Irvington Track and Field held its senior night on Wednesday, April 8, during a relay meet at Washington High School’s TAK Stadium, joined by the Mission San Jose, American, John F. Kennedy, and Washington High School teams.
The meet included a variety of events beginning at 4 p.m. with 4×100 and 4×1600 meter relays, long jumps, and women’s pole vaulting, and ending near 7:30 p.m. with the men’s 4x400s. The events were held on the track, and the football field was kept open for warmups and water stations. Near the edge of the field, athletes gathered to take photos, cheer for their teammates, and prepare for their events.
Izaan Shah (11), who is in his third year in track, said it was fun seeing “the different types of batons that people use [for the relays]. Someone dressed up as Spider-Man and then put a bag over his head, then passed the bag to a different person, and that would go on like four times. I also saw someone use a mannequin head, and there were a lot of different wigs.”
Irvington performed exceptionally during the meet, with several members placing among the top three in their events. Deepika Chandrahasan (12) and Claire Wei (12) took the top two spots in the women’s open high jump, clearing a height of 1.42 and 1.37 meters, and Gabe Aruwah (11) placed second in the men’s with a height of 1.73 meters. Throwers Marquez Ologbosele (12) and Agustin Sedano (12) placed second and third, respectively, in the men’s open shot put with distances of 12.42 and 12.12 meters, and a relay group formed by Jacob Johnson (12), Aashish Rajakumar (12), Evan Ma (10), and Jayden Histed (10) placed first in the men’s open 4×800 relay with a time of 8:34.80.
Throughout the meet, multiple participants also broke their personal records. Olivia Lee (10), who ran the 100-meter dash, said she is proud of her new time. “Today I ran 15.13, so I’m almost breaking 15. I hope I can be faster and continue improving in the future. ”
As the sun began to set, underclassmen from all five schools began bringing out balloon arches and posters in preparation for senior night. Friends and family slowly streamed onto the field with bouquets, adding to the festivities. Names were called one by one, and the seniors walked across the field as friends and teammates cheered on the sidelines.
Four-year track athlete and senior Linna Sha (12) said she enjoyed participating in the 4×400-meter relay, and it was memorable “spending the senior night track meet with friends.” She said she “initially joined because I wanted something to put on my college applications, but I stayed because I found my passion, and I really actually enjoy track. ” Shah echoed this sentiment. “Track is all about making new memories and also getting in exercise while you’re at it. You get to do both at the same time, and I personally have made so many of my friends through track.”
Although the track and field season is coming to a close following a chain of strong performances, many members will continue track and field, competing in the MVAL and NCS championships throughout May.
