On April 24, 2026, Loy Norrix hosted its annual Don Lukens Invitational Track and Field meet. At this event, 16-19 schools from around the state come to Norrix to compete, making it the biggest track meet of the season. Athletes participate in several events, including hurdles, pole vaulting, running events, throwing events and more. Norrix has hosted the meet since 1987, making this the 38th consecutive year. It gives student athletes the chance to compete against and connect with people from other schools.
“This is one of the biggest invites we have here. Meeting people from other schools is pretty cool, everybody’s super nice,” said freshman Jane Wester, who ran the 100-meter hurdles. “It’s been really positive, really fun. We’ve gotten some good scores so far and I think it’s just going to keep getting better.”
Students and coaches alike have worked tirelessly since the beginning of the track season in preparation for Don Lukens and various other meets. While the Don Lukens meet is one of the most competitive of the season, many appreciate the friendly, co-mingled environment at the event.
“Don Lukens is special because of all the teams that come out and all the people that come out and support us,” said sophomore Ali Dawati, who assisted with hurdles. “It’s usually a really good, friendly environment where everybody just gets along and makes friends with other teams.”
The meet honors Donald Lukens, who was the head coach of Loy Norrix’s track and field and cross country programs for over 30 years. This year’s meet additionally honored Ted Duckett who passed away on Jan. 8, 2026. He was a beloved teacher and track and field coach at Norrix for 57 years.
“I know how special the meet was to [Ted Duckett]. I wanted to honor him since this was the first meet without him,” said Interim Head Coach Brad Schmidt. “We recognized his role with the school and the meet and the legacy that he left and his personality and his attributes as just a great human being. We brought runners back from the past and brought some runners in from the current team, so that was nice to see.”
There was also a memorial service held during the meet in honor of Duckett, who was a close mentor to hundreds of students during his time at Norrix. He pushed athletes to not only be motivated by competition, but also by pushing themselves to meet their own goals. Personal records [PR] are a way for athletes to measure their growth and reach their goals throughout the season. This year, many broke their own records, as well as general ones.
“Sharad qualified for long jump to go to the state meet with a 22-foot jump, which was pretty good, it was his PR,” said Schmidt. “Jackson Lam won the mile and set the school record with a 4.10, and he also broke the meet record in the [800-meter run]. We had some really good performances.”
The athletes of Norrix put on a notable performance at this year’s meet, and many find that having it on their home field increases their confidence and performance.
“Overall, we had some above average performances that I think were definitely helped by the fact that we were at our home invite,” said senior Jackson Lam, who ran the 1600-meter run, the 800-meter run and the 3200-meter run. “There’s always that home field pride, so I think we had better performances than meets somewhere else in the state. This meet definitely benefited our athletes more than it hindered.”
This year’s Don Lukens meet was a success for many. While it brings competition from all over the state, participants find that the environment at the event is nothing short of friendly and welcoming. Athletes are encouraged to mingle with teams from other schools and make connections with their fellow athletes while they push themselves to do the best on the track.
“It’s always a highlight of the year. I get to hang out with my teammates and just enjoy the track atmosphere,” said senior Henry Freestone, who assisted with the pole vault. “Just seeing all the best runners out here and putting their best effort in, that’s probably the best thing about it.”
