The Coppell track and field team is geared up and ready for its  upcoming 5-6A and 6-6A area Meet on Friday at Buddy Echols Field, races beginning at 9 a.m. 

As back-to-back boys track and field District 6-6A championships, the team is fired up and ready to compete. A total of 23 athletes from both the boys and girls teams have qualified for this meet, making it a true test of their skills and determination.

The meet is a crucial stepping stone for Coppell as it marks the transition from local competition to more competitive meets. .

“It’s super competitive at every level we compete at, but getting to regionals is a huge accomplishment for any runner,” Coppell’s 4×200-meter relay runner, senior Nick Searight said.

Moving on to regionals is the ultimate goal, and it’s where the competition gets really steep. For Searight, it’s mainly about setting himself up for college and continuing to break the 800-meter relay school record, and as a team, they are striving to win district and area.

“All season long I’ve been trying to be the best I can for my 4×2 team and going into area that’s not going to change,” Searight said. “All the long practices, frantic moments before our races and constant challenges we’ve overcome as a group, I’ve been trying my best to lead us to where we are. In my final runs I’m giving it my absolute all and giving my team everything I have left to give.”

The competition at area is much more selective, and the team knows that it needs to stay focused and give its all to make it to the next level. 

“Regionals and then state are super prestigious and important for the program, it is what you build towards all season,” senior distance runner Vedant Bhattacharya said.

Coppell has had a successful season thus far with numerous victories (Coppell Relays, Dragon Invitational, and the recent district championship) and now it looks to have one last successful run as individuals, cheering as a team, but running alone.

“Winning district is a team accomplishment – for glory in some sense – but from area onwards it becomes more individual because you qualify on your own,” Bhattacharya said. 

Area is an incredibly competitive event with only the top four from each event qualifying to move to regionals.

“We had 13 boys and 10 girls qualify for area, if everything goes the way we hope we could have nearly 7-8 of the boys and 5-6 of the girls qualify for regionals,” Coppell coach Eric Hill said. 

It is important for the Coppell team to rally behind them. The team needs to give its full support and push those qualifying as hard and as far as they can. For athletes who’ve been here before – such as sophomore Matthew Maldima and junior Aiden McFarlane – they have a chance for redemption. Having been to Area before, they have experience and familiarity with the competition. This is their chance to shine and show their true potential. 

“Coppell girls track and field has 4 non-seniors coming to area and it’s so important for them to get that experience,” Coppell’s high jump, long jump, 4×100-meter, and 4×200-meter senior Megan Judd said. “Coming earlier takes off pressure for later years because you know what the pressure is like and it’s just better for them to have more success early.”

“We have three guys and one girl even running at Area from our distance program,” Coppell senior Vedant Bhattacharya said. “From this point forward it becomes much more selective as the competition increases, even for the people who didn’t qualify it’s important for them to stay focused – for themselves and to help the area runners. We’ve got to rally behind them as a program.”

Yet for all the preparation and hard work Coppell is putting into the meet, it hasn’t lost sight of their values and priorities: being a team, making memories, and enjoying every single race.

“I’m hoping to have the most fun that I can at every single meet and leave it all on the track, to not have any regrets when I graduate,” Judd said.

With determination, skill, and support from their teammates, the Coppell track and field team is ready to take on the challenge and come out on top.

“It’s not a meet you can overlook. You have to prepare for this one like you’ve prepared for the last eight and hope our kids come out and perform to the level they’re capable of,” Hill said. 

Follow Sahith Mocharla (@SahithMocharla) and @SidekickSports on Twitter.