Coronado’s 4x800m team celebrating their second place finish at State Championships Left to Right: Xzavier Campos, Class of 2026, Spencer Stepp, Class of 2023, Parker Davidson, Class of 2025, and Hyrum Pontious, Class of 2026

The 2024 outdoor track season marks the third year of the new coaching staff for track and field at Coronado. This new coaching staff consists of multiple Olympic qualifiers and NCAA Champions such as Lisa Rainsberger, Andy Potts, and Ivory Joe Hunt. Not only have these athletes brought their wisdom and experience to Coronado’s aspiring young athletes, but they also brought new a way of coaching that has quickly improved the team’s performance at state year after year.

Last year Coronado placed 11th at 4A Colorado State Track and Field Championships; being the second highest placing team from Colorado Springs. Not only that, Xzavier Campos, Class of 2026, broke two of Coronado’s school records in the 800m and the 1600m, by running 1:52 and 4:15 respectively. The distance team was also two seconds from beating the school record for 4x800m, finishing the relay in 7:57.
Coronado’s 4×800 celebrating their 2nd place finish

Mid-Distance runner Jaxon Gutowski, Class of 2024, explained his expectations for state: “My goal is just, as everyone else, is just to win it.” Jaxon being a mid-distance runner, means he focuses on the 400m and 300m hurdles. “But individually, I would just love to make it, especially in the hurdles, because that’s what I’ve been working on,” Jaxon added.

Jonathan Geschke, Class of 2024, tied for fifth in high jump last year, clearing a height of 6’3”. Jonathan exclaimed confidently “I think I can win high jump.” High Jump wasn’t the only event Jonathan competed at state for, Jonathan placed tenth in the 110m hurdles prelims running a time of 15.67 seconds.

This upcoming track season will mark the third year of the new coaching staff. With new coaches comes new training. “It’s definitely a lot of work we do, but the new coaching staff definitely built a fast… program.” Jonathan claimed, “They’re just doing a really good job keeping us in line.” Jaxon added his thoughts on the new coaching staff: “Having a relays coach, a hurdles coach, and then obviously with Rainsberger being the distance coach, it relieves a lot of stress off of just one position, and they work so well together.” The first track meet of the season is Saturday, March 9 at CSU Pueblo, and that is when we’ll get a small preview of this year’s performance.