Zooming to a fifth place finish in the one mile run, Alex Fleury ’20 set a new school record for the one mile run with a time of 4:19.90 minutes last Saturday. This run is also the fastest time in the country for high school tenth graders.
Fleury was one of the athletes selected from Andover Boys Indoor Track and Field to compete in the 2018 USATF New England Indoor Championship at Harvard University, marking the end of its indoor track season.
As it was a non-scoring meet, the championship served as an opportunity for personal growth and experience for Andover, according to Fleury and Head Coach Rebecca Hession.
“There were [personal records] all around the team. It was a great way to end the season, racing against college level competition at Harvard,” said Fleury.
Coach Hession said, “There weren’t just high school students, but athletes who are competing at the collegiate level as well as the Masters level. I think it was a fun opportunity for our athletes to compete against some really strong competition.”
Meanwhile, many first-year athletes had the chance to experience the environment and feel of a big meet, such as Ayana Alemayehu ’21, who placed seventh in the long jump with a jump of 5.16m.
Looking back on the season as a whole, the camaraderie and team mentality that grew this winter were valued, as were the coaches, according to Fleury.
Fleury said, “The team grew in strength and in chemistry and it showed at the Harvard meet, and at the Andover/Exeter meet last weekend. Also, [the coaches], they make sure we are training healthily and safely and give us advice and tips so that we run our fastest and jump our farthest.”
Although this meet marks the end of the Andover Indoor Track season, the outdoor season will begin in the spring, with many indoor track athletes returning to represent Andover.
