By Karson Crosthwaite and Aayan Samdani

Photo credit: Karson Crosthwaite and Aayan Samdani.

His steps felt off as he was running down the runway. Despite the discomfort, he kept going, trying to save the jump after scratching his first two attempts. He reached forward for the board, but his timing was off. His knee slammed into the track and bent the wrong way, buckling underneath him before he flew into the sandpit. A sharp pain bolted through his leg, and he knew immediately something was not right. 

On the morning of the first meet of the spring track season, Jaden Station’s (‘26) day started early, with an energy-packed smoothie that included mango, strawberries, and coconut water, which he describes as “a taste of the Caribbean.” School had actually been cancelled at the last minute that day due a power outage on campus, but Station stayed focused, getting on the bus at Collegiate at 12:00 p.m. to head to Norfolk Academy for the meet. 

After more than two hours on the bus with his team, Station only had 30 minutes to warm up before his first event, the long jump, where he ended up getting injured. Despite the setback, he was still able to compete in the throwing events, pushing through the pain and even earning a personal record. Unfortunately, he could not compete in his 100m and 200m sprints because of the hyperextension in his knee. Despite a challenging start for Station and his team, he remains confident that with the proper preparation and recovery, he and his teammates can improve, perform at a higher level, and become one of the best track teams in the state.