Andover Girls Track broke two school records, one class record and one NEPSTA record in its second place finish at Interschols this past weekend. Boys track struggled in an eighth-place upset. Before this season, the boys’ team had placed in the top two since 1988. Captain Alexis Walker ’12 led by example. Walker broke the school records in the 100m and Long Jump. She also dominated the 4x100m relay, coming within .02 seconds of breaking the school record. In addition to Walker, the rest of the girls’ team came out on top for most of the day. Kinsey Yost ’15, Rebecca Wagman ’13, Charlie Jarvis ’15 and Tafarii Mckenzie ’12 set the NEPSTA record in the 4x400m. Anoush Shehadeh ’15 earned her spot in the record books by breaking her class record in the 3000m. Placing second in the discus, Chelsea Grain ’12 broke her own personal record. Although girls track did not continue its reign as New England champions, a title it has held for the past four years, Walker was happy with its efforts, performance and attitude of the team. “I am really proud of the team’s hard work and the outcome. Pre-meet, we were supposed to come in third, but we came in second to beat Exeter. Although the legacy of PA girls track winning came to an end, I couldn’t be more happy with how the day turned out. So many people had record-breaking performances. Whether it was beating a personal best, a school record or a NEPSTA record, the girls did their best, and to me that is what Interschols is all about: competing and having fun,” said Walker. Despite a disappointing overall finish, individuals stood out during the meet. Placing first in the shot put and second in the discus, Jack Ward ’13 scored 18 of the team’s 27 points. “In the words of Coach [Lou] Bernieri, he is one of the most talented throwers he has seen in his 25 plus years coaching Andover Track,” said Captain James Lim ’12. Matt Cohen ’12 recorded a fifth place finish in discus. “We went into Interschols knowing we had one of the best throwing teams in New England, and we proved that with our performance,” said Ward. The boys shined in two other events: the 4x100m relay and the 1500m. Michael Frasco ’12 placed third in the 1500m, and Jonathan Arone ’14, Brian Wagner ’14, James Lim ’12 and Babatunde Bello ’13 teamed up for a season best in the relay. “We might have not brought home the big win, but at the end of the day, I was very proud of each and every one of my teammates,” said Lim. Andover Track looks forward to its last meet this Saturday against Exeter. The girls are looking to further prove their superiority against Exeter, while the boys are looking to avenge their Interschols loss.
