Some of Andover’s most dedicated track runners competed against not only high school but also college athletes on Sunday at the 2009 USATF New England Indoor Championship at Harvard University. Despite the fierce competition, the track team proved its depth. Several Andover runners managed to place third in their races, some competing against runners twice their age. Joe Kruy ’12 once again excelled in his race, placing third in the 60 Meter Hurdles with a time of 8.79. Captain Mide Babatunde ’09 described Kruy as a “freshman extraordinaire”, saying that he “really stood out again. He not only ran a personal best in the 60 Meter Hurdles but he managed to soundly defeat the Exeter Senior who barely beat him out at Andover/Exeter on Wednesday.” Babatunde himself ran well in the 200 and 400, finishing in 24.6 and 54.11 seconds, respectively. He said, “It was my first time running the 200 and I was very happy with the race. I was a little worried that I would be spent after busting through the 400, but the 200 is such a quick race, you don’t even feel it.” Another notable performance came from sprinter Chase Potter ’09. He led Andover in the 200 with a time of 23.85 and the 400 with a time of 53.70. Deidra Willis ’09 and Anna Burgess ’09, the only female sprinters for Andover, both ran in the 60 and 200. Willis ran the 60 in 8.76 seconds, while Burgess followed closely behind in 8.83 seconds. In the 200 both athletes recorded impressive times. Burgess finished her race with a time of 29.06, while Willis ran the race in 29.57. The distance team also displayed their strength on Sunday. Cayla Hatton ’12 finished third in the 3000 with a time of 10:31.94. Hatton, a newcomer to the team, has consistently been the fastest distance girl for the track team. Stassja Sichko ’10, the only other distance girl at the meet, ran the 800 and finished with a time of 2:35.58. Three Andover athletes ran the one mile. Mike Discenza ’09 finished in 4:33.18, Charles Ganner ’10 in 4:37.34, and Eli Howe ’09 in 4:50.60.
