Domination is an age-old term typically defined by the exercise of ruling power, supreme authority or controlling influence over others. In other words, “domination” sums up the Green Hope girls’ track and field team in the 2026 outdoor season. With a conference championship and a 17.5-point victory in the regional championships, the Green Hope Falcons continue to roll forward, hoping to continue this success at the state meet.
Conference Championship
Kicking it off, the Falcons attended the annual conference championship, this year hosted by Willow Springs, on April 27 and April 28. The girls’ victory was highlighted by a plethora of fantastic performances across all events. In the 100m, Joya Clark (‘28) kickstarted the night with a first-place victory, closing in a time of 12.08. Following this, Clark took another first-place crown in the 200m with a time of 24.52. In the 400m, Clark and reigning indoor 500m state champion Ellie Beck (‘27) battled it out in the 400m. Ultimately, Beck came out in second with a time of 58.53, with Clark just behind her at 58.75. In the 800m, Isabel Short (‘28) took second place in a packed heat, with a time of 2:19.68. Shortly before this, Short took third in yet another competitive 1600m heat, with an impressive time of 5:06.48.
Moving off the track and into the field, the Falcons continued to put on a show. In the High Jump, Teresa Qian (‘26) tied for second place with a height of 5-0. Following this, Qian took third in the long jump, clearing a distance of 16-6. Lastly, Qian wrapped up the night with a first-place finish in the triple jump, clearing a distance of 35-11.25. Sam Cowen (‘28) also had herself a night, dominating the discus with a first-place finish by over 10 feet and a second-place finish in the shot put. As for the relays, the Girls’ 4×800, 4x400m and 4x200m all took fourth place, with the 4x100m taking fifth place.
In the end, it proved to be an extremely successful night for the Falcons, as they finished in first place and geared up for the postseason.
Regional Championship
Less than two weeks following the Conference Championship, the Falcons hosted the 8A East Regional Championship for the second year in a row. Yet again, the Falcons put on a show in all aspects of
the track and in the field. In the 100m, Clark ran a blazing time of 12.26, which crowned her with another first-place finish. In the 200m, Clark continued the pattern of first-place finishes, finishing with a time of 24.77. Moving into middle-distance, Shreeya Gole (‘28) and Beck had a battled contest in the 400m. Ultimately, Gole took second place with a 57.77, granting her the title of New 2026 NC #28, followed by Beck’s 57.85 and a 2026 NC #33. Lastly on the track, in the 1600m, Short placed 5th in the 1600m time of 5:07.68.
Moving into the field, Cowen repeated her discus success from the conference championship, tossing 128-06, awarding her the title of conference champion and New NC #11. Teresa Qian continued her success on the jumping side, taking third in the high jump and yet another first-place finish in the triple jump. Rounding out the impressive day, the girls’ 4x400m shone in a first-place finish with a time of 3:56.54, earning them the New 2026 NC #6.
Finishing Strong
After an extremely successful conference and regional championship, the Green Hope Track and Field Team took its talents to the 8A State Championship, where the Girls placed second. The state championship concluded the 2026 outdoor season, officially wrapping up the Green Hope athletic year in prominent style. As for the track team, Nationals await the top qualifiers, which will be held in the next couple of weeks.
Standout middle-distance runner Gole sat down with the GH Falcon, discussing the closing to the Falcons regular season, and what is to come next. Gole, only a sophomore, placed 2nd in the 400m at Regionals with a PR time of 57.77. Gole spoke on the experience difference she faces on the track, “Sometimes competing against older and more experienced athletes can be a little intimidating. However, most of the time they are no different than you, and they push you to do better”. In such a competitive region, Gole being awarded runner-up serves as a great representation for the Falcons, acting as a major contribution to the Girls’ overall victory. Gole spoke on the race itself, “Being awarded regional runner up meant a lot to me… I was able to see the results of my training over the year. It truly motivates me for the remainder of my career”. Ending off her sophomore season, Gole still has two major years of track. She emphasized the importance of motivation and discipline, “My teammates keep me motivated. Even when we have a really difficult workout, we always encourage each other to work hard… having someone to do workouts alongside makes it easier to put the effort in”.
Additionally, Head Track & Field coach Jill Gardiner sat down with the Falcon. With the Girls’ team winning the conference for the first time in nearly a decade, and a prominent victory and first-place finish at regionals and second-place finish at states, it proved to be an extremely successful season for the Falcons. Gardiner emphasized, “It was an excellent season from our girls and boys, we saw lots of growth and hard work throughout the season and we need to carry that into the future”. With Gardiner having a rich history in her time with the Falcons, she spoke on what “stood out” to her compared to previous years, “Our group this year showed lots of resilience, the talent was there and tons of athletes executed, allowing us to get extremely far”. In addition, Gardiner recognized the intense preparation from the Girls’, “The girls were all on the same page about what potential we had as individuals and as a team. As a coach, I never felt I had to give some sort of speech or pep talk to prepare them to compete, as they already knew what was on the line. For the majority of the girls, I didn’t have to discuss or worry about working hard, attendance at practice, or if they were ready to compete. I knew they already were”.
Closing out the Falcons’ campaign, domination was evident. Though the girls came up just short in the State meet, it proved to be a successful season with tons of growth across the track and the field. Coach Gardiner and staff continue to emphasize the importance of hard work as the 2026-2027 athletic year approaches, in the hope of similar success yet again.
