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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

“Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough and that I can never get better. I’m still overcoming this [feeling]. I keep pushing myself everyday [to be a] better [runner] even when I might not be the best at it. I also see how hard the upperclassmen work and that motivates me to do better. A varsity cross country runner once told me that even when you feel pain, you can run through it. Because of that, I push myself, [and] see myself improve. After a meet, I feel accomplished and [as though] I’ve worked hard. I feel like I can do better at running if I keep practicing. [How I run] depends on how I think. If I think I can't run — I can't run. I [motivate] and tell myself that I'm a fast runner and everyone's going to [surpass their personal record]. My biggest accomplishment so far was improving by 10 minutes on my 5K run. [It’s when I finally realized that] I am better than I thought I was.” Mahiya Pallipat, 9

Mahiya Pallipat

Yusra Khan, Staff Writer April 25, 2024

“My [favorite] hobby is running. I have been [a member of the] the cross country and [the] track and field team. [I also enjoy] tinkering [and constructing] random things. Everybody on our team knows about [the complications I had because of my] back. I had [a snag from my regular hobbies after going] through a surgery back in 2022; it took a lot out of me. I couldn't run for four months, and I was really out of shape [when] getting back into cross country. It was really hard for me. I would say a lot of [my inspiration has come from] my dad to be honest. He's the one who has pushed me to improve every day [in] every single [aspect]. He's the one who taught me how to be responsible, manage my time well [and] be consistent. [It’s the] same with running; I'm consistent and I try to work my hardest in order to get better every day. A lot of [my growth] has been tied to running because I have been so involved, but I feel like I’ve become a lot more social with people. I've become more dedicated to the things I like. [During practice], I'm starting to [run] with faster groups now. [I’m] able to keep pace with [people] who [I] didn't used to before. I [am] definitely most proud of my recovery [after] my surgery. It did take me four months to be able to run again, but after that, I really bounced back. I have improved a ton and I'm really proud of that.” - Ragsy Muralidharan, 12

Ragsy Muralidharan

Sage Kelly, Staff Writer April 24, 2024

“I’m passionate about going to the gym, and I’ve been going since November of 2021. I started going to the gym since I would always see gym routines and videos on my Tik Tok For You Page, and one day I decided to try it out and ended up enjoying it. I started going more often with friends, which became entertaining, so I kept going. I have gotten a lot more confident in the gym because I try to work out after school almost every day or on days I don’t have work. Going to the gym has not only improved my mental health a lot more, but I can see a lot of improvement in my physical strength and appearance. I have also noticed that it’s made me happier and energized overall since seeing slow improvement within myself daily gives me satisfaction. I want to keep improving and working towards learning more exercises to help me once track and tennis season starts again.” - Karley Josef, 11

Karley Josef

Angie Ren, Staff Writer May 9, 2023

At the Suburban Conference Green Pool, a track and field competition at Ladue High School, senior Micah Harris starts the first leg in his 4x200 meter relay. Harris, along with seniors Ja’marion Wayne and Tre Bell and junior Brian Cambell, ran a time of 1:30:47 and placed first overall. “In the moment, all I could think about was running my quickest, so we could have a decent lead. It felt good seeing we placed first,” Harris said.

Senior Micah Harris’ journey to Louisiana State University

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer May 27, 2022

Senior Micah Harris’ feet pound quickly on the track, a gust of wind hitting his face. Time rapidly passes as he approaches his last 50 meters. Finally, with a gush of relief, Harris crosses the finish...

Freshmen Daniel Yu and Jon Ma participate in a warmup relay on the third day of track practice.

High expectations made for the upcoming track and field season

Sarah Lashly, COPY COACH March 15, 2017

Over 150 girls and boys showed up Feb. 27 for the first day of track and field practice. “We are really excited about the group this season. We have a lot of kids, which is great, but we also have...

Cleaning out their watermelon helmets,  freshman Claire Smout, sophomore Betsy Wait, juniors Maggie Hulen and Maggie Morse, seniors Rachel Osborne, and Abby Allgeyer, and Coach Kevin John, prepare to put the melon shells on their heads. “I was one of the first people to transform their watermelon into a watermelon hat,” Osborne said. Osborne drove home wearing the watermelon hat that evening.

Track team bonds in watermelon run

Claire Smout, AWARDS COORDINATOR May 14, 2016

Coed track launches new season

Coed track launches new season

Betsy Wait, MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF March 7, 2016
On Feb 29, an unprecedented event took place in the realm of West Athletics: the first official practice of coed Track and Field.
Pole Vautling to new heights

Pole Vautling to new heights

Claire Martin, Staff Writer May 2, 2015
After being encouraged by fellow pole vaulter sophomore Jamie Poppen, freshman Kacie Bergh became a pole vaulter during track and field.
Raising the bar

Raising the bar

Hannah Hoffmann, TECHNICAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF May 1, 2015

Spinning in midair to get herself over a six-feet-tall bar, freshman Sydney Kinzy lets go of her pole as she falls to the mat below. Purely a sprinter in the past, Kinzy decided to give pole vaulting...

Making the leap

Making the leap

Sydney Kinzy, PHOTO EDITOR April 22, 2015

During the track meet at Lafayette, Saturday, April 19, freshman Alejandra Herrera took up 300m hurdles as one of her events. “I found that it was one of my talents,” Herrera said. “It’s lots of...