Assistant coach Michael Speech reportedly ties sleeping members' shoes together on the bus home and once farted in a long jumper’ face as he was sleeping. "Pulling a Larry" is now a slang term for spraining your ankle twice in the same day, based on sophomore long jumper Larry Lee's now-famous mistakes.

In a sport like track and field, you need such pranks and jokes to balance out its serious determination, discipline and businesslike demeanor. The living incarnations of these polar opposites are the team's unofficial odd couple: Speech and head coach Andy Leong. Speech is known for a laid-back, joking attitude that contrasts with the very strict regime of Leong. One of Speech's best tricks, according to sophomore Roger Huynh, was buying laxatives and asking people if they wanted chocolate. But when Speech is actually serious, he gives good advice, Huynh added.

Photos by Elisa Zhang Senior Hao La flies through the air during one of his triple jumps on March 28 at SOTA and sophomores Nicholas Asfaha and James Won complete the 4 by 100 meter relay on March 24.

In one of those serious moments, Speech said Lowell differs from other city schools that they dominate on a regular basis in part because of Leong’s coaching. "He has the hardest job in the city,” he said. “He's the most respected coach in the bay, probably California."

Leong's runners agree: the rants and infamous "punishment days" are just right for the team. "He gets things done," senior sprinter Thomas Tran said. "If it works, it works. Whatever doesn't kill us only makes us stronger." Junior sprinter Christian Vivero agreed, explaining that if Leong shouts at you, he has a good reason to.

More recently, however, some players have noticed that Leong is being less harsh on team members and Speech is getting stricter. After a long meet at Kezar on April 12, for example, Speech turned his hat backwards to show his supposed "street cred,” said sophomore Elena Chin. Perhaps the balance is shifting.

Among the constant jokes peppered throughout meets and practices, players have their own way of buffering the conflict between the two extremes. After long jumping on April 12, team members made sand castles in the pit. During spring break, players "relaxed while working out" and played games like capture the flag, Huynh said.

But the intense moments continue. "I saw God," Chin said, wide-eyed, describing a runner's high she experienced on April 12. ("I saw Elena's back," said sophomore Karyn Smoot, who seemed a little bewildered by Chin's spiritual experience.)

Chin’s enjoyment of such intensity is shared by many. One long jumper passionately said that the sand he throws himself into tastes like glory. Senior long jumper Hao La said that he if jumps 45 feet, he will personally eat the sand — he'll put hot sauce on it.

Bring your hot sauce at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at the track and field squad's meet in Kezar against Lincoln.