When senior Stephen Law took his stance in the block in preparation for the 1600-meter run during the April 19 meet against Fremont, he was determined not only to win but to run his best time ever. The result: Law crossed the finish line, and he had won with a time of 4:36, a personal record.

Winning has become all but routine for Law, but the chance to break records and displace school legends gives him an exhilaration in each race as if was his first meet. As he has improved by 4 seconds in this year alone, Law is closing the gap that separates him from top runners who have graduated in the past few years, such as Class of 2015 alums, Steven Sum and Andrew Harter. (Sum’s best time in the 1600 was 4:15, while Harter ran the race in 4:29.)

“Trying to close the gap that formed by Sum and Harter leaving was the main driving factor for me this season,” Law said.

With the track now 3-2 in its meets, other athletes such as sophomore sprinter Jaijit Singh are prime examples of the team’s developing skill.

Recording an impressive 52.94 seconds in the 400-meter run during the Santa Clara meet on March 31, Singh has improved over the course of the season by 4 seconds.

In addition to Singh’s vast improvement, many sprinters and distance runners alike have been outperforming their opponents.  

“Due to all the competition that we’ve received, a lot of my teammates have begun to train harder,” Singh said. “The team as a whole is becoming better, since training is more intense and we all want to win.”

In the recent meet against Fremont, many athletes improved.

For instance, sophomore sprinter Keon Roohparvar recorded a personal record of 54.50 seconds in the 400-meter. He was initially viewed an underdog but has taken such great strides that he challenges Singh’s time.

“I think that due to the pressure that lead sprinter [Singh] put on me to improve, I have really been able to reach my true potential,” Roohparvar said. “This friendly competition has allowed the team to improve on all fronts.”

On the long-distance side, sophomore Amit Nag has shown a similar improvement. Running the 1,600 in a time of 4:44, Nag has improved by 8 seconds over the season, a significant achievement in running.

The league will take place on May 2 and May 4 at SHS, and the team is beginning to prepare for their events, increasing intensity of workouts and yet trying to avoid injury.

Due to printing deadlines, the Falcon was unable to cover the meet against Wilcox on April 26.