A+ Charter Schools medals in track and field during inaugural season

A+ Charter Schools opened their doors as a brand-new school in the 2021-2022 school year. While COVID-19 hindered the school’s ability to offer many of the sports they anticipated offering, the Archers finished strong in their inaugural season of Track and Field.

The A+ Archers participated in the Canyon Athletic Association’s Track and Field State Championships on May 8th for both junior high and high school athletes. Athletes participated in nearly every event and finished the day with many Archers placing in the Top10, Top3, and even one State Champion.

Coach Steve Campbell believes Track and Field is for anyone who wants to work hard. He stated, “My main goal in starting this program was to make it fun and get these kids to push themselves beyond what they think they’re capable of. The fact we were able to send 24 kids to State and come home with some medals is incredible. We’re a brand new school and essentially a team of Freshmen. I think it’s really going to be fun to watch these kids compete when they’re Seniors.”

Top performers were Leilani Guiterrez (7th grade) who placed 3rd in the 800 meters and 3rd in the 1600 meters events; Brayden Kunkel (8th grade) who placed 2nd in the shot put event; Elijah Tanon (9th grade) who placed 3rd in the 3200 meters event , and Nia Lewis (9th grade) who placed 3rd in shot put, 3rd in the 100 meters hurdles, 2nd in the triple jump, and 1st in the long jump events.

Rachele Reese, Principal, went on to say, “It is exciting to watch the hard work of our athletes pay off in their first year competing in our school’s program. Having this level of success says a lot about the dedication of our student-athletes and their coach. We can’t wait to see the continued success as the program grows!”

A+ Charter Schools serves students in grades 7-10 for the 2020-2021 school year and is adding grade 11 for the 2021-2022 school year. Visit www.aplusaz.org to learn more about the school.