Andover Track & Field sent a group of athletes to Deerfield to compete at the season’s culmination event, the New England Preparatory School Track Association (NEPSTA) Championships (Interschols) on May 18. The boys placed sixth (47 points) and the girls placed fifth (58.8 points) overall. The team set 21 season bests, 16 personal bests, and three class records at the competition.
Bennett Rodgers ’26 acknowledged how preparing for Interschols influenced the team’s practices in the week prior. He noted how important being in the right mindset is and how the team prepared both physically and mentally.
“Getting ready for Interschols really impacted the week before in practice. That week we were really just working and getting ready, especially because this is one of the biggest meets of the year. One of the biggest things is just getting in the right mindset. We didn’t have any crazy workouts because we just really wanted to make sure that we were both physically and mentally prepared for the meet,” said Rodgers.
The team prepared using various training methods to optimize fitness while coaches provided helpful advice to athletes. Sarah Bae ’26 mentioned how fun the recent weeks have been due to fun activities while also working to improve technique.
“The whole week going into Interschols we were peaking and tapering, which was really helpful and our coaches have been great with providing us with feedback. Practice has been especially fun these past two weeks. We did something fun called ‘intersquad’ which is where we do fun little competitions with the team. This can include things like pacing a slow 4×1, a push content, or doing a plank challenge. Additionally, we focused on sharpening our technical skills. For sprinters we would do blocks and then for hurdlers we’d go over technique. Sprinters would work on turnover and strides,” said Bae.
Pole vaulters Hailey Piasecki ’26 and Rodgers placed first for the girls and boys side respectively, earning ten points each for their team. Rodgers shouted out Piasecki for achieving first place and setting a new personal record.
“Hailey Piasecki had a really great meet. She set a new personal record in pole vault clearing 9’6, and she also got first place at the NEPSAC championships, which is really cool. Both Hailey and I were able to get first place for pole vault on the girls and boys side which was very exciting,” said Rodgers.
Gracie Aziabor ’26 highlighted how big meets bring both excitement and occasional nerves. She stated how many of the athletes were competing at Interschols for the first time which added to the atmosphere.
“There is pressure at big meets like this. A lot of the people who were competing were actually new this year too and it was their first year at Interschols, me included. I think the main feelings were definitely excitement but there were also a lot of nerves, considering this was a big moment for a lot of us,” said Aziabor.
The meet brought in competitors from 17 different schools, fostering a highly competitive atmosphere. Rodgers stated how due to the competitive nature, athletes worked especially hard to prove their skills from both practices and previous meets.
“The energy was super fun and competitive. The energy was really high because this was one of the biggest meets. It has a lot of schools and is overall very competitive. It has all of the best athletes which creates a fun vibe where everyone is trying to prove how hard they have been working in practices and previous meets,” said Rodgers.
Ultimately, Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) took first on the girls side and second for the boys. Aziabor highlighted how this meet has allowed the team to learn what they have to work on and help it prepare for its upcoming meet against Exeter.
“We only have one meet left and it’s [Andover/Exeter]. Exeter has some really great competition as we were able to see at Interschols… We definitely have more things to look for and to work on and I think learning from how their athletes run and their events is really going to help us prepare,” said Aziabor.
Track & Field will compete at home against Exeter on Saturday for its annual dual Andover/Exeter meet.
