Athlete focus: Up and away

While Armijo is the only track team that Damian Santos-Taylor has been on, he has done an outstanding job. He has gone all the way to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Masters, to Varsity Meet of champs in his sophomore and junior years and expects to do the same this year as a senior. “I have broken the Frosh/Soph Triple Jump Record and I am less than a foot away from breaking the all-time Long Jump record,” he said. That record may be in his future as that is his favorite of all jumps. On Wednesday, April 18, Santos-Taylor broke the Triple Jump record with a jump of 45’5″, placing him 21st in the state! “Huge congratulations to Damien for not only breaking an almost 30 year old record (old record was 44’5″ set in 1980) but also for putting himself among the best in the state!” said Coach Michael Pence.

“Track this year has been my only sport,” said Santos-Taylor. “I do plan to do track in college on an athletic scholarship and I’m hoping to commit to a school this month.” I plan to major in business and my overall goal is to own a gym.” His most memorable meet during his track career at Armijo was the Woody Wilson meet at UC Davis “where, after jumping, I hid around the campus so the coach didn’t make me run the 4×4,” he said.

Santos-Taylor said that he wished there would be more rallies for sports and clubs on campus as a way of increasing Armijo pride. “Armijo track has helped me pave a way to college and helped me believe it can be more than a hobby. They saw my potential.”

When he’s not improving his jumps on the track or strengthening his skills at the gym, he is often playing Fortnite, a popular video game. It is a different way to escape from the challenges of school, but athletics are his first choice. “Sports can be an escape,” he said. “You don’t think about any outside stuff when competing. If you can find a sport to love, you should do it!”