With winter coming to a close, spring sports are beginning to start up once again. After being unable to compete last year due to COVID-19, Coral Gables Senior High’s track and field team has just begun their season with a match on Monday, March 8. The team has been working hard in the past months and is ready for the exciting season to come.

With the shutdown starting in March last school year, the 2020 track and field season was cut short; practices stopped at the same time schools closed down and the team was only able to attend three meets total. However, this year the team is making the most of their ability to compete, training hard–yet taking precautions to ensure a successful 2021 season.

The Gables runners have been able to remain optimistic and keep up the hard work in spite of the challenges COVID-19 poses in terms of maintaining a consistent schedule of meets and practices. So far, the team has had one tournament, which was supposed to take place Wednesday, March 10, but was postponed due to the pandemic. The match was planned to happen at the Traz Powell Stadium at the Miami Dade College North Campus. However, because vaccines are also being given at the campus, it was decided holding the game would be too complicated.

The team has been practicing for the last four months, starting in December, working every day of the week for an hour and a half. Of course, this has not been without changes. At practices, the team has stayed safe by maintaining as much distance as possible and wearing masks in the instances when team members are close together. Additionally, returning members have noted a lesser number of people on the team this year.

This season, the team is taking a more individual approach to improve; coaches are especially focusing on the needs of each runner and finding ways to help each runner progress on their own.

“I am really excited for the season to continue on especially since last year the season was cut short. In general, I am excited to see how I grow alongside my teammates and how we improve as a team in our upcoming meets,” sophomore Isabella Morales said.

The first track meet of the year was held this past Monday, March 8, on the Gables team’s home track. The Cavaliers did exceptionally well, competing against runners from Ransom Everglades School, Sports Leadership and Management Academy, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and Palmer Trinity School. Gables runners won various individual events, including the Men’s 200 meters, the Men’s 3200 meters, and the Women’s 400 meters. Overall, the small meet was a positive experience for the team, helping them ease their nerves before moving onto bigger competitions.

“It was good to start off the season and get a feel for it after a while of not competing. I competed in the mile and 800 meters and got my personal record for both,” sophomore Ariadna Torres said.

The Cavalier track and field team certainly has a fantastic season to come. While it is uncertain when their next meet will be, with all the hard work they have been putting in over the last months–even despite the changes and challenges caused by COVID-19–they are sure to see well-deserved success.