With the phenomenal exhibition of supreme athleticism which earned the Buttons 3rd place out of 26 schools, Central Catholic track team successfully concluded their regular season by protecting the home turf on Thursday, March 28th. Coming into the postseason with more talents than ever stacked on Head Coach Gary Brimmer’s roster, the Buttons are keeping a steady pace on their road to state.

The excessive number of teams present on Thursday was a new condition for the CC Relays; however, the superior performances by some of Central’s star athletes, in spite of more teams being present, were not a new thing. For the fourth consecutive time, Brimmer’s distance program had athletes placing top 5 in every distance event. For one more time, the distance program is proven to be the cornerstone of this whole team’s success.

Knowing that all-state runner Nathaniel Zapata would only participate (and win, not surprisingly) in the 1600m, it was the rest of the team that stepped up and made a statement for themselves. The Buttons unveiled the smell of victory early, as Junior Zeke Fetter punched it in at 10’48” in the 3200m race. Not only did the junior claimed 4th place in that race, he also set his personal record.

Hereafter it was Galvan who put on a show. Kicking it off with a 2’01” in the 800m (less than 0.5 second short to 1st place), Senior Michael Galvan would later shine again in the 1600m with a time of 4’51” which earned him fourth place individually.

It was a memorable night at Bob Benson 66’ Stadium for Junior runner Matthew Perez. After claiming gold for 400m after battling it through the finish line at 53.48 seconds for his new personal record, Perez contributed to another team victory in the 4x400m later on Thursday night. “Nothing is better than winning at home,” said Perez. As an upperclassman, Perez along with fellow runner Zeke Fetter is preparing for the transition of leadership. Certainly, the now junior athlete has done so by “bringing as many points as possible” as he promised.

This “homecoming” victory is one of the many reflections of Central’s dominance under Thursday night lights this season. “This year we have performed exceptionally well in all events”, said Coach Gary Brimmer as he addressed the team on Tuesday, “we are better than last year, the year before, and the year before that, which was my first year here.”

After finishing 8th at TAPPS 6A last season, Central track team’s trip into this 2019 postseason is the most special one in a while. “We have been building up the team since cross country season, and now it is the time to shine”, said veteran Michael Galvan. Looking ahead to the district, regional and state meets, the Buttons are determined to add on their current successes.