Raiders sprint to first place at YUHSD track and field championship

Cibola cruised to another track and field title after winning 15 of 22 track events Monday afternoon

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Raiders controlled the Yuma Union High School District track and field championship from start to finish Monday afternoon, winning 15 of 22 track events and sweeping all six relays at Cibola High School.

Both the boys and girls teams finished comfortably in first place. The boys totaled 273 points, well ahead of Gila Ridge’s 167, while the girls added 193 points to secure another district title.

The performance continued a run of success for the program. The girls have now won five consecutive district championships, while the boys captured their third straight.

Despite the dominance, Cibola coach Kevin McLean said the meet is about more than just results.

"Last night's meet, it was a lot of fun," McLean said. "There's a lot of camaraderie. You'd be surprised, but there's a lot of camaraderie amongst the schools. All the coaches in town, there’s a mutual respect. We help each other out. I noticed our athletes cheering for other people’s athletes. It's really fun to see."

McLean said the balance between competition and support is what makes the sport unique.

"They want to beat each other, absolutely, but they root for each other to do well," he said. "It's a little bit different than a lot of other sports. You can have both this camaraderie and this competition. It's a special sport."

For athletes like Kat Martinez, the success comes from the work put in long before meet day.

"For my first year joining track, it was a great experience overall," Kat said. "Practices were brutal. I'm not going to lie, they are hard. But having that drive to really want everything, you have to have that within yourself. Want to fight for a new PR, want to get faster, want to get better."

She added that the coaching staff plays a key role in pushing athletes to reach their potential.

"It helps having such amazing coaches who want that for you as well and help push you to that point," Martinez said. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

For Caius Lastra, the success is also about the relationships built along the way.

"I've known most of these boys my entire high school career," he said. "Some of them have grown on me like brothers, so it's really fun doing it with them."

With district titles secured, the Raiders now turn their attention to the postseason. Some athletes are set to compete at the state level in early May, looking to carry that momentum even further.