For Moanalua Middle School eighth-grader Brianna Garcia, the school's track team is like "one 'ohana" where everybody's equal.

If a team is like a family, this one is really a clan. The school's track team has 171 students, unusually large for a middle school sport. With Moanalua Middle's student enrollment of 860, that's nearly one in every five students.

The sport has attracted students with a variety of interests, from football players and band members to cheerleaders and robotics club members.

"There's a lot of us from different backgrounds, but yet when we do track we're just one," said Garcia, who sings in the school's chorus and plays other sports. "We all have one goal, which is running and having fun."

Participation and team spirit, rather than just winning, is key, said coach Russ Tongg, who also teaches social studies and physical education at the school. No student who shows up for practice and keeps up with schoolwork is cut, he said.

"I wanted to have a large team to try and build self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth," he said. "I know how it feels to be cut at that age, and I don't want them to turn away from sports. I think a lot of students go two ways — it either makes them work harder or they just completely quit, and I didn't want that."

The track season culminated Friday at the Central District Middle School Track Meet at Mililani High School, where the team took second place. Moanalua Middle sent four busloads, including the team members, cheerleaders and several chaperones.

Because of the limited number of events, only 60 students on the team were able to compete, but Tongg said he hasn't received any complaints from students or parents. Students who didn't compete attended the meet to cheer on their teammates.

"I think just the sense of belonging, being on the team is what they like," he said.

The track team had about 50 students when Tongg started coaching five years ago. Every year the team has grown, he said, adding that it couldn't be done without the team's three assistant coaches.

Garcia and fellow eighth-graders Anthony Chang and Megan Tamayo were among those on the track team who didn't compete in the meet. But not being able to compete didn't bother the students, who said they plan to continue running in high school.

Chang, who didn't play sports growing up, said he loves running and joined track as a way to get more involved in school activities. Tamayo said she figured joining the team would be a good way to meet new people, be around friends and get some exercise.

"I made a lot of new friends, and I thought it would be good to be active," Tamayo said. "I don't want to just be laying around."

A middle school track team that large is unusual, confirmed Roy Miyoga, central district co-coordinator for middle school sports.

But Miyoga prefers to use another word to describe it.

"I wouldn't use the word unusual," he said. "Unusual sounds like something's wrong. I think it's fantastic. It's something positive."

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.