The Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field teams are in the middle of a busy season, competing in meets and building momentum each week. Recent competitions have highlighted the teams’ versatility, with athletes contributing across sprints, distance events, and field events. As the season continues, both teams are focused on improving and preparing for the championship stretch.
The Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field is coached by Randy Kapushion. Kapushion noted that they have had a very successful season so far. “Athletes are consistently achieving PRs (personal records) during every meet. We have several athletes and relay teams that have recorded performances that currently place within the top eighteen in the state.” The boys’ team won the invitational Meet and the girls’ placed second. As of now the teams have been preparing for the final push which includes mitigating injuries, focusing training and setting athletes up to reach their full potential, Kapushion explained. “I would not be surprised if we qualify as many as eighteen or more of our athletes for the State Meet,” included Kapushion.
Kapushion stated that qualifying to compete at State is different from most other sports. “Instead of winning a particular game/match/etc., or a certain number of games/matches to advance to State competition, track and field is a season-long quest for individual athletes and relay teams to attain a time, distance, or height that will end up in the top eighteen of all athletes/relay teams in the 3A division of the entire state.” Kapushion then explained that at the end of the regular track and field season, the top eighteen in each event, for both girls’ and boys’, will qualify to compete in the three day State Championship Meet. When it comes to preparation, Kapushion explained that it is a season-long quest to continually improve personal performances (PRs-personal records). “Heading into the last few weeks of the season, coaches and athletes pay particular attention to the times/distances/heights that are being achieved state-wide,” outlined Kapushion. They then strategize and prioritize more when it comes to deciding which events athletes should focus on and who will run in what relays, said Kapushion.
For track athletes, the season is very packed, Kapushion noted. Some of the biggest challenges athletes face include managing injuries associated with overuse (such as shin splints, hamstring strains, and some stress fractures) and maintaining mental focus and consistency through challenging workouts, personal successes and disappointments, changing weather conditions and the pressures of competition.
Kapushion said that a typical high school track and field meet is a long, chaotic eight to twelve hour test of endurance, patience, mental focus and physical exertion. It’s a mix of high-pressure running and sprinting, technical field jumps and throws, mental physical endurance, and long sporadic periods of down time, Kapushion stated. The day begins with loading onto a bus early in the morning and traveling two to three hours, arriving and setting up our team camp, competing in the meet (six to eight hours), packing up, and then traveling back home.
Kapushion then went on to say athletes participate in one to four events per meet. Unlike most sports, there is no start and end for every athlete. Every athlete must manage their own time and energy. Some will compete early, others later in the day, others several times during the day; there are times athletes will look as if they are on a picnic, lying around, reading or listening to music, socializing, snacking and cheering on teammates; there are warm up periods when athletes must prepare mentally and physically to compete. This is followed by an intense adrenaline rush and the physical exertion of the event itself. After the event concludes, the athlete must physically, mentally and emotionally cool down. Then they must repeat the cycle all over in preparation of another event—downtime, warmup, compete, cool down.
Most Track and Field meets begin in the morning and follow the same event schedule. There are exceptions; for example, the Pueblo Twilight will begin in the afternoon and will highlight the 1600 meter run by placing it as the final event in the evening under the lights. They promote it as “sprints in the afternoon, distance events in the evening.
As the season unfolds, Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field continues to showcase a blend of speed, strength, and endurance across a wide range of events. From explosive sprints to grueling distance races and technical field events, the sport demands versatility and constant improvement from its athletes. With each meet, the teams build experience and confidence, shaping a season defined by growth, competition, and resilience.
