Panther Track & Field Training Underway
By John Earp
The Jal High School and Junior High School Track Team has begun practicing in preparation for the 2026 season. Head Track Coach Ricky Peacock says he currently has about 20 student-athletes who have been coming to practice, with quite a few more expected after basketball season is over. Peacock says the team always has a need for more field event athletes, including shotput, discus, and javelin.
The junior high field athletes do the shotput and discus. He says the team also needs more athletes to participate in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault. Peacock says, “Our numbers there are better right now. We’ve got a lot of young kids. We’ve been trying to encourage those younger kids. The team practices Mondays through Thursdays, with their meets generally scheduled on Fridays.
Coach Peacock is assisted by Coach Ross on the throwing events, Coach Victor Soliz on the pole vault, Coach Navarette on the long jump and the triple jump. Coach Satterwhite is assisting with the team. Coach Linman will be assisting once basketball is over. Peacock says he is focusing on the runners. He says he has two girls and one boy so far who have stepped up to run long distance.
Peacock coached several different sports for a total 30 years in Texas. This will be his 15th year as head track coach. He says, “I cut my teeth as a head track coach when I first started out, and then I pursued a basketball position and did that for a while, then transitioned to being a football coach and then after that got back into track.”
Fans will notice the new track is almost complete. All that is lacking at this point is the spongy top layer, which Peacock says will have to wait until after the season, because that layer takes several weeks to cure when the temperature is right. The track has been newly painted and is ready for track season though, even without the spongy top layer.
Coach Peacock says he has roughly 20 athletes practicing now, with possibly as many as 20 more once basketball season is completed.