With the temperature rising, Sierra Vista students exchanged sweatpants for shorts, boots for spikes, and most importantly, kicked off the 2025-2026 track and field season. Track gives students a chance to try out a new sport. Track and field brings together athletes from all different sports, like football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. During Sierra Vista’s spring track and field season, athletes continually try to beat their previous records as they loudly cheer for each other from the sidelines.
Track intramurals began on November 10, 2025. The group learned the basics of track and focused on getting faster and stronger on the track and in the gym. Rahma Mboup (9), a newcomer to Sierra Vista´s track team, shares ¨I thought it was a good experience and it really prepared me for track season and got my body and mind in the right state.¨ From box jumps to strides, the team developed new skills every day, becoming dynamic and robust. With a supportive team and coaches, the squad felt ready for the upcoming season.
Head Coach and Campus Security Monitor, Ray’Shaun Gamble, who leads the athletes as head coach, always displays a positive attitude and amazing leadership. David Purcell, Assistant Coach and Campus Security Monitor, continues this pattern as assistant coach. Purcell consistently encourages the team as they sprint up and down the track and before meets. Gamble share ¨I feel great about the season so far, as we have directly broken quite a few school records this year. I love coaching youth due to the importance of a voice and to allow at-risk students to excel. The team culture consists of a gritty winning attitude, but always displays great sportsmanship no matter where we place in events.¨
After weeks of training, learning, development, and preparation, the newest members of the team started off their season with the ¨Newcomers Meet¨ held at Centennial High School on
February 26, 2026. Returning athletes, such as Jordyn Ramsey (12), describe the Newcomers Meet as the ¨calm before the storm¨. The competition gives newcomers a chance to test their abilities, gain experience, learn more about how the meets work, and have a fun experience before the true season begins. The meet resulted in multiple Sierra Vista victories and a great beginning to the season.
Continuing on with the team´s season, more and more successful weekday meets took place, which some consider stressful, while others find them fun and lighthearted. Kenadie Carter (10) states ¨week day meets are pretty nerve-racking. But often running with new people gets to my head sometimes. However, I just remember to do my best and stay positive throughout the whole meet for whatever events I do.¨ Continuing on, Sophia Aragon (11) states, ¨My thoughts in the meet were very nerve-racking. This is my first year doing track, and I´m a very competitive person. The process was to black out the nerves and always put on motivational music or videos to calm me down. The experience was amazing. I love the environment I’m around, and I just love running.¨
As the season progresses, certain athletes receive invitations for Saturday meets (invitationals) based on their event times. If their time qualifies, runners secure a spot to race against the very best competitors in Las Vegas. Leila Kamaile Kawamura (12) comments, ¨after being on the team for four years, I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with the process of invitational meets. I’ve always felt more nervous with the invitational meets because they’re more serious than any of the other ones. But now I have a routine and know that invitationals are when I need to get serious, but also they’ve always been the most rewarding.¨ Multiple members of the Sierra Vista track team qualified for these invitational meets and represented Sierra Vista High School, including Anyiah Ross (12), Chalen Mapes (10), and Kinsley Beck (11).
As their last moment of the season approached, the seniors of the team celebrated their senior night and last home meet on Tuesday, April 7, 2025. Seniors walked down the track with their family and friends, surrounded by gifts, and cheered on by Student Council and their fellow teammates.
As the Desert Region Championships occurred over the weekend of May 1-2, the boys team finished with an outstanding 2nd overall and the girls team a remarkable 3rd overall, an incredible achievement that reflects the hard work, discipline, and commitment of the student-athletes and coaching staff throughout the season.
The season continues to move strongly, and as finals quickly approach, the Vista community looks forward to seeing whatever else the team brings to the track.
