On May 19, our Arcadia Track team competed in the CIF Southern Section Finals. With all the hard work put into their practices, this was their time to prove what they were made of.

One of the teams who rose above the rest was the Arcadia Girls 4x100m relay team, consisting of junior Jillian Taylor and seniors Caitlin Morris, Lauren Buehner, and Stephanie “Chip” Yen. The girls finished in 2nd place in Division One with the second fastest time in school history. Out of all four divisions across California, our Apaches placed 4th. As a result of their success, the team has advanced to play at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet. Way to go and good luck, Apaches!
Chip also competed in an individual event: the women’s long jump. She placed 1st, where she jumped her very own school record. She qualified for the Masters Meet later commenting, “I’m practicing a lot this week, because this is an intense couple of weeks with CIF and everything. I know that I’m just so close to being great, and I’m willing to go the extra mile to get there.” When asked on how she can compete at such a high level under so much pressure, she mentioned, “I just try to do my best, and I don’t care if I win, so it doesn’t put pressure on me.” Being able to block out pressure and perform well under it is an extremely difficult task, but for Chip it seems to be second nature. She also noted her own personal thoughts when competing, “I just think about making each step I take the best it can possibly be, and driving my knee to get the most bounce as I jump.” Finally, when discussing her goals, Chip stated, “I just want to make sure I’m always trying my best. It doesn’t matter how far I or my team, goes, as long as we’re having fun and giving it our all.”

At the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, Chip qualified for next week’s California State Track and Field Championships with a 18’3.25” jump. Great work, Chip! As for the girl’s 4x100m relay, the girls qualified by finishing in 4th place at the meet. Overall, congratulations to our fellow Apaches and good luck at the championships!

Photo by AUSD