Key West senior leads cross country turnaround, earns local recognition

Prometheus Delacerda spent his final high school cross country season quietly changing the culture of the Key West program, and the effort earned him recognition from the local press. Keys Weekly named Delacerda its Athlete of the Week on November 17, 2025, citing his positive contributions, unwavering support and dedication, and his impact during the season.

Head coach Keara McGraw said plainly about her senior, “He has big goals and has no problem putting in the work to get there.” McGraw went on to describe Delacerda as a central figure in the team’s rebound. “He’s a gem. Outside of being one of the hardest workers I’ve coached, he’s a great student athlete who has stepped up as the leader on the team this year to help guide the younger athletes,” she said. “The best part about Prometheus is that he is unapologetically his own person at all times.”

Delacerda’s contributions were both athletic and practical. On the course his times dropped steadily throughout the season, a measurable sign of individual progress that also helped the team in dual meets and local competitions. Off the course he took on multiple roles described by McGraw, serving as lead motivator, workhorse, photographer, designer and inspiration. Those efforts helped shift the program from a season that began as a rebuild into one that closed with visible success for the team.

Local recognition from Keys Weekly places Delacerda’s story in the broader context of community support for school athletics. The paper, which reports the largest circulation in the Florida Keys and is the only locally owned and operated publishing company in South Florida and fastest growing, highlighted his season as an example of student leadership and steady work translating into better outcomes for teammates and the program.

For Monroe County residents who track youth sports and school activities, Delacerda’s season underscores the value of veteran leadership in shaping younger athletes and sustaining team momentum. As a senior, his presence also offered a model for commitment to training and team service, and his roles beyond running helped the program present itself more cohesively to the community.

The recognition caps a season in which a committed senior helped shift expectations and lift a team coming out of a rebuilding year. For teammates and local supporters, the impact is both immediate in race results and lasting in the cultural change he helped foster at Key West High School.