On track

Students from Pin Oak Middle School and other schools including (pictured, from left) Rhodes Roth, Aksel Lai, Santiago Castillo, Joaquin Castillo, Bethany Olson, Emma Lyne, Bella Heczey, Kennedy Castillo, Lily Heczey, and Marion Hughes, hit the pavement with their running team at 6 a.m. for one of their practices. The runners gather at Memorial Park 2-3 times a week to train with Team Run Houston, a local youth running club. Their practices include warm-up, drills, a structured workout, and a cool-down. Depending on age and experience, athletes run anywhere from 2-6 miles each practice. Leading the runners is coach Kiya Dandena, a former All-American runner at Texas A&M-Kingsville, who has qualified twice for the U.S. Olympic Trials. “I love how well this team blends dedication and hard work with fun and camaraderie,” said Bethany Olson. “The reason we can crush tough workouts is because everyone has each other’s backs. It’s such a joy to join my fellow runners on the long but rewarding journey.”

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at [email protected]. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.