According to co-head coach Jiree Riding, Cottonwood track and field has picked up right where it left off from cross country season—improving. 

With each run, throw and jump, the Colts are getting better—particularly on their distance team. 

“At the Taylorsville Invitational on March 28, our distance team had a strong showing with 18 athletes hitting personal bests,” said Riding, who co-head coaches with Aaron Johnson. 

The biggest highlight of that meet? 

Senior Grant Adams improved his time in the mile race by 33 seconds, shaving it all the way down to 4:37 from five minutes and 10 seconds. 

It set a personal record for Adams, who finished 40th overall at the 4A Divisionals in cross country back in November and just backed that up with a 17th place at Taylorsville against some of the top schools in 4A, 5A and 6A. 

In the eyes of Riding though, that level of improvement is due in large part to a runner’s character.

“While that kind of jump can seem surprising, it’s a direct result of the consistency and hard work he’s put in,” said Riding, himself a former high school state champion. “We also had several girls on the team run big personal bests, which was great to see and speaks to the progress the group is making.” 

The girls setting records for themselves at Taylorsville included senior Aida Delaney in the 100 (15.90 seconds) and senior Sunny Evans (800, 2:57.55). In addition, sophomore Olivia Garrido set PBs in both the 200 (1:10.98) and the 1600 (6:41.77). 

Meanwhile, Olivia’s older sister Paulina ran the mile at the same meet and finished in 25th place, best among all Colts girls, in a time of 15 minutes and 52 seconds. And, freshman Eve Tapafua finished 37th in discus, throwing it 65 feet and nine inches. 

At the Timpanogos Alpha Invitational April 4, the Colts boys and girls track stars weren’t done. 

Senior Grant Adams led all Colts runners with a seventh place in the 800, running that in 1:58.73 at the foot of the Wasatch. Frosh Noah Anderson set a personal record as well at Timp, running his 100 race in 12.51, while senior Saul Borceguin set two PB’s, finishing the 1600 in 5:10.85 and the 3200 in 11:16.64. 

Another underclassman (sophomore Logan Fogg) finished his 200 in 24.05, a best for him, and his teammate Alexis Garcia, a senior, flew across the finish line grabbing a PB in 12.13 in the 100, and 25.09 in the 200. 

In all, the Cottonwood boys had dozens competing at the Alpha Invite. They got PBs from junior William Gardner and freshman Reece Hamel in the 3200 (13:07.87 and 11:59.20), Reece’s brother Turner in the 800 (2:10.60) along with frosh Dylan Merryweather (800, 2:24.50), and sophomore Paul Navaravong (long jump, 16’ 10.75”). 

On the girls side at Timpanogos April 4, Paulina Garrido shaved more time off her personal best, from 3:17 at Taylorsville to 3:07 in the 800, and then chopped off 12 seconds from her 1600 best at Taylorsville, from 7:05 to 6:53. 

Freshman Leila Grace Rascon also introduced herself to the track and field world, with a personal best at Timp in the 400 (1:06.19 and also ran the 100 and 200), while another frosh (Sabine Sartawi) got 10’ 0.75” in the long jump, her best yet. For two Colts that had only run intrasquad meets, they also showed they’re plenty capable—limits Riding stressed all of his athletes push since he arrived at Cottonwood back in late July.

“It’s a bigger meet and another opportunity for our athletes to compete, step outside their comfort zones and continue building confidence,” Riding said. “As a former runner, I really enjoy watching each athlete compete and seeing them push themselves to reach their potential.”