This season, Sahuaro’s track and field team is working to live up to a simple message from Coach Lucius Miller and Coach Christina Peña: “Make it happen, shock everyone.”
The Cougars have a mix of key athletes across events—sprinters, distance runners, jumpers, throwers—and some younger athletes who could be the future of the team. Coach Miller and Coach Peña shared their expectations for this year and the identity they want this team to build.
Coach Miller said his main goal isn’t just winning meets, “it’s about trying and putting the effort.” He believes preseason is really important because it shows who’s serious. One of the athletes that surprised Coach Miller is Cynthia Lane—”she looks promising, she’s been coming to preseason,” he said.
He also spoke about how this track season group is slightly different because they would often skip practice. “This group of athletes is a little different than what I’ve had in the past, but they’re going to work hard, they’re going to try hard.”
Coach Christina Peña said, “My goal is to prove to them that they can do it—to learn to run through that pain and to believe in themselves. Preseason, I believe, is very important. When they come out here, I expect the seniors and sometimes juniors to step up and set the standard for everyone else.”
One of the athletes, Cynthia Lane, when she was asked what she does to calm herself down before she competes, said, “Since I’m a Christian, I pray to my Lord and Savior.” During a hard race, she tells herself to keep trying and keep pushing, even when it hurts. For a lot of the athletes, track is about more than just running.
Another track member, Basma Salih, told me she prepared for this season by going to the gym and doing workouts because she has liked running ever since she was a kid. She tries to finish her schoolwork during the day so that when she goes home, she can relax before coming back to the track.
When I asked what track means to her, Ishimwe Elizabeth said it’s not just about running laps. For her, it’s about getting out of that negative mindset and telling herself, “I can do it,” while trying new sprints and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. She remembered a practice last week when she thought she was doing fine, even though she was dealing with an injury. She went into the blocks, everyone took off—and she fell.
For events, Kareem Ahmad said the 100-meter dash is a favorite because it’s short and fast. He also talked about a time in practice when Coach Miller wasn’t there. “Coach Lu wasn’t here, so we didn’t really do anything,” he said. “It was just fun because it was a short practice.”
Madison Antonucci told me she first tried track in sixth grade because her friends wanted her to, and she’s stayed because of the people and the progress she’s seen in herself. She also said that even with the tough workouts, the best part of track is being with everyone on the team and getting faster together.
Overall, this team is still growing into its potential, but with coaches pushing them to “make it happen” and athletes like Cynthia and her teammates learning to trust themselves, Sahuaro’s track and field season looks promising. 
