Chris Yu posing at the Kutztown University Meet

Photo Courtesy of Chris Yu

Shipra Kapoor ‘27

REPORTER

Senior Chris Yu, an exceptional track and field athlete, broke the school record twice in the 55-meter sprint event, recording a time of 6.82 seconds. Yu achieved this outstanding feat at the Kutztown University Meet, where he competed against larger programs. “It came as a surprise, [as I had] never run that fast before,” Yu said. Yu has been involved with the high school’s track and field program for the past 4 years. He has had a passion for running since elementary school but also holds a variety of other interests like coding, soccer, and video games. This year, he is the Vice President of the Computer Science club and a standing participant in the Math Club.

When Yu was a freshman, he felt that the senior runners were very strong-willed individuals. This motivated him to keep practicing and pushing through the hardships in order to become the role model for future novice athletes. As a senior, he gives advice to underclassmen and inspires them with his knowledge, which influences the track and field community.

Yu stated that hours of preparation and practice were needed to beat such a fast time in the 55-meter event. He attended practices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as well as reviewing Olympic-level sprint meets to perform his best. Yu said he learned many new techniques from the Olympic sprinters and understood what he needed to do to get the outcome he desired. With these strategic actions, he was able to achieve his goal.

In regards to his accomplishments in the track and field community, Yu qualified for the Ches-Mont Track and Field Championships, where he gained an opportunity to qualify for States. Yu stated that he was 0.15 seconds away from qualifying for States, which he is now working toward to achieve. Additionally, Yu enjoyed being part of the Penn Relays, as well as gaining the title of Captain in the Unionville track and field program.

The Unionville community is extremely proud of Yu’s achievement in breaking the school record twice for the 55-meter sprint. His hard work and dedication paid off, and Unionville cannot wait to see him accomplish even more.