Castaic High School is home to multiple thriving sports teams, and the Track and Field team may just come in at the top of the list. The team captains and coaches of Track and Field work hard to train the team, making them unbeatable. 

Seven runners from Castaic’s incredible Track and Field team qualified for the 2023 Arcadia Invitational. The Arcadia Invitational is a two-day selective meet, and Castaic’s top runners qualified. Meagan Humphries, a junior, was one of the Track members who qualified for this national recognition. At the Arcadia Invitational, Humphries placed first in the triple jump, second in the high jump, and fifth in the long jump. 

“I’m actually really happy with how I did at Arcadia,” said Humphries. “I remember being a little disappointed that I didn’t do as well as I thought, but after reflecting on it, I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome.”

Humphries began doing Track since she was six years old. Earlier this year, she ranked third for the high jump in the nation and is currently second in the state. Humphries is also ranked third in the state for the long jump, triple jump, and the 200-meter dash-sprint. 

“I’ve gotten the chance to compete at so many incredible meets and have spoken to a ton of college coaches about tips and potential recruiting opportunities,” states Humphries. 

Regan Thompson, Lucas Lichenstein, and Kyle Tobin are the three team captains. Thompson has been team captain since her sophomore year here at Castaic. She was introduced to the world of running at six years old but became passionate about it in high school. 

“I realized I had a passion for the sport and became obsessed with fulfilling my potential,” explained Thompson. 

Although struggling with “runners block,” she pushes herself to the best of her abilities. 

“Runners block is a very frustrating thing as it’s disappointing to put in a lot of work and not improve,” expresses Thompson. 

She plans to find motivation in her competitions as the season finalizes.  

Lucas Lichenstein’s spark for Track was ignited through encouragement from coaches and parents. 

“I was born into a family of runners, so I had always felt like it was a part of me,” elaborated Lichenstein. 

Lichenstein also qualified for the 2023 Arcadia Invitational meet for the seeded 800 meter sprint medley. 

Kyle Tobin, a senior at Castac High School, started out playing soccer during freshman year.

“I was first persuaded to join track by my soccer coach during my freshman year to gain some speed for my next soccer season but I loved track so much I never went back to soccer.”

He quickly fell in love with the new sport, and is content with how the season has gone.

“I am very proud of where we have gotten this year…We have shown that even with our smaller team, we can still make a big dent in our competition, but having a bigger team would make us absolutely unstoppable,” states Tobin. 

Daily practice for the Track and Field team consists of three parts: warm-up, workout, and cool-down. According to Team Captain Thompson, the team captains lead the stretches and drills. First, team captains and coaches ensure the athletes are warming up correctly and safely. After the warm-up, Coach Johnson makes announcements and instructs the team on their workout for the day. The team then breaks up into their individual events.

“The workout depends on what the groups specialize in,” explains Thompson.For example, I am a sprinter and a jumper. So, some days I go with the jumpers, and some days I stay with the sprinters.” 

They strive to make the environment as comfortable as possible as a team and treat each other as a family.

“A day at practice is usually stress-free,” exclaimed Thompson. “I could never imagine being unable to connect with my teammates during practice, as being at practice is the highlight of my day,” 

The Track and Field team at Castaic High School share a strong bond and push one another to train hard to the best of their abilities. The team captains encourage teammates to be confident in each other. The coaches instruct and keep their heads in the game, bringing home many wins. And for new runners wanting to join Track, it’s a great way to stay healthy, have fun, and form incredible friendships with amazing people!

“Enjoy it. Running is not always fun or easy, but it encourages a healthy and competitive lifestyle, and that is something to be enjoyed,” shares Lichenstein.