Though he began track two years ago with his friends, senior Shajit Pokwal was the only one of them to stay on the team.

He had always been interested in sports and the outdoors. When he heard his friends talk about joining the Baldwin track team, he saw it as an opportunity to try something new and challenge himself.

After attending a few practices, Pokwal and his friends wanted to start taking track seriously. However, his friends quit after the first meet. 

He knew he had to work harder to improve, but he had lost some motivation after his friends quit. He enjoyed the sport but he did not join with the intention of doing it alone.

“Every day after they quit was a bit harder for me,” Pokwal said. 

Although he was discouraged by this, he did not want to give up the sport.

“I told myself to never give up and to do the sport for myself, not just for my friends,” Pokwal said.

He competes in the triple jump and long jump as well as the 100- and 200-meter sprints.

“He was our best jumper last year and I think he’s one of the best sprinters on the team now,” senior Kevin Weber said.

Pokwal has made significant progress since his first year on the team, improving in the long jump and shortening his sprinting time.

“Shajit is really good at long and triple jumps. He is hardworking and puts in all his effort to do well,” senior Kaylee Wood said.

His goals are to set new personal records, perform better and work harder to achieve his goals. 

“His hard work is starting to pay off and he is starting to place in invitationals,” Weber said. 

Pokwal’s main motivation is to become the best version of himself. He still enjoys other sports in his free time and likes being active in general.

“I want to try every sport I can to just be an active and healthy person,” Pokwal said.