Wahluke track team focuses on personal, team improvement
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 12, 2026 10:15 AM
MATTAWA — Track is both an individual and a team sport, and Wahluke’s head track coach Josh Dugan said the Warriors work on both parts of that equation.
“It doesn't matter if you went to state last year or you're running a 20-second 100 meter. We emphasize PRs – personal records. So again, if somebody starts out at 20 seconds (in the 100 meters), but if you end the year at 17, that's our focus. The first time you write an essay it might be terrible, but then you start getting better and better,” he said. “So, we're focused on just pure self-improvement, because I always tell the kids that if you beat your own record enough, you start to beat everybody else as well.”
It's a team sport at the same time, however, and Dugan said the track team also is asked to think of that.
“Kids stepping up to do two, three or four events to score points for the team is what we preach every day,” he said. “Three kids in each event is our goal. It’s not always perfect – things like the hurdles, and the two-mile isn’t always as popular, but we try to cover all the events and make (opponents) truly beat us if they’re going to beat us.”
Wahluke’s track is in the process of being repaired and will allow the Warriors to host some home meets, which was not possible in 2025. Dugan said he’s set a goal for the home events.
“Our goal is at our Windbreaker Invitational on March 20, for hopefully the boys and girls (to win team titles),” he said.
With a week of practice, Dugan said it’s too early to tell where the team’s strengths and weaknesses will be.
“We’re focused on winning our home invitational, and then we’ll go from there,” he said.
The girls team went through a rebuilding period, he said, but now they’re gaining experience.
“Our girls won as a team for the first time a couple years ago, and then we've continued to have victories. Individually, we've had tons of success since the 90s, but as a team, it's more started recently,” Dugan said.
Winning those first meets allowed the girls to build on their success, he said.
“With the boys, they’ve never won as a team,” Dugan said. “I just feel like it's one of those glass ceiling things, that the boys don't think they can win because they never have. And if we can get over that, I have every confidence that they will continue winning.”
The Warriors compete in the South Central Athletic Conference, and Dugan said that while it’s a very tough league and there are no guarantees, he’s optimistic.
“We've been on a roller coaster of winning League and finishing last. Last year we finished last so I'm anticipating this being a good year,” he said.
Sebastian Valdespino, left, and Bela Mendoza, right, get in some sprints.
Jimmy Perez warms up with a few throws during practice.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
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