Eyes on the track, senior Jamaya Love and the varsity girls’ track team take their places on the starting blocks for the first race of the track and field season. The Parkway Quad took place on April 6 with competitors from all Parkway School District High Schools. Love, among other athletes, is competing in her final year of track and field. For many, this April and May mark athletes’ last time competing in a high school sport, or any sport, indefinitely. More importantly, these last two months of school can be the culmination of four years of hard work, practice and leadership. 

Track and field athletes often compete in one meet per week, as well as two-and-a-half-hour practices every day after school. Racers, throwers, jumpers and vaulters prepare for their event by repeating reps, working with teammates and implementing feedback from coaches. 

Love, who mainly competes in the 4×400-meter and 4×200-meter relay races, made it to the Missouri State High School Activities Association Track and Field Sectionals in her freshman year of high school. Her team included alumni Cece Watts, Josie Grunzinger and Audrey Fotheringham. The team earned a time of 1:46:97, coming up short by less than a second to earn a spot in the state competition. However, the time earned them a school record that Love has been working to beat in the past three years.

This season, Love hopes to beat her record with senior Lucy Penton, junior Lydia Moore and freshman Finley Brady. Although the team was disqualified in the Parkway Quad earlier this month, due to a delay in the baton passing, they plan to earn winning times in future meets. 

“We have a lot of underclassmen on the team this year, so I want to teach them consistency is the main [quality of success] and how to push through every day to get a little better because it will make a big difference when you’re standing on the [track, field, etc] for your race,” Love said.

Love is no stranger to the possibilities of how a good leader can impact every single athlete on the team. Inspired by athletes like Grunzinger and Watts, Love has seen the value of mentorship in track and field. She plans to set a positive example for her underclassmen teammates this season.

“Being at practice, especially freshman and sophomore year, seeing [the upperclassmen] in front of me and always encouraging me [gave me] a lot of motivation. Track is 80% mental, so pushing through even when it hurts is the key,” Love said. “It feels good to be picked up; it makes you want to do the same for everybody else because you know how it feels when you’re in [a poor situation]. I’m excited to be in the position of being the first to make sure [my teammates are okay].”

Each year, West High recognizes one female track athlete for the Sharon Wilkes Homire Award, given to an athlete who demonstrates academic excellence, athletic determination and enthusiasm. As an active participant of the team since her freshman year, Love is aiming for the award nomination. The award winner will be announced at the Honors Ceremony in early May.

“There’s an award [called the Sharon Wilkes Homire Award], it’s given to a senior women’s track member. That’s really what I’m pushing for this year,” Love said.