ELK GROVE, Calif. — Most exceptional athletes are motivated by something, and for the Cosumnes Oaks High School track team in Elk Grove, the one thing motivating them this season is tragedy.
"This season has not been easy," said Amber Lassetter, an assistant coach. "It hasn't been easy to hold it together, to be honest with you."
The Cosumnes Oaks track team is running with heavy hearts this year. Their beloved head coach, Mark Taylor, was struck by a car while riding his bike in November 2023. The incident left him paralyzed and it's been a long road to recovery ever since.
"For me, he wasn't just a coach," said Jordan Agbettor, a junior sprinter. "I had a personal relationship with him. He's someone I talked to daily. And I know that's a situation for a lot of other guys. We didn't just lose him as a coach, we lost him as an adult figure in our lives."
Lassetter said Taylor positively impacted a lot of students.
"He had the ability to connect with kids often that were struggling in school and at home," said Lassetter. "And [he] helped a lot of student-athletes redirect their lives through school and track and field."
The athletes have decided to dedicate their track season to Taylor.
"Everyone knew we had to give something back," said sprinter Ny'J Joyner. "We were trying to go as far as we could and tell him, 'Coach even though you aren't here to watch after us, we still took a lot of things from previous years and apply them to this year' — and show him what he left us with."
When Taylor found out several of his athletes qualified for the state meet, he was one of the first to reach out to them.
"He texted me and congratulated us on the season," said Agbettor. "Really, he just said we made him proud. We've really come a long way."
With everything this team has endured this season, they reflect on how they learned a valuable lesson.
"Adversity is a great thing," said Joyner. "You don't really learn who you really are until you go through something like this. I wouldn't wish it on somebody in this way, but I think everyone should have a little bit of adversity to go through in life. It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing."
The team takes off for the state meet on Thursday, which will be held at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
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