Samo track sets their eyes on the finish line the 2025 season
During their previous '23-'24 season, the Samo track team broke school and personal records, reaching the CIF finals as individuals and relay teams.
Last year, the boys' track 4x100 placed third at the Bay League Finals, heading to the CIF-SS preliminary with a time of 42.84, which included current captain Logan Hanvey ('26), Charles Rusler ('24), Spencer Hotch ('24) and Giovanni Crabtree-Ireland ('25). In addition, the girls' 4x800 also competed in the CIF playoffs. Reign Snowden (’24), who won the title of Bay League champion and competed in both shot put and discus, and moved from CIF-SS preliminary rounds to the CIF Masters meet after placing in 4th with all divisions combined. Along with Snowden, Phoebe Benun (’25), the current team captain, moved into the CIF Masters, placing just outside of the top 10 in the 1,600-meter, while her team of Cleo Topp (’25), the 800m Bay League Champion, Maeko Gross (’25) and Matilde Martinez (’24) finished sixth in the 4x800 relay.
The track team's season began on Feb. 26 with its first meet against Venice High School. The boys’ track team broke some personal records: Joshua Lesley (’25) broke 52 in the 400, and three sophomore boys went under 2:10 in the 800. In the girls’ varsity track, Shenandoah Markos (’26) won the 200 and the 400 women's, breaking her records of 26.70 and 1:01.13, respectively.
Lucas Yarmand (’25) said they’ve been preparing for this season by logging more miles per week and setting a high bar so everyone realizes how they are doing and where they need to improve.
“The team's dynamic is just as strong as ever because of the larger team,” Yarmand said. “There are more people to talk to, bringing in our community. The team is always cheering for other members, even when they’re not racing.”
Ian Rhie/Contributor
Kim ('27) breaks 47 seconds in the 300m hurdles to win his race at the Marie Smith/ Malibu Invitational
The track coaches began their preparations for the season after hosting their three All Comers meets on Feb. 15, which are the tryouts for their upcoming season. Katie Saunders, one of the assistant track coaches, sports medicine teacher and kinesiology major, focused on caring for the body through stretching, rolling and listening to the body.
“I would love to have the lowest rate of athlete injuries this team has ever seen compared to past years,” Saunders said. “It's difficult when you've got a team of 100 people…but the goal is to have them all healthy and strong.”
The track team has five main coaches, one for each type of event: distance, throw and strength, sprinters and hurdles and jumps. Emily Sutherland and Christian Castro focus on distance, while Saunders covers throws and strength. Al Backey III prioritizes sprinters, and the head coach, Richard Rucker, focuses on hurdles and jumps. After Tania Fischer, the previous coach, retired the previous season, Saunders believes that while she can never replace Fischer, she hopes to bring out the best in each athlete and make them confident in themselves.
“I'm building my own reputation, setting up my own goals and starting a new chapter. I'm learning and accepting her as a mentor,” Saunders said. “We're [the coaches] gonna get them feeling confident, confident in each other, confident in themselves and working together every day.”
Though the coaching staff is relatively new to the team, Benun said that the team has been adjusting since the beginning of the school year and are thankful for the support they get. Though communication was tricky at first, Benun said it’s improved significantly, as the coaches, such as Saunders, will tend to each athlete’s needs without hesitation and provide equipment for athletes to improve their recovery.
“We have much more variety in event specialists than in previous years because we now have a full-time throws coach in Coach Katie and a full-time jumps & hurdles coach in Coach Rucker. Madam Smith is our unsung hero who takes attendance for our team every day and occasionally helps time our workouts,” Benun said. “It is looking to be an exciting season full of personal bests and great competition!”
As the season continues, with freshmen adjusting to the track and the team preparing for upcoming meets, Yarmand and Benun are excited to break records and continue creating a supportive environment.
“We have many relay teams and individual events where we are looking to qualify for CIF this year. Our sprinters continue to find great competition within our league as they race some of the best sprinters in the nation from Culver City,” Benun said. “I would like to qualify for the state meet in either the 1600 or the 3200, but I have never qualified for State in track.”
