Though listed as separate teams, Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field collaborate with each other.
Year after year, one of the strongest teams on campus is Girls’ Varsity Track and Field. This season is no different. Coming off the Founders League Championship last season and a 5-0 start this year, the team is motivated and prepared for a great season.
When speaking to the captains of the team, they expressed the team’s goals for the season. Both Co-Captain Lauren Lamb ’17 and Co-Captain Abby Blair ’17 commented on the team’s lofty expectations. Lamb said, “We are hoping to go undefeated the entire season, win Founders for the second year in a row, and place top three in New England’s.” Co-Captain Maya Birney ’17 went even further, saying she wanted to win New England’s. Birney later said that she realizes that the expectations are high, but she believes they are absolutely reachable.
The girls know this season is not going to be a cake-walk by any means. Lamb commented on the necessities for the team’s success, saying, “It’s going to take the whole team supporting each other, working hard at every practice, and pushing itself.” Blair said on the topic, “It means taking every practice seriously and working hard every day, whether its on the track, in the gym, in the trainers, or wherever it may be.”
Off the track, Birney had another goal for the team, and that goal was coming closer together. She stressed the family aspect of the team is one of its strongest assets. On what it would take to achieve this goal, Birney said, “Hopefully, we will get some team dinners in. We have a lot of good team chants; we all cheer for each other, and that really helps to bring the team together.”
Another aspect of the team that was stressed by the captains was its depth. “We don’t have just a few people that are good that carry the team. We have multiple people in most events that are very strong and can push each other and can go hard in practice,” said Blair on the team strength.
On the other side, the captains realized their team has room to grow. Lamb commented on how hard it is to train for multiple events because of the high expectations in each one. Birney said, “For weaknesses, we don’t always wear enough clothing when it’s cold out. Layering up is important.” Blair focused on another aspect, saying, “We are not always the most focused team. We could be more focused, but it’s also just the beginning of the season, and once we get more into it, people will be more focused and be ready to go.”
While this year’s team may have the same aspirations as last year’s team, the roster is certainly not the same. Blair said of new athletes, “We have a lot of great new people on the team that are working well with the returning athletes. For example, Sidney Jones ’17 joined us this year. She is a senior soccer player, and she is incredibly fast in the 100-meter dash. She sprained her ankle earlier this season, but I think she is going to help us a lot. Also, some younger students are making impacts too. Another soccer player, Sam Brown ’20, joined us and is already excelling at the high jump and in the 400-meter-run.” Blair believes the young athletes will help lead, but a strong group of seniors will be a formula for success.
After a fourth-place finish last year at the New England Championships, the Girls’ Varsity Track and Field team is on a mission to return and take home the hardware this year. Their individual and team goals are set, and they aren’t backing down.
