAL trials and finals. How well the team does in these events determines who goes to CCS and state.

Making it far is extremely competitive, and the team is doing their best to prepare. The top two from the WCAL finals makes it to CCS, and after that, the top three from CCS qualifies for the state meet.

Support is everything, and just showing up to cheer on the track and field team can go a long way. Stay tuned as the track and field team plans to make a run for the upcoming CCS finals.

Click here for Varsity Track and Field’s website