This track season was a shaky one for the Birmingham Patriots, but they’ve managed to work hard and qualify to compete in the state finals on Friday in Clovis.

After placing in city finals earlier this month, sophomore Cassia Ramelb is headed to the championships for her 4X100 relay tomorrow. This is her second time competing in the California Interscholastic Federation state track and field championships, as Ramelb had gone to championships the year before for the same event.

“Being on the relay is a lot of stress because you have to balance everybody making a mistake or doing something wrong,” Ramelb said. “People get upset at you or upset at someone else and then you have to relax and not let that affect how you run.”

The Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) track team was unable to use the track for almost the entire season due to remodeling. They practiced on dirt tracks and going to other places, which had the effect of messing up runner’s time and even legs. Ramelb especially has had a lot of leg related injuries this season.

“Failure, no one likes it,” Ramelb said. “But you do have to go through it.”

That still isn’t enough to deter Ramelb, who despite training less as the season comes to an end, is still striving to do well and succeed. This season was a fight for Ramelb to improve, especially with her times.

“I started breaking all my personal records about a month ago,” Ramelb said. “I don’t even know how I did that.”

While some of her teammates fell down during the relay last year, Ramelb remains confident in their ability to do well in general. She sees winning state as a challenge, as there is about a five-second difference between the Patriots and the fastest school in the state.

“I love feeling accomplished,” Ramelb said. “I work really hard and I like the feeling after everything that you’ve been through, that you see results.”