On February 20, 2026, the boys at Hillcrest High School had an amazing performance at the Early 2026 Raptors Invite. This meet took place at Rich Township High School, where 9 different schools race for the number one spot. This event was special because it started the season for the Hillcrest High School Boys. It gave runners strong competition and the ability to show off their athleticism against other schools.
As soon as the meet began, the crowd was met with a lot of excitement, the atmosphere was tense, and there was a lot of uncertainty; anyone could dominate in the races. The athletes warmed up on the track, and the spectators watched with high hopes and expectations, rooting for their favorite teams. The Raptors Invite lit up the competitive nature of every school including the Boys representing Hillcrest High School.
Two of our runners set themselves in the top three spots. In the 60-meter dash, Derrick Streeter ran a time of 7.01 seconds, placing him in second, and Christian Finley ran a time of 7.22 seconds to place third. The first-place winner, Jarron Jones from Hammond Morton High School, ran 6.94 seconds in the 60-meter dash. Our runners are not far off from first place winner, and hopefully, they can make a comeback at their next races.
In the 4 by 200-meter relay, Anthony Chambers, Jahandad Drigo, Gabriel Jackson, and Kingston Herrera ran a total of 1:40.51 seconds, placing them in 7th out of 15 teams. The runners from Hillcrest High School showed impressive speed and determination. The boys at Hillcrest High School performed excellently. The season just began, and they have time to improve. Hopefully, our runners will perform even better at the upcoming meets.
During his 4 by 200-meter relay race at the Raptors Invite, Tremell Curtis, from the class of 2026, said, “Only thing that was going through my mind was I can’t let my team down because I was in the relays and I was focused.”
Kingston Herrera (’26) also recognized the importance of the meet: “It helped us by preparing to know where our strengths and weaknesses are, and what we need to still work on and prepare physically and mentally this season.”
Our runners are showing a lot of confidence. They have the mentality and teamwork to perform well!
Our runners have a lot of potential; they are filled with focus and have a lot of talent. If they remain healthy and work hard, they will be able to qualify for State.
