Indoor Track & Field Co-Captain Audrey Powers ’24 never considered herself a runner during her early childhood. However, during her Lower Year, Powers had realized that her experience in lacrosse and ice hockey had trained her to be quick and agile, and that winter, Powers decided to run track.
“I had played lacrosse and hockey my whole life, and my greatest strength had always been my speed. I just had so much fun running, especially sprinting. When I was looking to switch over from ice hockey to a new sport during my Lower Year, I felt that I had to try track. It’s always been a goal of mine to try track and I was super excited,” said Powers.
Oliver Buckhoff ’24 spoke on Powers’ exemplary leadership in inspiring other members of the team to strive for improvement. Her constant communication with the team and hard work makes her a voice that many follow.
“She leads by example. Audrey is always here working hard. She’s in the gym every day. It’s very clear that she is always working to get better. She’s always pushing herself and in that she leads by example. At the same time, she’s also a very vocal leader who’s always telling us when we need to warm up, what’s best to practice, and when to stretch and such,” said Buckhoff.
Blake Herndon ’25 commented on Power’s discipline and work ethic. Power creates a sociable environment and to connect with all the athletes, as well as giving teammates points of improvement after races.
“Audrey leads our team through her portrayal as a hard worker. She is working hard every single practice no matter what and that is very clear to all of us. As well, she’s really nice and she’s always helping others on the team. She gives pointers and is very encouraging, which definitely allows our team to feel close but also very comforting. She really seems to know the whole team which is a great example of her personality,” said Herndon.
As a Senior Captain, Powers spoke on the future of the Track & Field program. Powers’ main focus has been creating interpersonal relationships across all grades of the team and creating an approachable environment for newer athletes.
“I’ve loved getting to know the underclassmen and having the chance to see the future leaders of this team start to develop. I think it’s been fun socializing and getting music going at practice to bring our team together. I try to be social with the team because I want everyone around me to feel comfortable enough so that we don’t feel like there’s a weird captain-player dynamic,” said Powers.
Powers invests time in each athlete, according to Herndon. Herndon described her experience working with Powers outside of practices learning how to weightlift, emphasizing Powers’ dedication and passion to every athlete.
“I never ever lifted before and this track season was the first time I’ve gotten in the weight room. Audrey helped me and stayed after practice to teach me all of the lifting techniques and exercises. I thought that it really showed her caringness and compassion which is why she is such a great captain to begin with,” said Herndon.
Buckhoff emphasized the duality of Powers’ leadership. He spoke of her unique ability to help the team stay motivated, while also promoting runners and field athletes to enjoy themselves even in competitive environments.
“Track is both a team sport and an individual sport, so it’s important to balance both competition and spirit. I think Audrey definitely focuses on collective team spirit. We did captain’s kudos the other day and I think that she played a big role in organizing that. She’s also there making sure that we perform our best and actively tries to make us want to win,” said Buckhoff.
As a graduating Senior, Powers looked forward to her future in Track and Field. She hopes to continue competing on the track past Andover and potentially walk on her college’s team.
“I would love to continue running after Andover. It really depends on what school I end up at. If I end up at one of my top choices, their team is D1 and so insane that I would not be able to run there, but every other school I am interested in, I could either walk on or talk with the coach and I would love to do that. I’m not ready to leave the sport yet,” said Powers.
