After a season marked by personal setbacks, injuries and unexpected breakthroughs, the girls track team closed out its year with its strongest performance when it mattered the most — several athletes reaching the podium at the state meet on May 11.
In April, the team finished as Region 4-AAAA runner-up. In the GHSA state meet, senior DeAsia Burton finished second in the triple jump — tying the school record at 39 feet, 4 inches — and sixth in hurdles, placing herself second behind the Midtown record holder Danayja Harper.
Jumps coach Jose Quinaliza said he had no doubt Burton could perform in the triple jump, yet he was surprised with the outcome.
“I knew she could make the podium,” Quinaliza said. “I told her, ‘You already made it. Now compete for yourself, for your family, for college.’ And she did. She surprised everybody. Almost 18 feet in long jump. Then in the triple jump — 38 twice, and the last one 39?4.”
Burton suffered an injury earlier in the season. After Quinaliza pushed her to return, Burton said her training was focused on improving every aspect of herself, both mentally and physically.
“Throghout the season, I stayed disciplined with practice, conditioning, recovery and making sure I was taking care of my body,” Burton said. “Physically, I knew I had to stay consistent every day to be prepared for a big moment like state. Mentally, I focused on building confidence in myself and trusting the work I put in all season.”
Burton said the moment when she was jumping felt surreal.
“When I was actually jumping, I felt calm but still had that adrenaline from competing at such a high level,” Burton said. “I wasn’t nervous. I felt focused, confident and ready to compete. My reaction was honestly a mix of excitement, pride and gratitude. Jumping 39’4, becoming the GHSA state runner-up and tying the school record was a huge accomplishment for me. In that moment, it felt rewarding to see all the hard work, sacrifices and long practices finally pay off.”
Throws coach Kalyssa Watters said the expectations heading into the season were modest. With a large freshman class stepping in to replace a wave of graduated seniors, the roster was young and largely untested at the varsity level.
“This team exceeded expectations,” Watters said. “Track and field is a sport where usually only the experienced succeeds. This was not the case with this team.”
The team’s first major statement came at the Atlanta Track Classic, the first meet where athletes competed in their primary events. Every event group contributed to the overall score, and the team walked away with a second-place finish, a moment Watters said changed how the season felt.
“It was the first moment where the team came together,” Watters said. “Each event group contributed to the overall score, and it was the first moment I saw what this team could be.”
From there, the team continued to build. Personal records fell throughout the season, and for the first time in years, every event group qualified for the state meet, something Watters said no one saw coming when the season began.
For junior James Roberts, the highlight of the season was qualifying for state and then earning a spot on the podium after facing adversity. The podium represented far more than a time on the clock.
“This season was really rocky for me personally, but I will look back and remember how far I was able to come and how much I grew as a person in the process,” Roberts said. “My biggest achievement was definitely both making it and podiuming at state. I absolutely smashed my goals of finally believing I belong with the top group.”
Roberts said the biggest takeaway was learning that they performed their best when they let go of the pressure they put on themself.
“I learned to not value my performance solely on time, and to stop stressing so much,” Roberts said. “Good things came to me when I was relaxed and having fun in my races versus stressing out.”
Junior Parker Koher experienced a similar pattern of development. Koher noted her evolution from the beginning of the season to the end.
“At the beginning of the season, I wanted to improve my marks and become mentally stronger,” Koher said. “I think I definitely accomplished both of those goals.”
By the end of the season, Koher said she finished with far more confidence than she started with.
“I grew a lot mentally throughout the season,” Koher said. “At the start, I doubted myself more, but by the end I was more confident, consistent and able to handle pressure better, which helped me perform better too.”
For Watters, watching the team respond to the hustle of a long season was what defined the year more than any finish line.
“I am most proud of this team’s ability to be resilient,” Watters said. “Each member of this team had to rebound from rough practices and performances in meets. They stuck with it, trusted their coaches and trusted themselves to finish the season off strong.”
