The YES Prep Fifth Ward Titans competed in their first track meet of the year on March 9 at the Madison 35th Annual Relays hosted at Butler Stadium. Both middle school and high school student-athletes competed at the meet. The varsity women’s team scored 5 points total, and the middle school men’s and women’s teams came away with 2 points and 4 points, respectively.

High school track coach Kenneth Stice praised the team’s work and looked forward to more opportunities to grow.

“We are a growing team that continues to improve,” Stice said.

Senior Julia Delano stood out at the meet, scoring four out of the five points YES Prep Fifth Ward earned for the women’s varsity team. She finished fifth in the women’s varsity long jump finals, scoring 11 feet 6.50 inches. Delano also placed in two track events, coming in sixth in the women’s varsity 400-meter finals with a time of 1:15.15, and sixth in the women’s varsity 100-meter finals with a time of 15.55 seconds.

Delano said she was excited about her performance and that she could be a leader for the team.

“Seeing my team cheering me on when I got first in my heat for the 100-meter, it felt really good,” Delano said. “I wasn’t too excited about getting up in the morning, but once I saw the middle schoolers asking me questions, I felt like I could be an inspiration to them.”

Stice also praised Delano’s work and perseverance.

“She exhibits strong dedication and motivation to improve,” Stice said.

Stice also commended student-athletes Ashley Silva, Daniel Garcia, and Victor Lucio for their commitment and hard work.

Additionally, the Titans placed in the women’s varsity 800-meter, with freshman Ashley Silva placing sixth with a time of 3:22.81, scoring another point for the team. Junior Kassandra Gomez followed in seventh place with a time of 3:23.85.

On the men’s side, Westley Rodriguez finished eighth in the men’s varsity long jump finals, with a score of 13 feet 10 inches.
According to Delano, the meet was the first time she and the team competed against a broader range of schools, which presented a challenge that motivated her to improve.

“I knew that it we were going against Houston schools and it was the first time, because in the past we only competed against YES Prep schools, so I learned the speed of other girls that aren’t in my district,” Delano said. “It was very eye-opening because I know I need to work on myself much more. Even though I got placed in the finals I need to do more to help improve myself.”

Stice said he looked forward to a season of improvement for the team.

“This season is our first as a fully grown out team and ideally we will beat our past performances at the district championship,” Stice said.

Coming up next, the Titans will compete at the Clear Springs Charger Relays this Thursday, March 24.