As sophomore Ben Pickett stood on the line for the 3200-meter run on April 10 at the Pikesville Invitational, he took a look around at the other top distance runners in the state and knew he was in for the race of his life. Two miles later, Pickett sprinted across the finish line in fifth place with a final time of 9:44.9, a new school record.
The Pickett family is no stranger to record-setting. Josh Pickett, class of ’07, formerly held the 3200-meter record of 9:55, until the younger Pickett shattered his mark with his finish at Pikesville.
Pickett credits his success to his training, eating well, stretching before each meet, and doing the best he can. To keep his motivation high during his hard practices, Pickett looks to the rest of his team. Keeping positive, Pickett said, “If they can do it, I can, too.”
Pickett wasn’t the only one setting records this season. On April 17 at the Knights Invitational at North County High School, freshman Derek Alban, Pickett, and seniors Chris Kunkel and Ian Richardson ran 8:41.9 in the 4×800-meter relay, beating the old record of 8:53 held by Richardson, Brad Viers, class of ‘09, Chris Wilson, class of ‘07, and Joe Bucha, class of ’08, in 2007.
On April 21, the 4×800-meter relay record was broken again in a meet against St. Mary, Beth Tfiloh, and St. Frances, this time by a team of Alban, Kunkel, Richardson, and senior Daniel Gallen. This team shaved .3 seconds off the time, running 8:41.6.
Richardson, who set the record both in 2007 and 2010 and also set the school record in the open 800-meter run in 2009, understands that JC has a reputation to uphold in the 4×800-meter relay. “We will crush any team that tries to oppose us with nothing but our fiery souls and the will to run faster than anyone else,” Richardson said.
In the 4×800-meter relay, it’s not just about the individuals, but about the teamwork that is put into action. “We go out there for each other, and each win is not an individual, but a collective achievement,” Richardson said.
Sophomore Heather Kirwan initially experimented with sprinting 100-meter and 200-meter races, but once she tried pole vault “for the heck of it,” she found her new love. Now, Kirwan is achieving success in pole vaulting, holding a record of seven feet, six inches. “My new goal is 8 feet and during practice my goals are to work on getting faster and [improving] form,” Kirwan said. Kirwan will continue to challenge herself, “literally to new heights,” because of her passion and love for the sport.
Freshman Kiana Wright has burst onto the scene in 2010, setting the record in the 400-meter dash, running 59.9. “Before a race, it’s pretty much the worst part of my day. I am incredibly tense and nervous and I can’t function. After the race is a whole different story,” Wright said. “For this year I just hope to get up to 58, maybe 57. Breaking 60 seems to be something that’s hard for me to maintain,” Wright said.
As for the rest of the season, the teams’ attitude is staying confident, thanks to the records. “The outlook for the end of the season is hopefully the girls will get in the top three in the championship. The guys will do very well; we have a talented team throughout,” coach Robert Torres said.
Julia Earnshaw can be reached for comment at [email protected].