In a strong showing coming off the long weekend, Boys and Girls Track & Field dominated this Wednesday in a quint-meet against Austin Preparatory School, North Reading High School, Marian High School, and Landmark School. Girls Track & Field emerged victorious with 63 total points, and Boys Track & Field won with 53 total points. Andover saw excellent performances across the team and across the events, with athletes winning first place in nine out of 17 boys events and eleven out of 17 girls events.
The conditions of this Wednesday’s meeting were difficult and adverse, with a sitting temperature of 46°F, a harsh shift from the past week’s warm weather. The harsh temperatures combined with strong winds limited the possibilities of posting quick times, according to Michelle Onyeka ’27. She recounted her personal struggles with the conditions, commenting on its influence on the overall meet’s times.
“I actually wasn’t feeling great at the beginning of the meet. I wore a bunch of layers and literally had my puffer out. I wasn’t feeling great about the race, mainly because I was really worried that, no matter how much I warmed up and stayed in my layers, I would immediately start feeling cold again. So my running partner and I went into our races feeling rushed and not as prepared. There was also a headwind, so we were running against the wind, and the overall conditions made it really frustrating because it felt like we were running well, but when we got to the end of the finish line, our times just didn’t reflect what we could do,” said Onyeka.
Despite the weather, Zoe von Eckartsberg ’26 set a personal best of 2:30.57 and a first-place finish in the 800-Meter Race. Aaron Blanchard ’28 praised her grit.
“Zoe von [Eckartsberg] ran the 800[-Meter Race], and she ran a [personal record] by two or three seconds. The entire race was really impressive. She started off really strong. She was leading her group with Chloe Song [’26] and through the first 400 meters, she really kept up an amazing pace, and even though you could tell that she was getting a little tired, she kept pushing through, and then she had a good burst of speed through the line in the last 50 meters,” said Blanchard.
The team created an exciting atmosphere in the face of adversity, bringing energy to every event. Reviving a tradition started by former Co-Captain Naima Reid ’25, on the sidelines of the 4 x 400 race, Andover athletes cheered on their teammates by barking and engaging in the sea lion dance, a move popularized on TikTok. Sean Kim ’26, who ran in the 4×400-Meter Relay, relayed his experience as the anchor of that race, recounting the energy boost he felt coming down the home stretch. Ultimately, Andover placed first in 3:41.33 in the 4×400-Meter Relay.
“At the end of the [4×400-Meter Relay], I remember we had a good lead, and when I was going around, coming down the home stretch, I saw the crowd get really hype. People were barking at me, and then people were hitting the sea lion, if you’ve seen that on TikTok. I looked over my shoulder, and people were cheering me on and displaying the team culture. I think that it was great to see everyone out there and hit the sea lion and exemplify that energy,” Kim.
As the season hits its halfway point and with the New England Preparatory School Track Association (NEPSTA) Championships looming less than one month away, Caitlin Ly ’27, who placed first in the Girls 100-Meter Race, commented on the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.
“[The NEPSTA Championships are] less than a month away, and right now, we’re just working on tapering and focusing on the technical stuff, as we’ve already built our base from the indoor season and the beginning of the season. I think we should be in a really good place when the time comes,” said Ly.
Boys and Girls Track & Field will host Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), Loomis Chaffee (Loomis), and Avon Old Farms on Saturday, May 2.
