Runners, take your marks. Set! The shrill ringing of the gun fires into a warm, dry Arizona atmosphere, the smell of sulfur lingering behind. The first heat, muscular and determined, race down a stretch of 100 meters of orange rubber. For a mere 12 seconds, they are free. With the slightest misalignment of posture, a turn of a head, or a lack of strides, the whole race could be lost.

Mid-February has sprinted around the corner of the new year, and so have the young men and women of the 2016 season of track and field. In the captain’s helm of the boy’s sprints stands Louis Nightingale, a man who has been the boy’s head coach, along with teaching comprehensive health, varsity football, and wrestling, since 2009. Guiding the girls is Coach John Lowery, who has been at Perry since 2007.

“Expectations are pretty high this season,” said Coach Lowery. “As for goals, I’d like to see at least 10 girls go to state, and I think we’re gonna break some state records this season.”

Entering the 2016 season for track and field, a number of returning athletes will be present on the track, but just as equal of a number of students have dropped out or have graduated. The last two years on the men’s team have yielded the losses of many great athletes, most notably Terren Blanchard in 2014 who ran an impressive 100m dash time of 10.94 seconds, and Brandon Rule in 2015 who currently sets the record for best long jump at 20’ 2.50”. However, this year, two time record-holder and senior Cade Burks for the 1600 and 3200m races, will be returning to the track.

Junior Alec Iler, a member of the men’s track team who plans on sprinting this year, commented that he is, “very excited to compete against other schools this year. The goal as a team is to do as best as we can and win as many duels as possible.”

On the girl’s side, many athletes will also be returning to the track. There are no current school record holders on the team, the last ones being set in 2013 in long jump and triple jump. However, one athlete on the girl’s team plans to change that.

“My goals for this season are to break several school records, including the 100 and 200 meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay race,” junior Alyssia Gonzalez says. Gonzalez’ ambition has not gone unnoticed, with Coach Lowery adding that she has been, “the team’s most valuable runner in her freshman and sophomore year.”

Whether if all it takes is a mere 12 seconds on the track or if gracefully flying through the air 20 feet makes or breaks success, an athlete’s job is to put in the most work, most determination, and most effort as possible. When this gun fires, pointed upwards toward the clouds on Mar 2 at Gilbert High School, the boys and girls of Track and Field will be lined up on that orange rubber, free from anything else but speed, grit, and glory.