Andover Girls Track is the fastest team in New England. Capturing the 2008 New England Prep School Track and Field Association Division I Track and Field Championship title proved it. Andover hosted the meet on Saturday, May 17th, which boasted the best athletes in New England. The Andover Girls team showed its depth and talent in every event, stunning the crowd with many an exciting race on its home track. The 4×100 team of Aniebiet Ekpa ’11, Anna Burgess ’09, Colleen Flanagan ’10, and Captain Simone Hill ’08 took third in a season’s best 50.77. The duo of Ekpa and Captain Hill scored crucial points for Andover by placing second and third respectively in the 100m, with 12.50 and 12.65. Ekpa, only a Junior, also made a name for herself amongst an older and experienced field of 200 meters runners –she placed third in 26.57. Annie McDonough ’09 added valuable points by taking fourth place in the 100 Hurdles (16.48), placing third while beating a personal record in the 300 Hurdles (47.92), and taking sixth place spot in the Triple Jump. Alexis Dawkins ’10 placed fourth in the Triple Jump in 35 ft 2.25 inches, breaking the Lower Record previously held by Jara Crear ’08. Dawkins also placed sixth in the 400m in a time of 1:01.29. The distance events helped Andover separate itself from the field. Abby Levene ’09 once again swept the competition in the 3000 meters, and Stephanie Moroney ’09 took third. The pair took third and fourth in the 1500 meters behind the top Exeter runners. Anna Fang ’10 broke her own school record by another few tenths of a second, leading the pack in 2:16.68 in the 800m. The team also welcomed surprises in the field events. Meghan McCafferty ’10 placed third in the Shot Put with a superb throw of 36 ft 9.75 in. Hailee Minor ’08 took sixth in the Discus in 93’4’’ and Sadiqa Farrow was a vital asset in the Javelin, snatching second with 100 ft 5 in. Melissa Ferrari ’10 took second in the High Jump in 4’10’’, while Flanagan matched her personal best of 8’6’’, taking third in the Pole Vault. The last event, the 4×400 relay, was undoubtedly the most thrilling event of the afternoon. Andover needed to finish within a place of Exeter or risk losing the title. The “dream team” of Dawkins, McDonough, Catherine Coppinger ’09, and Fang–running her first 400–kept a strong lead through the entire race, despite Exeter’s efforts to gain ground. The relay took first in 4:04.9, setting a school record and a NEPSTA Meet Record. The girls were overwhelmed with triumph and spirit as Captain Hill claimed the golden plaque at the awards ceremony. The Andover boys brought home a successful fourth-place finish, yet were robbed out of the top-three spot, finishing a half -point behind rival Exeter. This year, powerhouses Avon Old Farms and Hotchkiss took the Championship and runner-up titles, respectively. However, the boys’ achievements at Interschols cannot be measured in a simple tally of points. Starting the meet off with a clean set of exchanges, the 4×100 relay team of Captain Lou Tejada ’08, Michael Donelan ’08, Chase Potter ’09, and Chad Hollis ’08 finished third with a time of 44.26. In the 100 meters,, Captain Tejada placed eighth overall in 11.56. Corbin Tognoni ’08 clinched a valuable third place in the 110 hurdles in 15.75, as well as fourth in the 300 hurdles in 42.67. On the distance side, Charlie Ganner ’10 came second in the 1500 with a personal best of 4:08.97. Ganner also placed third in the 3000, followed by Eli Howe’ 09 in fourth. Head Coach Corbin Lang said of the meet, “Our success on both sides was not measured in the points we expected to reap, but by the surprises- the unexpected performances that gave us that edge and demonstrated our true depth as a team.” This week, Andover Track will prepare itself for its last meet this Saturday, another chance to defeat Exeter again on home turf.
