Sprinting into the season with relentless optimism, the Diamond Bar High School track and field team starts their year off with hopes of competitive success.
The team began this season with new head coach Tony Crutchfield and a vastly different roster from last year.
Yet, despite these personal barriers, the coach and athletes remain hopeful for their upcoming competitions.
“We just had our first annual Purple vs Gold track meet […] and it went extremely well,” Crutchfield said via email. “Many athletes set new [personal records] with the weather conditions not being ideal.”
As a new coach to the school, Crutchfield has several goals for both himself and the team.
According to Crutchfield, he wants to build the program around foundations of trust and hard work—values that he claims are integral to a successful team.
“My first goal is to continue to develop great relationships with all of the DBHS admin/staff, coaching staff, athletes and parents,” Crutchfield said.
Furthermore, Crutchfield foresees challenges with integrating his coaching style into the current track & field program.
Considering that his new program is completely new to the school, the team has adapted well so far to the changes.
“I put my athletes on a eight week cycle with certain percentages, and some have had challenges adapting to the new program,” Crutchfield said. “However, we are getting better by the day, and soon everyone will conquer this challenge and perform when the time really counts.”
Athletes are also setting their own targets for this season. With the work of Crutchfield and the team, the athletes remain optimistic about meeting these high objectives.
“The season has yet to start, but each practice the team has been improving and bonding while we practice,” senior Nathan Daniels said. “Some personal goals I have for myself is to beat Walnut and get a personal record every time I race.”
The team’s next competition will be on April 11 at the Covina District Field against South Hills.