As Del Mar High School’s track and field team heads into league finals, athletes across events are lowering times, increasing distances, and utilizing a team environment built on support during meets and practices.
Several runners have already posted significant improvements in their times this season. Freshman Gael Hernandez dropped his 1600-meter time from 5:10 to 4:53 and improved his 800-meter time from 2:21 to 2:19.
“So far, it’s been really good,” Hernandez said. “My teammates and my coaches, they’re really nice.”
Junior Alexa Viveros also cut down her times in the long-distance events, lowering her two-mile time from 18:30 to 16:17 and her mile to around 7:15. She said the transition from cross country to track has pushed her to adjust.
“I think overall, it’s going pretty great,” Viveros said, noting that she approaches races seriously to reflect her fitness.
In the field events, senior Mason Tracy has increased his discus throw from about 20 feet to 55 feet and his shot put from 16 feet to 26 feet.
“It’s a lot of fun getting stronger and building up stamina,” Tracy said.
Athletes say those improvements come alongside a team culture that shows up most clearly during competitions. While practices are often divided by event groups, many said meets bring everyone together.
“The support we get from each other has been really nice,” Viveros said.
Junior Jordan Pyle described the team as “very supportive”, “everyone’s friends,” she says.
While Hernandez added that new athletes are welcomed quickly and included in team activities.
Not every athlete approaches the sport the same way. Sophomore Nu Robinson said she participates more casually and prefers field events over running.
“I like it, but [also] I don’t, because I don’t like to run,” Robinson said. Still, she said, high jump stands out: “I love high jump. Just going up to the bar and clearing it, I like all of it.”
Despite different goals, athletes shared similar challenges, especially with conditioning.
“I hate the warm-ups,” Robinson said, referring to the required laps and drills. Freshman Mikaela Hernandez and Tracy also pointed to stamina-building routines as one of the harder parts of the sport.
Balancing academics with daily practices is another key concern. Many athletes said they prioritize schoolwork before training.
Tracy described his routine clearly: “I do academics first, then the sport comes second.”
Others, like Hernandez, said they try to complete assignments early to leave time for workouts.
With league finals approaching, athletes are focused on continuing to improve their times and performances while maintaining the support system they have built throughout the season, all while balancing schoolwork alongside daily practices.
