Monta Vista Track & Field launched its 2025 season with the 11th annual 400 Shootout, a unique tradition where every athlete runs a 400m race. Beyond identifying 4x400m relay candidates, the event serves bigger purposes: it introduces competition (that first sniff of a starter’s pistol!), gets times on the board for Athletic.net, and gives the entire team a chance to cheer each other on. Most importantly, it sets a benchmark for individual and team goals.
Standout Performances
Boys’ Varsity: Tanay Parikh claimed his first Shootout title with a blazing 53.95, followed by fellow seniors Manas Kottakota and Andrew Cheng.
Girls’ Varsity: Defending champ Lelani Laruelle took the top spot again in 63.54, with Katie Lee and Raje Kenyan rounding out the podium.
Boys’ Open: A trio of freshmen dominated—Jeffrey Choy led with 57.23, while Aaryan Samanta and Constantine Chua also broke 60. Sub-60 is a big deal for anyone, and is an outstanding freshman mark!
Girls’ Open: Felicity Chu won in 77.27; Viha Gopalan and Myra Mishra joined Felicity on the podium after edging out Siran Gao and Anna Bauer.
PRs and Progress
Many athletes set personal records, a testament to their hard work. The full list of new PRs belong to: Tanay, Andrew, Graham, Jayden, Darren, Ryan, Kento, Ethan Y, Jeffrey, Ethan Z, Justin, Darren, Aidan C-K, Prasad, Jonah, Isaac, Andrew, Emiliano, Kevin, Lelani, Katie, Raje, Anika, Miranda, Naomi, Aehsna, Meyra, Ellan, Anisha, Ananya, and Nichole (this does not include freshmen who are just starting their high school track careers). Remember: no matter what your mark, a PR means you’ve never gone faster—a PR is proof of progress.
The 400 Shootout is just the beginning. Over the next three months, let’s push ourselves and see how much we can grow—as individuals and as a team! And here’s a challenge: try another 400 in a late-season dual meet and see your improvement. Bet you’ll be proud!
Complete results are posted on athletic.net.
