First Track & Field Varsity Invitational of the Season

On the right track // Bringing their A-game for the first invitational of the season, the Coronado Cougar Track and Field team laced up their spikes and headed onto the track to start the season. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams received medals and even some placed new meet records, which made this season start off with a bang. (Photo Courtesy of Tyrel Cooper)

On February 28, at 8 am, Coronado's varsity track and field team competed in their first invitational of the season (27th Annual Heitkotter Invitational) at Faith Lutheran. With a fresh new season, there are new faces, familiar ones, and some new goals set in place for a great season.

“My main goal was to prove to myself that I deserve to be participating in the invitational,” freshman Ellie St. Pierre said. “Being one of the few people at the meet as a freshman felt unreal, so I wanted to show to myself that I deserved it. I obtained this goal by refusing to give up on myself and my teammates.”

Track and Field can be an individual sport with events like throwing and long-distance running, but this sport is also team-based, built on a foundation of practicing together, and building each other up so whenever someone wins, everyone wins for Coronado.

“The thing I’m most excited for this season is simply being a part of a team,” St. Pierre said. “Connection is just as important as competition to me. Everyone deserves to feel included, and I want to help them feel that way.”

For the first invitational of the season, there was a winning momentum for the Coronado Team. Many runners, both boys and girls, placed first, second, and third in various events, and there were two new records made that day: Sloan Caffey in shot put and Brooke-Lynn Miller in the 1600m. Big or small, personal growth in sports makes a huge impact on training, and in competitions.

“Since I’m a freshman, I didn’t have a track season before this, so I’ll compare it to the start of cross country instead,” St. Pierre said. “I did a lot better as I went from not being able to run a mile to being able to run a 6-minute mile which is a huge improvement and I can’t wait to get even better. I think there are definitely things I could’ve done better at, but I’m really excited for the rest of the season and being able to improve.”

As this season is just starting, Coronado will have an invitational on March 7th for the 2026 Dave Butler Memorial at 9 am, and on March 12 at 4:30 pm, will be the first home meet. Coronado Cougars, cheer on our Track and Field team and see them throughout the season getting better and stronger.