High School Seniors Break Their Own Records at California Meet

Sometimes the only competition that matters is the one with yourself, and two California high school seniors just showed everyone what that looks like.

Avery Carlson and Camden Smith both broke their own school records at recent Central California Athletic League track meets. But for these athletes, setting new personal bests has become almost routine.

Carlson, a senior at Pitman High School, ran the 800 meters in 2:21.96 on April 1. That beat her previous record by just over a third of a second. The time might seem small, but in track and field, fractions matter.

What makes her achievement even more impressive is that she now holds six different school records between track and cross country. She's rewritten Pitman's record books in the 800, 1600, 3200, and 5,000-meter races, plus two relay events.

Smith, a senior at crosstown rival Turlock High, lowered his 110-meter hurdles time to 14.72 seconds at the March 18 meet. He had just set the previous record four days earlier at a different competition.

The hurdles specialist didn't stop there. Smith also won the 100-meter dash and helped his relay team claim victory at the same meet.

Another Turlock runner, Lars Wejmar, joined the record-breaking parade by posting a 9:14.01 in the 3200 meters at the Stanford Invite. That marked the second time he'd broken his own school record this season.

Why This Inspires

These athletes show that excellence isn't about beating everyone else. It's about showing up and trying to be better than you were yesterday.

Carlson will compete for UC San Diego next year, while Wejmar committed to Stanislaus State. They're taking their dedication to improvement with them to college.

Their classmate Smith proved that records aren't meant to last forever, not even the ones you set yourself just days earlier.

Young athletes across California are watching these seniors and learning an important lesson: your biggest competitor is always the person you were yesterday.