On Feb. 23, UHS Track and Field faced off against El Modena High School in their first meet of the season on a gloomy Thursday afternoon. Despite cold and rainy conditions, the Trojans still won many crucial events, such as both the men’s and women’s 4 x 400 relay, to ultimately win the meet. 

The inclement weather posed some challenges for the athletes, but many of the athletes remained unfazed, using strong mental fortitude to push through the adversities.

“It wasn’t that bad, just freezing before and after the race,” senior Captain Josh Malek said. “The wind was worse than the rain.”

The Trojans also had to overcome the absence of several key runners, forcing other athletes to step up in relay events. 

“We were missing one of our 4 x 4 runners due to sickness, and sophomore Jackson Young stepped up and ran the third leg, which led to us winning the race and the meet by a four-point margin,” Malek said.

With the meet being the first of the season, many athletes were able to finally see their hard work from the off-season come to fruition.

“My favorite part was seeing how well everyone was doing,” senior Aiden Luong said. “A lot of returners have gotten so much faster, and I definitely improved as well.”

Many athletes also participated for the very first time in their high school track and field careers. 

“Seeing the freshmen have their first races was also interesting,” Luong said. “They were getting adjusted to the events, but you can tell they definitely were enjoying it.” 

Overall, the team was ecstatic about their performance in this first meet and looks forward to carrying this momentum going forward. 

“We were stoked to sweep all levels of the meet on the boys’ and girls’ side, something UHS hasn’t accomplished in a long time,” Malek said. “We’re looking to carry this energy into our next meet at home versus Corona Del Mar.”

The Trojans did indeed carry this momentum into their next meet against Corona Del Mar and Rosary. On the boys’ varsity level, UHS scored victories against both schools, winning events such as 400 meters and the 4 x 400 relay race. 

UHS looks to continue its success at its league meet against Northwood and Beckman on Thursday, March 16.