Track & Field Highlights

Article: Chidinma Esielem ’23 | Photos: Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18, ’22

Last week the track team had their first home meet. Needless to say, this team faced some obstacles along the way. For one, the weather was less than ideal. Although predicted to be in the mid-50s, the temperature remained in the low 40s, with noticeable wind. Cold and wind are not necessarily suitable for any outdoor sporting event, but especially for track athletes, this weather-variance can drastically affect performance. The propelling of the wind can either work for you or against you. Thankfully for both our girls’ and boys’ 4x1 teams, the former was the case. For shot put, which wind has no impact on, the sibling #SupremeAthlete duo, Keyvanna Bennett ’24 and Kayden Bennett ’26, both placed first for their respective teams, followed by Jason Hall ’23 and Leo Vanslack ’24 in the men's division.

Despite beating the adversary of wind, the team faced another challenge—the bristling cold. Besides being incredibly annoying, the cold weather can significantly affect a runner's mobility. Because the low temperatures tighten the body's muscles, athletes are most likely to sustain injuries if not stretched enough. This especially happens in fast-running events, where the muscle is contracted at higher speeds. Unfortunately, Azerionna Crudup ’25 suffered a pulled quad during her 100-meter race, where she competed incredibly well despite apparent constraints. Exemplifying Crudup's tenacity, both the girls’ and boys’ teams placed third or higher in the 100, 200, and 400 races.

In addition to the relay races, track, while a team sport, is hugely independent. But now, imagine having to run a race not just for yourself but by yourself. Freshman Ronan Sullivan ’26 achieved this feat masterfully, running a beautiful 11:45:3 in his arduous 3000-meter race. Meave Curtin ’24 and Bella Marzouca ’25 also faced a similar dilemma in their 100-meter hurdles, finishing first and second, respectively, with Bella trailing behind by a mere two seconds despite it being her first official time. In parallel, Dylan Marzouca ’24, another half to another sibling duo, raced alongside Nick Warren ’26—his first official hurdle race—to place first and second in the 300-meter hurdle race.

Besides Ronan, the rest of the distance crew also showed out. Declan Hehir ’23 placed first in a tight race (4 seconds separated between the first and third place), passing a runner in the last stretch for the 800. Nate Morrin ’23, who finished third in this race, snagged a first-place win in the taxing 1500-meter race. On the female side, freshman Ava Butterfield ’26 made an incredible home meet debut by dominating both the 800 and 1500-meter races. In the girls’ long jump, Kayla Barthel ’25 finished first with a best of 13'7. On the boys’ side, the future DI track athletes—Jaiden Johnson ’23 and Owen Moreira ’23—came out on top for all the jumping events.

Although this day was filled with stories of severe weather patterns, isolation, and first times, the track team had a dominant performance in their first home meet. They look to continue their successful record and hope this will be a foreshadowing of their performance at New England’s. Good luck and show out.