Beyond Medals: Riverbend Track Athletes Chase Life Lessons

For track athletes at Riverbend High School, outdoor is more than running laps and competing in meets. The sport they compete in demands mental toughness, consistency, and dedication. There are lessons that many athletes carry beyond the track itself.

Transitioning from team lessons to individual experiences, Junior Nhandi Logan described this outdoor season so far as one filled with growth and perseverance after returning from an injury that kept her out all season last year.

“Outdoor definitely had its ups and downs,” Logan said. “But so far, it’s going really well. I’ve experienced a lot of mental growth and have gotten better in that aspect.”

Logan competes in hurdle, sprints, and jumping events. She balances multiple events while striving for personal improvement. Instead of comparing herself to other athletes, she focuses on setting personal goals and improving her performance in each race.

“My goal this whole season was trying to get better every single race,” Logan said. “If I drop my times every meet, that puts me closer to state qualification.”

Her hard work has already paid off. Logan is currently state-qualified in the triple jump, 100-meter hurdles, and 300-meter hurdles, and has qualified for New Balance Nationals Outdoor in the triple jump.

Despite her achievements, Logan remains grounded and continues to focus on improvement.

“Once you get better and your personal best every now and then, it just gets better from there,” she said.

Logan credits much of her success to the support system around her, especially the teammates who encouraged her during difficult moments, such as recovery from an injury.

"Having people motivate me and hearing my name screamed in the final stretch keep me going," Logan said.

Similarly, junior sprinter Nycere Peyton used indoor track as motivation and found success in the outdoor season.

“I didn’t have the best indoor season, so I really wanted to make this outdoor season count,” Peyton said.

Peyton competes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. He said patience and discipline helped him reach many goals this season.

“I definitely enjoy working, staying patient, and watching my goals become true,” he said. Among those goals were improving his times, qualifying for major meets, and becoming a more confident runner. Peyton has already qualified for both states and nationals.

“I feel excited,” Peyton said. “I feel ready just to see what the future holds.” Peyton also credited Coach Logan for helping shape his growth as an athlete.

“She’s been my AAU coach in the summer,” Peyton said. “She definitely helped me become a runner, too.” Both athletes emphasized Riverbend’s positive track environment. Peyton added that shared motivation and encouragement push athletes to work harder daily.

“Everybody’s always positive,” he said. “Everybody wants to work hard, and we all have the same goal, which is to just win.”

As the season moves from the regular schedule into the postseason, both Logan and Payton continue to look toward the future. This includes competing at states, then at nationals, and eventually at the collegiate level.

But, beyond medals and times, they say track has taught them valuable life lessons about discipline, resilience, and overcoming obstacles.

“Track is definitely a very mental and physical challenge,” Logan said. “Once you get through that challenge, you feel like you can get through any obstacle.”