Rams track team faces big hurdles

The Maricopa High School track squad is wearing the rubber thin on both its shoes and the tires of the district’s school buses this season as it blazes the path to become the ultimate road warriors.

Due to construction on the school’s athletic fields, the Rams do not have the proper equipment or playing areas to host a track meet, which means they won’t run at home this season.

“We have a nice new track, but we lack an area for the discus and other events,” said boys track coach Rick Milot.

The lack of a home-track advantage is not the only hurdle the team must overcome this season. Star athlete Brittany Parks will be out for the season due to a knee injury she suffered playing on the girls basketball team earlier in the year.

Parks won the 3A state titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes last year, and she was the state champion in 2A in both events two years ago.

“Brittany is one of the three fastest girls in the state and it is going to be difficult not having her compete this year,” Milot said.

In addition to the loss of Parks, the boys side of the track team is only returning six athletes from last year.

Despite the obstacles, Milot and girls coach Stephanie Walkley said they are hopeful the team can improve as the year progresses and have some representation at the state meet.

Some of the hopefuls this year are junior David Angkham (discus), senior J.J. Pearson (300 hurdles, high jump), juniors Shayla Flores (sprints, 100 and 400 relays) and Opal Vaughn (hurdles, jumps).

In the three meets the team has competed in so far, Flores placed first once in the 200-meter dash and according to Milot, if Angkham can add 7 more feet to his discus throw, he will easily make it to state.

“We are expecting some big things out of our team this year,” he added.

File photo