Benjamin Hannani, staff writer
After yet another illustrious season, the varsity track team continues to shatter records en route to CIF finals. This season’s nine CIF qualifiers are two more than last season’s seven and both teams finished first in the Ocean League competition.
Overall, the runners were pleased with their performance at the CIF preliminary meet at Estancia High School on Saturday, May 11. Individual winners included seniors Sydney Segal, Alex Rohani and Chanan Batra.
“I think our team has performed really well at CIF prelims and really displayed heart and effort,” freshman Annabel Personeni said.
This postseason will feature the first class of senior runners that Jeffrey Fisher coached for all four years. The senior runners attributed their improvements to different factors, including more healthful diets, better focus and attention to “the little things.” Additionally, Rohani, who won the 400-meter and qualified for the 200-meter races, partially credited Fisher with his growth as a runner.
“I’ve noticed that I’ve become more focused and willing to obey Coach Fisher because he knows what is best for me,” Rohani said. “When I first started, I wouldn’t fully believe in myself or my training but since sophomore year I have, and I have improved because of it. As long as you trust your coaching and work your hardest and take care of your body you can become great.” OLIVER GALLOP
In addition to Fisher’s coaching, the team has also benefitted from a strong camaraderie. After hours-long workouts six times a week and team gatherings outside of practice, the squad has dubbed itself the “track fam.” Now with the postseason underway, the teammates’ dedication and bonds with one another have grown.
“The team has always been extremely close and the more time we spend together, the closer we get,” Segal said. “C’mon, we’re the ‘track fam.’ Only we know how hard we work every day and are always suffering during those hard workouts together.”
As the competition intensifies, the nature of practices change as well. Fisher goes to greater lengths to specifically prepare each runner for his or her event. However, in order to ensure that the runners have enough stamina, Fisher actually eases the physical intensity of the practices.
“Practices during CIF become a lot more ‘event specific,’” Batra said. “The times in practice get a little faster, but the workload is definitely less. Everyone is more focused and pumped for practice.”
The squad’s senior runners’ successes this season have served as fitting ends to their careers.
“I want nobody to forget Sydney Segal, that distance gal,” Segal said. “I want to be remembered as that team captain with the spunky personality that is hard to forget. I’m at nine school records [and] hoping for 11.”
Incidentally, Segal would reach her goal of shattering 11 school records at CIF Finals atMt.SaconMay18,when she set a new school record for the 1600m and 3200m races. According to bhhstrack.com, Segal now has the chance to make the state meet in two individual events, only done once in Beverly’s history by Randi Smith in the 1990s.
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