KEZI 9 Sports Senior Series: Junction City Track & Field

Despite losing out on their 2020 season, the Junction City Track & Field senior class will look back fondly on their memories together on and off the track.

Just in those moments of joy.

What bonds us as people is also decided in times of crisis...a cold and wet practice or overcoming personal adversity...that defines character and empathy above all else.

For junction city track & field...it's been a bit of everything and that is what makes this senior group who they are.

And why the bonds forged on and off the track have helped them navigate this together.

They have such a wide range of humor and intelligence that they constantly are coming up with something that makes the whole team laugh and lightens the mood even when things turn serious.

A lot of the junction city track team has known each other for awhile, but there was one season where things started to change.

We all really started to bond and figure out that we were bigger friends outside the track team but then we all kind of came together sophomore year.

Middle of sophomore track season.

It was a big turning point for our program.

I think that level of intensity changed.

We became serious, we had a couple kids that really participated and placed at the state meet.

So it was kind of that unity of we have the chance to go and do something with this program with this class and we could leave a legacy.

But even through the laughs, there were tough times, ones these tigers realized when they needed each other, they had helping hands.

After i tore my menisucus, i was feeling very down.

I wasn't really excited to do anything.

These guys really helped me.

We still hung out even though i was on crutches.

So with this group, they really helped me recover and get back and excited for the season.

Last year i was going through a moment of depression and having a really hard time.

And they showed up at my house and say hey let's go do something, get your mind of it.

And it definitely helped out and i realized in that moment that they were family.

The memories that stick are about those moments, and some other light hearted ones between events on the track.

Connor was doing random spin kicks and totally slipped on the grass and totalyl ate and biffed it, it was so funny.

Sounded like he said everybody saw it, there were only 3 or 4 people that saw it, okay?

There were quite a bit of people.

There was like 10 people.

And of course, can't forget about the toledo twilight.

The last race is where coaches can participate in the relay.

Our girls 4x1 is pretty solid so they decided we'd run the 4x1 against the male coaches.

And you're sprinting against your coaches and that's what you'll always think of.

And we're kind of losing at first and right when it got to me and brougher, i caught up.

They cheated a little bit and it's always hilarious.

And there's this picture of brougher and nikaiah and they both have the biggest grins on their face.

I think i ran a better 100 pr than i would have ever ran because of the amount of adrenaline i have.

Just those memories.

And that's what i'm gonna think of when i think of this team.

All those memories, from brutally cold rainy practices to long bus rides, has built bonds that will outlast what has happened this last month or two.

It means a lot, i know i'm still gonna hang out with the guys afterward.

Not every day like we would with track but i can still call them and hang out.

Everyone's just so supportive of one another.

Different to other sports you can watch each other's events and so everyone's just always cheering each other on and are so supportive and cheering ech other on in practice and stuff.

And that one word we always hear: family means a lot to this junction city group.

As soon as i got to junction city, they made sure everyone knew this was a team, this was a family.

You're not running alone even if you are the only person in your race and that's made a huge impact on me.

We're a family.

And we just like being together and we just happen to use the excuse of track & field as an opportunity to make that happen.

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