Track and field athletes celebrate their bittersweet end at Humboldt

By Ariana Wilson

Applause and excitement echo throughout the Redwood Bowl as racers take their mark. The packed stands anxiously wait for the gun to sound. Long, drawn out seconds stretch over the oval and… they’re off. Teammates and friends let out frenzied cheers as they watch their seniors race on their home track for the last time. These athletes have put their heart and soles into every meet and each practice, showing up on the top of the California Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) leaderboard and breaking long-established school records year after year.

Ryan Castro is a team captain and four year member of the Humboldt track and field team, but he didn’t need four years to make an impression on Humboldt. In 2024, he broke the 42-year standing school record in the 100 meter sprint with a time of 10.54 seconds. 

Starting as a walk-on during COVID-19, his track career hasn’t always been a straight shot to the finish line. 

“I had to earn everything from the ground up, and there were a lot of moments where it would’ve been easier to give up,” Castro said. “But I had coaches and friends that believed in me and helped me push through the injuries, the setbacks and the mental battles. That record represented a standard that stood for over four decades, and being the one to raise the bar to our new standard as a team meant a lot to me.”

Castro’s character speaks to the influence of this program, the athletes, trainers and coaches that influence student athletes every season. 

“Humboldt has given me so many opportunities, not just to grow as an athlete, but as a person. Being part of this program has shaped me in ways I’ll carry forever,” Castro said. “To know I’ve played a small part in the program’s history and culture is something I’ll always be proud of. I’m thankful I got to wear this jersey and be part of something bigger than myself.”

Senior transfer Cristian Megas has left his mark on the Humboldt top ten list in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints. 

“One of the most valuable lessons is patience. In track, you train so long to be good for such a short period of time,” Megas said. “To enjoy what you do, it makes everything better from training to mental health.”

In 2024, Castro and Megas were joined by Joey Bowser and Harry Singh, where the four secured a spot as the second fastest in Humboldt history in the 400-meter relay with a time of 41.11 seconds.

Senior Gracie Kasberger of Prineville, Oregon, was a part of the post-COVID rebuild in 2020. 

“There are some amazing athletes and coaches on this team, and I hope I am remembered as one of them. I am honored to have contributed to Humboldt Athletics,” Kasberger said. “This place has been home to me for 6 years, and many of the people in the athletics department contributed to making it a home for me.”

Kasberger was the conference champion in the heptathlon in 2022, a discipline which features 7 different sports, and hit the national provisional mark for the heptathlon in 2024. 

“I have overcome numerous injuries and setbacks in my career as a heptathlete, and I have never given up,” Kasberger said. “I have been a conference champion and runner-up for my event every year I have competed at the CCAA conference championships. Hard work does pay off.”

Senior Joy Hano hails from Southern California and brought the heat with impressive accolades in her five years at Cal Poly Humboldt. Hano claimed her victory as the CCAA Champion in the 100 hurdles and broke a 33-year-old school record in 2023 with a personal best of 13.96 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles breaking the former school record of 14.06 seconds. In 2024, Hano beat her own school record with a time of 13.93 seconds.

“My motivation has always been rooted in the question of possibility,” Hano said. “Every time I accomplished something I once thought was out of reach, it pushed me to ask, ‘if I can do that, what else might be possible?’”

Hano’s performances cemented her name in history, along with several of her teammates. They encouraged each other and used one another as motivation to keep striving higher and running faster. 

“I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t let adversity steal their joy. More than anything, I hope people remember that I gave it my all. I hope my time here showed others that it’s possible to take the sport seriously without losing yourself in it,” Hano said. “That you can chase big goals and still find happiness along the way. Trying your best, finding joy in the process, and showing that personal growth can be its own victory — that’s the legacy I hope I leave behind.”

A common sentiment from these seniors is ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ Their legacies as change makers will continue to live on after their departure and they will hold a special place in Humboldt history as record breakers, character builders and the example for future generations of Lumberjacks.

“This past year, things shifted. That emotional growth, being able to race without fear, to enjoy the process, and to end my final season on a note of genuine happiness, that’s what I consider my greatest achievement,” Hano said. “Because medals fade, records get broken, but the feeling of reclaiming something you thought you lost? That stays with you.”

Ariana Wilson is a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in scientific diving. She intends to merge her passion for the environment and conservation with her love of journalism as a science writer in the future. This semester’s goal: write one story per section.