Hayley Graham
Reporter
Both the boys and girls indoor 4×800 track teams have had an outstanding season, with FCIAC and Class L State Championship placings.
Girls
With a recent placing of third at the FCIAC championship and seventh at the Class L state championship, girls Track and Field has had a very successful season. One of the most successful parts of the team has been the 4×800 relay, with a team of seniors Liz Gordon, Isabel Hetherington, Alex Naughton and Emily Wood.
“In the beginning of the season we were all coming from cross country, so we were still adjusting to the shorter, faster races,” senior captain Isabel said. “As the season progressed, however, we started to get back into the familiar pace for the 4×800 relay and
decreased our individual splits and overall time.”
Before the FCIAC championship, the 4×800 team ran a dry run at FCIAC Easterns, where they placed third with a time of 10:05.79. Their success continued as they qualified for the Class L State championship, placing 7th with a time of 10:20.12.
Going into the season, Liz had some goals about the team and the end results, “We’ve been doing this relay together for years so we have all learned how to run this race and work together,” she said. “I think I want to end this year with having our relay placing in FCIACs and states. Just having a good race is always fun with the excitement of cheering on the other relay members.”
Emily hopes that their success continues into their spring season, “Our season ended last week at the State meet, but we are looking forward to running the relay again in the spring. Hopefully we can place in the FCIAC and State meets, and end our track careers on a high note.”
As seniors, the girls also hope to leave their mark on the team for next year. “I want to leave the team next year with the sense of commitment that is necessary for such a huge team,” Alex said. “And hopefully they will continue doing a great job competing for many more seasons to come!”
Boys
The boys 4×800 indoor track team also had a successful season. The team features seniors Sam Reynolds and Alex Robey, and juniors Spencer Lyman and Alex Ellsworth. Competing in many of the same meets as the girls, the boys team also qualified for FCIACS and States. In the Yale Invitational, the boys placed second, with a time of 8:26.80, beating their personal best by 2 seconds. At FCIAC Easterns, they placed fourth with a time of 8:30.98. Their success led them to qualify for Class L States, and they ended up placing third, with a time of 8:27.82.
Spencer feels that they have had a successful season, “We’ve improved a lot from the beginning of the season because everybody now knows their role,” he said. “We all have a much better understanding of what we personally need to do in order for our race to ultimately be successful.”
