Andover Girls Track and Field raced to a fourth place finish at the NEPSTA Championships, only thirteen points off first place finisher Loomis Chaffee. Another first and second place finish would have given the Girls team a victory at its championships. The Girls team finished with a 3-2-1 record.
“On the girls side, I felt we had an incredible season. Returners kept up their awesome performances with a lot of improvement, and we also saw some outstanding performances from new members of the team,¨ said Caroline Shipley, who took first in five Girls 400 Meter races this year. ¨But results aside, I know this season will be remembered for the incredible group of individuals who made up the team, and all the awesome times we spent together.”
Andover Boys Track and Field finished with a 3-3 record at Interschols and a 9th place finish at Interschols. Only two teams placed behind Andover Boys Track. Just four years ago, Andover Boys Track took home the NEPSTA Championship.
“This season was definitely a rebuilding year.” said Boys Track Captain Robert Rush ‘14. “We lost a lot of great track athletes from the class of ’13, but I have to say the lowerclassmen really upped their game. I was so impressed by their tenacity and their drive. It inspired me to be the best because I knew they were looking to me and Diana to lead them. I refused to disappoint them. I enjoyed being captain this year and wouldn’t trade my team for the world.”
“In the end, the points didn’t matter. The entire team gave everything they had […] left it all on the track. Throughout the entire season, not a single teammate, not even for a moment, believed that success was out of reach. In other words, I would say that our season was successful,¨ said Andrew Wang ‘16.
Andover Track was led by strong veterans in its rebuilding season.
Indoor Track Captain Matt Fischetti ’14 was named MVP of Andover Boys Track. Ryder Stone ’14, winner of the Ray Tippett award, consistently placed well for Andover in the Boys 100-meter, Boys Long Jump, and Boys Javelin Throw.
Michael Moore ’14 threw a shot put for over forty-eight feet to place third at the NEPSTA Championships in Boys Shot Put. Rush was a member of the Boys 4×100-meter relay, a sprinter in the Boys 100-meter, and a NEPSTA Top 5 Boys Long Jump jumper. Scott Diekema ’14 was Andover’s fastest runner in the Boys 1500-meter.
Indoor Track Captain Jonathan Arone ’14, Josiah Legaspi ’14, Patrick Monaghan ’14 and Matt Simon ’14 were other Seniors on the Boys Track team.
Co-Captain Diana Tchadi ‘14 was a primary force behind Andover Track’s camaraderie. She also participated in the Girls 100-meter Hurdles at the NEPSTA Championship. Shanice Pimentel ’14 set a new NEPSTA record along with Taryn Gangi ’16, Charlie Jarvis ’16 and Camille Little ’16 in the Girls 4×100-meter relay.
Other Seniors on the Girls Track team were Ashley Asare-Bediako ’14, Iman Masmoudi ’14, Graydon Tope ’14 and Aly Wayne ’14.
Little was the Andover Girls Track MVP, having scored 117 points over the course of the season, primarily in the Girls 4×100-meter relay, Girls 100-meter, and the Girls 200-meter. Little set the Andover-Exeter Girls 100-meter and 200-meter records. Shipley set the Girls 400-meter Andover-Exeter record, in addition to her five first place finishes during the season. Peyton McGovern ‘16 placed second in the Girls 1500-meter at the NEPSTA Championships and owns the fastest Girls 800-Meter time in the Merrimack Valley, as of May 27.
“Personally, I was really happy with how I progressed over the course of the season.” said Fischetti, “But what really struck me was how much better the underclass men got as well. This year we relied heavily on our senior leadership, but the young guys were able to have an impact as well. I’m really excited to see what they can so in coming years.”
Charlie Jarvis ’15 and Nick DiAdamo ’15 will captain Andover Girls and Boys Track, respectively, next season.
