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Penelope Hermosillo-Elrod Track + Field Master

MacKenzie Comfort, Editor

April 9, 2026

Penelope Hermosillo-Elrod is a junior student-athlete at Sahuaro High School. She started running track in her freshman year, deciding to join after playing soccer with her friends, because she wanted to maintain her shape.

However, she ended up falling in love with the sport and is now competing in the 800, 1600, and 3200-meter events. Penelope’s favorite event is the 800, she says, “as torturous as it is…I think finishing it well helps me in so many ways. It truly is all mental- pushing through the pain and strain, knowing I did my best, reminds me I can truly do anything.”

Penelope recalls her biggest accomplishment was during last year’s season. At NightHawk Invitational, she ran three events and PR’d in all of them! Her main events, the 800 is currently at 2;56 and her 1600 is sitting at 6:44.

Being a student-athlete takes a lot of physical and mental strength for any teenager. Penelope says that this year she has been so grateful for Sahuaro’s study hall opportunities during lunch, and that she was able to take the classes she truly cares about to help her.

About the Contributor

MacKenzie Comfort, Editor

MacKenzie Comfort is a junior at Sahuaro High School, and this is her first year in The Paper Cut and first year as an Editor. MacKenzie isn’t involved in any extra clubs, but she is excited to join the newspaper because she’s an extrovert who loves meeting people and engaging in gossip. She plays Volleyball here at Sahuaro and enjoys being at the net alongside her teammates. Movies and books are Mackenzie’s favorite media to pass the time; she loves Marvel, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. She considers herself a homebody and much prefers to stay home and watch movies, rather than going out with friends. She lives with only her mom but makes time to visit her siblings, considering them her greatest quality in life.

MacKenzie enjoys taking monthly trips to Los Angeles with her mother. They often visit Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. She frequently photographs her trips to share with friends and family on social media. MacKenzie’s favorite thing about her trips is the number of people she meets, including stunt actors, who have inspired her to explore that line of work. Although school is not MacKenzie’s favorite thing, she appreciates getting out of the house and is ready to quickly close this chapter and begin a new one in California. She intends on moving to Los Angeles , California, sometime after graduation, where she will take a gap year to save up money. With the money, she plans to attend a community college where she’ll major in Sports Medicine, and then she’ll see where the wind takes her!