On Wednesday, April 16, the track and field team honored their 24 seniors with roses and speeches during a senior night ceremony prior to their final league meet. The meet against El Camino and Woodside High School was another strong performance for the Panthers, ending the seniors’ season on a high note.

For junior Ellora Horan, who helped organize the celebration, the seniors’ contributions to the team extends far beyond their times on the track.

“Our seniors have been great role models and leaders for everyone all these four years,” Horan said. “There’s a lot of people on the track team, so sometimes, in place of a coach, the seniors help out with freshmen or underclassmen, just getting a sense of what’s going on.”

In addition to the rose, each senior received a candy lei before delivering speeches that thanked coaches and team members. Senior Sophia Calderon Mendez said the afternoon was bittersweet, as it was an end to her four year career in track and field, but also a chance to appreciate the team’s strong sense of community.

“I think that’s why we had such a huge show up for senior night, because everyone kind of felt that we showed them this attention throughout the season, and so now they take tonight and they show it to us back,” Calderon Mendez said.

For Horan, the event was a great way to conclude the Panthers’ regular season with this group of seniors, although it was the last time she would get to compete alongside the majority of them.

“It’s always great to be able to celebrate for the last time with those seniors, especially for those of us on relay teams, it’s our last time running with them,” Horan said.

During the meet, the underclassmen and rising seniors proved they are more than capable of picking up where the seniors left off and leading the team next year. Among the standout performances was freshman Elaina Newman’s victory in the women’s varsity 400 meter race, where she set a personal record of 62.51 seconds. Another standout was Stella Newman, who returned from an injury that sidelined her for the first half of the season and took home the women’s varsity 800-meter title.

Wednesday’s meet marked the end of a busy stretch for the Panthers, who competed against Oceana and Jefferson High School in a rescheduled meet that same week on Monday, April 14. According to Horan, the additional meets have helped the team prepare for advancements into post season events.

“We had a meet on Monday, so it’s been kind of a packed week, so it’s been busy that way. But just focusing on each thing at a time, getting time to warm up in between, is really what we’re focusing on,” Horan said.

Some athletes, including Calderon Mendez, have already qualified for the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Championships on May 10, with hopes of advancing to the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.

“I know we’re gonna regroup after this, meet with all the people who are gonna continue running into the postseason. And then train together and figure out who’s running what. There’s a lot of that prep going on, but I’m excited to see where my season ends,” Calderon Mendez said.