As the school year sees the closing of its chapter, so does Oakmont’s spring sports. One notable sports team with an established and especially successful team and season is OHS’ track and field.
Devyn Chambers (10th grade), John Carlson (11th grade), and Lily Harline (12th grade), qualified for the next section of track and field competitions, “Masters”, due to their outstanding performances in their specialized events.
Ryan Nugent, is the long distance coach for the runners of track and field and has been able to observe the milestones set forth by the athletes of this season.
“[Devyn, John, and Lily] are our three most elite athletes this year,” Nugent said. “All three of them have improved over last year. They’re very competitive athletes [at] every meet we’ve gone to. They’re hardworking and they have become not just good at their events, but elite at their events throughout California.”
In serious levels of competition, dedication is necessary to be applied to one’s performance to yield the most successful results. Many qualities, when exhibited, can identify an athlete as having potential for the largest prospect of success.
“There is a level of natural talent that helps, for sure, but all three of them are hard working, all three of them are coach-able, and so they will take advice, and they will apply it when they compete,” Nugent said.
Ultimately, the persistence and diligence of an all-star athlete qualifies them for the growth and accomplishment invoked, and is an integral element of competitive sports.
“But, it’s their hard work and practice,” Nugent said. “Then this fearlessness that comes out during competition ‘cause you can have a ton of talent and a ton of ability and work really hard, but some athletes disappear in the biggest moments, and the three of them show up, and still stay at a high level even when the pressure increases.”
Chambers, who has found great success in all her events, has discovered a strong specialty in the jumping events, long jump and triple jump, and her growth as an athlete has been apparent.
“I am [proud of my accomplishments],” Chambers said. “I like the fact that I came, that I got better as the year went on, especially in long jump and triple jump.”
Despite recently beginning to compete in the triple jump partially through this year’s season, Chambers not only made leaps and bounds in her personal records and succeeded in terms of competition at meets, but obliterated the school’s previous records for the triple jump, all while being a rookie to the event.
“I was super excited about [breaking the record] ‘cause that was one of my goals was to beat a record, and to beat it in triple, especially since I just started triple like half way through this year,” Chambers said. “So that was especially cool.”
The successes of the seasons have steered Chambers on her way to competition with the top athletes in our areas, and if her impeccable performance continues, she could have the chance to compete for a state title.
“Right now, I have masters this coming Friday and Saturday I got in for both long and triple,” Chambers said. “So then after that if I make it in the top three I go to state.”
Congratulations to all track and field athletes for the progression fulfilled and good luck, but don’t break a leg, to the advancing athletes at their upcoming competition!
