As the last of the four runners cross the line, their teammates surround them, ecstatic having won the first-ever 4×800 run by Poway at the CIF state competition. This is the scene that track coach Ronnie Harris is hoping to see come May 24th at Buchanan High School in Clovis, CA. Until that date, Poway’s track team has two months to continue preparing their team.
The long-distance track is generally an individual sport, so it is a unique opportunity for a team to finally work together in a competitive environment. The event consists of 4 runners each running 800 meters, successively. The event has existed previously but has never been a CIF-certified event.
Track Coach Ronnie Harris has high hopes for his team, working hard to ensure his athletes have the best possible chance of winning at CIF.
“If we can get four guys under two minutes we are set, they’ve done fantastic, so far this year, we did great at Mt. Carmel,” Harris said.., It’s clear that this newly formed team has a clear shot at state.
However there are some challenges, health issues have plagued the boy’s team, and they were not able to participate in a recent meet at Arcadia High School, but optimism remains, as they placed 1st March second at Mount Carmel, and third at Rancho Bernardo on March 9th. “I’m excited about it, we have our strongest 800,” sophomore Cooper Castleberry said.
Castleberry has been chosen as one of the boy’s 4×800 runners this year. The boys 4×800 team consists of Castleberry, senior Larry Tovey, junior Kamran Shah, junior Jack Vranish, and senior Rory Kim as an alternate.
The roster of the girl’s team is not yet set in stone, but Senior Grace Judd is enjoying the team aspect of the event.“Everyone is close, every second faster is just like a tremendous accomplishment,” Judd said.
The team placed first at Arcadia High School on March 16th and second at Mount Carmel on March 2. They feel confident about the event and now it’s been added to the state, this team can shine. “I am excited, because last year was fun, but the event has more meaning now,” said Judd.
