Racing Day

On any given day, you will find junior Serenity Gambrell in a hurry. She is a busy student, athlete, and journalist for EHS Media. Students call her determined, hard-working, and ambitious. In the sports world, she has been playing soccer since she was five years old and track and field since 8th grade.

Junior Serenity Gambrell holds her plaque for the Girls Track Athlete of the Year. (David Zies)

Gambrell joined Englewood track freshmen year and ran the 100 and the 200-meter races. She joined relays as needed, “It was still kinda new to me and it was something I was learning and getting used to. Especially because track season is the same time as soccer season. So you have to coordinate practices, games, meets, all of it with two coaches. It was finding a new passion while being part of another passion.

Gambrell is on the team with dozens of other students including those from nearby school St. Mary’s Academy. Now she runs the 100, 200, 400-meter, and all of the relays for those distances, “I guess for me, running is just therapy in a way. It gives me something to do, to focus on, knowing it’s just me individually. In track, your best time is what you are racing against. Yes, you are running against others, but in reality, you are racing against yourself.”

Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Englewood track and field went to Jeffco Stadium to compete in the League championship. Gambrell had a long list of events. Each athlete gets up to four events, “The 100, 400, 200 and I anchored the 4×4.”

Gambrell came away with wins in all events, “Overall I took first in League for the 100 with a PR (personal record) of 13.18 seconds, I took first in the 400 with a PR of 61.91. I took first in the 200 with a PR of 27.2 and then with a huge gap lead, we took the 4×4. Props to my relay partners.”

Gambrell took the races and Girls Track Athlete of the Year for the Frontier League, “I was really proud of myself because I went into the day, not that I went into the say not expecting to do what I did. I heard my name, all of us were waiting around to hear the team scores. Then I heard my name and everyone was cheering. It was one of the best feelings ever.”