In previous years, our track and field team placed second at the District meets.

This is why they were motivated more than ever to get as many points as possible during the season.

“Every point counts  because at a meet you may be really close with another team and if you decided to get fourth instead of going the extra mile and trying to get third, those little things like that can really mess [us] up but a lot of the time you lose by maybe one point,”said Haley Polk.

The track and field team’s motto this year was “Unfinished Business.”

“Unfinished business means although we’ve done really well in the past, we still have a lot more out there that we want to do,”said Coach Kent Laster.

In order to complete their unfinished business, the Coyotes have to defeat their top competitors.

“Our toughest competition is in South Dallas. Lancaster, DeSoto, all of the DISD schools are very tough competition. They are super fast, they jump very far, they jump really high. They’re hard to compete against but it’s also really great to get that exposure,”said Polk.

A team is nothing without a coach. The coaches have influenced the athletes in many ways.

Polk said Coach Gaines has made a huge impact on her.

“She has definitely depicted and changed my form so much I already feel like a new runner,”she said.

The coaches have also made impacts on the athlete’s diet.

“Last year I was very very lenient on my diet and I like ate Cane’s and Chick-Fil-A like all the time. But this year I’m trying to cut back because the food really does affect you on the track. I try to stay away from soda because soda makes you slow. Coach Gaines says soda is the devil’s nectar so if you get caught drinking soda that’s bad,” said Polk.

With all the practice, training and nutrition, the track and field team has become a tight pack.

“We pride ourselves in being a family. We get to know each other, all the kids get to talk and really learn something about each other,” said Coach Laster.

Although track and field is sometimes seen as an individual sport, in reality it’s all about teamwork.

“Track and field is a team sport and you have individual events within the team sport. You have individual medals, but in the end you want to get the team trophy,”said Coach Laster.

Although the track and field team placed second again at Districts, they are still working hard to meet their team goals.