Track and Field team finds its stride
Maria Carrillo athletes at Arcadia Invitational - boys and girls 4x800m teams and girls 4x100m shuttle hurdle team (Photo courtesy of Allison Mulligan)
By Sloane Crocker, Executive Editor
With the ever-present weekly highlights on Carrillo Live, it’s no surprise that this year’s Maria Carrillo High School track and field team is reaching new heights. And with North Bay League competition now in progress, it’s certain that the team is only going up from here.
According to distance head coach Greg Fogg, the season so far is going well, especially for the girls side which he says has a “loaded” roster. The girls recently pulled off an impressive feat at the Arcadia Invitational event (April 10-11 2026) when they ran the 4x800 meter relay and broke a twenty year old school record with a 9:29 overall time. Another win for the girls at this event was for the girls 4x100 meter shuttle hurdle relay; Beatrice Belt, who ran one of the legs of the relay, said, “we got a PR of 1:06.00, which is number one all-time in Redwood Empire history and the school record.” Belt said that the weekend was an incredible experience, not only because of this standout performance but because of the “unmatched energy” that comes from competing against athletes from all over the country. The boys also excelled at Arcadia, as even though Fogg stated that the boys roster is “a bit lean” this year, the boys 4x800 meter relay team also set a school record (breaking their own previous record) and won their heat.
Some other highlights from the season so far include standout performances at Dublin Distance Fiesta from Joslyn Tribbey, who ran a personal best 5:04 1600 meter, Hugh Cochrane, with a 4:26 PR in the 1600, and Cameron Jones with a 1:55 800 meter run. For sprinting events, senior Zyah Freeman has emerged as a leader on the team this year; he is the fastest boys 100m and 200m runner on the team with 11.64 second and 23.04 second times, respectively. Although only a sophomore, Martina Mulligan has already produced some extraordinary results this season with a 12.78 second 100m, 26.84 second 200m, 15.54 second 100m hurdles, and 17’ 11” long jump, all of which are top marks on the team. Besides long jump, other field events include pole vault, an event which is led on the girls side by senior vaulter Nell Krombholz. Although Krombholz has not yet reached a PR this season, they are still the best vaulter on the team with a 10’ 0” record so far this season and a “personal goal for [themself] for the season of 11' in pole vault.”
Looking forward to the upcoming months, Fogg said that the girls are “favored to win NBL and should contend for the North Coast Section, or NCS, team title,” which they have won 15 times in the last 27 years. He said he hopes to “rally the boys to contend for the NCS title” as well despite stiff competition from Windsor and Cardinal Newman. Fogg also hopes to get “as many athletes as possible” to the State Championships. The picture hasn’t fully taken shape yet, but he said that in the next few weeks he will have a better idea of which athletes have a chance to qualify (the top three places in the NCS Meet of Champions qualify).
Of course, as impressive as the performances of all these athletes are, personal bests and qualifying for championships are not the only components of track. The community of the team is another thing that makes it so special, and as Fogg said, the team mantra is "show up, work hard and be a great teammate.” Krombholz certainly feels this sense of camaraderie on the team, as they said that “there are just so many people on the team that come together everyday for practices and meets.” And Belt added that she has “such close friendships with underclassmen” as a result of her time on the track team. With about 170 athletes on the team, and what Fogg calls “a very experienced coaching staff” that provides “excellent guidance,” it’s clear that any athlete who joins the team will have no shortage of support both on and off the track.
Thus, it would be wise to keep an eye on the track and field team for the rest of the season, as there is sure to be more triumphs and records soon to come. And it’s certainly fine to be just an onlooker cheering the athletes on, but if you have any urge to find out for yourself what it might be like to wear the jersey for Maria Carrillo Track and Field, then you should by all means consider joining the team yourself for next year’s season. It will be an experience like no other.