Sierra Pacific‘s Ayden Bernat is in the midst of a sensational sophomore season on the track. Bernat set a school record in the 100-meter race at the TCC Tri Meet on April 15, finishing with a time of 11.16. He then broke his own record a week later at the TCC 3-WAY Meet, posting a time of 11.10.
The sophomore set another school record at the Sanger Metric Classic on April 24 when he finished the 200-meter race with a time of 22.55.
This is what Bernat said about the recent performances of himself and the team.
1) You’re only a sophomore, but you’re already breaking multiple school records. Have you surprised yourself with how you have performed or is this what you expected from yourself going into your sophomore year?
Yes, I’ve surprised myself a lot, but I also kind of hoped to take a big step this year. Putting in the work year-round and going in with a more confident mindset and stronger both physically and mentally, so I came into the season ready to improve. Breaking records this early is definitely unexpected and what I’ve been working towards , but I know I can do more in the next few years.
2) You also set a school record in the 200-meter race. How proud are you of that achievement?
I’m really proud of that. The 200 is tough because it’s not just straight speed, you’ve got to finish strong too. So seeing all the work come together in that race felt really good. It just makes me want to keep dropping my time.
3) What were some of the goals you set for yourself going into the season and how do you feel about how you’re meeting your goals so far?
My goals were to improve my times, help my team in the relays and hoping to break some records along the way. I also wanted to stay consistent throughout the season. I feel like I’m doing an amazing job so far, but I’ve still got a lot more I’m aiming for, so I’m just trying to stay focused and humble.
4) You guys have set several records as a team. Why do you think you guys have been able to have so much success so far this season and what do you hope to see from your team for the rest of the season?
I think our success comes from how we push each other every day. Everyone’s locked in, and we’ve built good chemistry, especially in the relays. That trust makes a big difference. For the rest of the season, I just want us to keep improving, stay focused, and see how far we can go.