{"id":1670,"date":"2023-05-19T08:42:46","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T12:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gatorgazette.rhsgators.com\/blog\/?p=1670"},"modified":"2026-10-01T13:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:09:22","slug":"students-advance-to-national-history-day-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gatorgazette.rhsgators.com\/blog\/students-advance-to-national-history-day-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Glowing with Pride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The medals may have caught the light, but for the track and field team, the season’s brightest moment came when they could celebrate together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning the county championship marked the culmination of years of training, growth and trust. For Jason Smith (\u201827), who played a key role in the county victory and won the 200-meter state championship, the season represented more than a collection of medals. \u201cBeing able to experience all these wins with my teammates, it\u2019s not even just about the medals,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s also about the growth and the years we\u2019ve been building this program. It\u2019s just amazing to see it all come together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That growth came from more than hours on the track. Athletes credited their teammates and coaches for their support. Nathaniel Aduwu (\u201828), Coach Rogers provided support as he adjusted to competing in different events. \u201cSince freshman year, he has helped me transition from one event to another, and during that whole process, he supported me through it all,\u201d Aduwu said. \u201cWith his help, throughout that season, I progressed in my abilities and ended up going to nationals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team\u2019s sense of community became especially clear after the county championship. With the competition finished, athletes who had spent the day racing against one another found themselves celebrating together. \u201cThey were turning music on, and everybody was laughing,\u201d Ella Linera Feliciano (\u201828) said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t matter what school you were from. A song in a different language was playing, and they were all singing it together. Even if I couldn\u2019t understand the language, I could understand how much this meant and how they all felt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a team that finished the season with county and regional victories, state medals and national-level competition, there was plenty to celebrate. But the athletes measured their season in more than finishes and medals. Years of work had finally come together\u2014not only in what they won, but in who stood beside them when they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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