The Manchester Essex indoor track teams ended the regular season with some positive momentum, with the girls earning a win and the boys team excelling at an individual level against Hamilton-Wenham on Jan. 30.
“If wins were measured in PRs both the boys and girls’ team would be league champions,” ME indoor track coach Brian Davis said after the meet. “In anything you do you can’t ask for more than your best performance, and last night the boys team put it all out there with 12 personal records (PR), one state best, and one
state qualifier. The girls team did the same, hitting eight PRs, and getting the win in a nailbiter that required the entire team.”
The girls team pulled out a close, 48-43 win over the Generals, with athletes stepping into events for the first time and earning crucial points that counted toward the victory.
“Sabine Cooper (first), Whitney Turner (second), and Kalin Bennett (third) stepped up to throw the shot put for the first time to make a surprise points grab from H-W, and did just that scoring four points in a meet won by only three,” explained Davis.
Cooper and Turner weren’t done there, either, taking second and third in the mile and teaming up with Milina Binieris and Cia Donohoe to win the 4x400 relay. Up and down the lineup, the Hornets continued to showcase their versatility, starting with Lydia Garth also contributed in multiple events, earning PRs in the 55M hurdles and 300M and teaming with Binieris, Tess Taylor and Abby Kent to win the 4x200. Kent and Binieris also helped provide points in the 600M and 300M while Caroline Eliassen was second in the long jump and 300 meter, Donohoe was second in the 1000M (a PR), and Anna Sergi was third in the 2-mile.
“It came down to the 4x400 and some creative roster work by the team and selfless efforts to get our lineups right, and they delivered,” said Davis.
While the boys fell to Hamilton-Wenham by a 75-20 score, it wasn’t for lack of trying thanks to an impressive collection of personal records set by members of the team.
Sam Heanue was first in the shot put and earned a PR in his debut in the 55M, Noah Cohen and Luke Donohoe were first and third in the 55M, respectively, and Adare Foster finished third in the 300M (PR). Other Hornets earning personal bests were Alec Rizzico (first, long jump), Charlie Thurlow (second, high jump) and Gus Hall, who qualified for the state meet in the mile by clocking in with a personal record in under five minutes.
The Hornets were scheduled to compete in the Cape Ann League Championship on Feb. 4.
