With St. Mary’s Academy last season, Jayla Cigar-Dingle reached the CIF State championship meet. She will be heading to Sacramento State University on a full-ride and will be competing on their track and field team under the tutelage of Kyra Jefferson.
Cigar-Dingle came in second place in the 100m and third place in the 200m in the 2024 Southern Section meet. However, she normally runs the 400m.
“My coach, he wanted me to go easy on my legs because I’m going to Sacramento State,” Cigar-Dingle said. “I made it to State in the 100 and 200 … that’s a good thing.”
Cigar-Dingle came to St Mary’s track and field team during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had to learn several aspects of track and field, including the college recruitment process, on her own. The track team had few members at the time, but has since flourished. As a senior Cigar-Dingle encouraged, inspired, and aided her classmates.
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“I feel like St. Mary’s has taught me leadership skills on a different type of level,” she said. “To see me leading all these little girls to get scholarships … I set the bar high.”
To be a leader, Cigar-Dingle learned that she can not show any sad emotions while competing as it might lessen the confidence of teammates. It could also impact her performance.
“Mental is a big part of track, so when you step on that track you better know you got to beat all these girls,” Cigar-Dingle said. “If you don’t, who is gonna think you are the best?”
Cigar-Dingle began running track at a young age with the L.A. Jets Track Club. With the L.A. Jets, she became the 8U National Champion in the 400m.
“I broke the 400-meter record,” she said. “I was like track is gonna be my sport forever.”
Athleticism runs in the family for Cigar-Dingle as her mother also ran track and her father played basketball.
Cigar-Dingle noted how being a student athlete means to take on extra tasks that go far beyond school work.
“Most people, they can say they’re students but they can’t say they’re a student and then they also went to practice for three to four hours,” she said. “I feel like student athletes, they’re not recognized enough for everything they do.”
