On April 10th, 2024, Armijo senior and athlete, Evan Wortham, broke the 200m school record by running in 22.12 seconds. This occurred at a quad meet against Fairfield, Will C. Wood, and Vacaville High Schools. This school record has stood since 1997. With great determination and unparalleled speed, Evan and his coaches were able to express their feelings about this big accomplishment.
“It was about time he broke the record. We knew he would break some kind of record,” says Alanna Epps, one of Evan’s coaches. She was also able to add that Evan worked hard and was very good on the track, she already knew he was going to do something big one day. Alanna highlighted a specific moment during practice that shows Evan’s dedication to the track.
“It was raining pretty bad and we usually stay in the weight room and work out, but Evan was determined,” Alanna states. “ Evan was able to get on that track and run despite the rain, he was on that track running.” This was able to show how he would be going places in the future. The determination Evan carries is incredible and she hopes good for him in the future. Coach Kenny is also a coach of Evan’s and he revealed his thoughts on Evan. Just like Alanna, he knew Evan would break such a record one day he was just waiting for that day to come. Coach Kenny even expressed he expects Evan to break another record with how incredible his speed is.
“It was a lot of Evan’s hard work that got him where he is today, I am just here to help him stick with it,” Coach Kenny states. He wants Evan to continue to work hard to get further and further throughout life. Although, getting to this moment did take lots of support and motivation from the two Coaches.
“We try to emphasize discipline and self-stability, we also try our best to coach and hold their heads up,” Alanna revealed. “Also having overall fun because without fun no one will enjoy the sport.” Coach Kennys agrees and also states, “One-on-one talks on a high school level with these athletes matters too. Helping everyone maintain focus. We are here for the highs and lows.” Even with Alanna and Coach Kenny’s pride in their athlete, Evan had lots to express about his achievement.
“It feels great being able to break this record that was previously broken before my time,” says Evan. Even with the great emotions from breaking a school record the race was tough for him. When he came down the straight-away on the track he knew the hard race was worth it in the end. He expressed, “I was locked in on making a personal record, that I didn’t realize I did much more than that.” Evan said when he heard no footsteps near him he knew he just did something greater.
Looking forward, Evan wants to try to make it to the state championships and according to him, “really leave my mark on Armijo High School.” He wants to pursue his life by running on that track. When asked about his advice to others Evan stated, “The advice I would give to young aspiring athletes is to focus on grades and don’t involve yourself in negative situations.” He also advised that it is not about the gifts you get in the end, it is about the discipline you receive during the journey. Evan Wortham, the 200m school record breaker, and his coaches are proud of his accomplishments. He will always have something special he has done at Armijo.
