by WRIGLEY ZBYSZEWSKI
From record-breakers to a brand-new coach, the Chadwick track and field program has made great strides this season.
At the Prep League Finals at Burbank Burroughs High on Tuesday night, the team collected hardware and earned spots in the CIF Prelims at Del Norte High in San Diego on May 6. Senior distance phenom Josh Thomas placed first in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, and led the boys’ 4×400-meter relay team to victory with a sub-50-second third leg.
Senior Max Radmilovich took first in the high jump and 4×100 relay with junior Chad Sawyer, senior Kory Jackson and senior Micah Breaux; second in the long jump; and third in the 100. Breaux and freshman Malik Sims also qualified in the high jump.
The girls 4×100 relay also placed first, with first leg, sophomore Lauren Dickens (plus juniors Alana Reyes, Samantha Kellock and Maddie Elhaik), also taking second in the long jump and third in the 100.
Elhaik qualified with a second-place throw in the shotput, while Reyes and Breaux placed third. Senior Grace Mangali finished third in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Besides the talented upperclassmen and the usual string of freshmen and other newcomers, Coach Tate Curran is himself a recent addition to the Chadwick Athletics team. A California native and graduate of nearby Redondo Union High School, Curran headed into this season with enthusiasm and the drive to push his athletes to the next level.
“I really enjoy coaching the kids, and most of them have made monumental improvements this year in the field events,” he said. “It’s really rewarding as a coach to see your athletes succeed. It drives me to want to be better and work harder for the kids.”
Curran has been in the world of track and field since his childhood, with a soft spot for the pole vault. He was the 2017 Pan American Games champion in the pole vault, and finished second at the Pac-12 Championships while attending UCLA, with a vault of 17 feet, 6 inches.
“My father [Anthony] was the UCLA pole vault and jumps coach for the last 38 years,” Curran explained. “When I got to college, I really knew I wanted to be a coach.”
Curran’s passion for the sport, including multiple events, has also reached the student body this year. While most of track and field involves individual competition, the sense of community still shines through.
“I love that I am mostly competing independently, yet there is still a team aspect,” Elhaik said. “The community is incredibly supportive and welcoming.”
Earlier this season, Elhaik tied the school pole vault record of 11-6 that she had set earlier in her high school career. Elhaik is not the only high achiever on the team, however. Other standouts, including Reyes and Dickens, also broke records this season.
“Alana’s true talent is in the triple jump, so watch out for that record to be broken next!” Curran said.
Reyes set the new record for a long jump of 17-2 at a Prep League cluster meet, broken the next month by Dickens by only a quarter of an inch.
“It just came as a total surprise both times we broke the records,” Reyes said. “We didn’t realize it until we got on the bus. I had never really trained in the long jump, so I was completely caught off guard. “Last year, I had made it a goal to break the triple record, so doing it in a completely different event was truly unexpected.”
The group’s determination to push themselves to the next level seems to encapsulate the way Chadwick students strive to achieve their fullest potential, both on and off the field.
“Coach Sanoma [Evans] and Coach [Tyson] Sacco have created a great atmosphere for the kids to learn and succeed at a high level,” Curran said. “We are seeing the kids step up and start to excel in the program. Coach Sacco gave me a great opportunity to become a part of the Chadwick track family, and I just want to be able to make a positive impression on everyone to ensure the success of our athletes.”
As the season heads to the finish line, and seniors prepare to depart from Chadwick, the athletes haven’t stopped their rigorous preparation for CIF competition … with the considerable help of a committed coaching staff.
“It has been really great to have a coach who specializes in field events, and it allows for more choices during the practice of what to do,” Elhaik said. “I really love how you can make it as intense—or not intense—as you want.”
The athletes have been working tirelessly to prepare themselves for the more intense competition and higher stakes ahead.
Said Curran: “I just hope I am able to be a positive influence and help them understand and enjoy the sport of track and field while they are here at Chadwick.”
The Mainsheet 