Despite the loss of many talented seniors from last year, the indoor track teams are chasing victory this season.
Last winter’s record-breaking season for both boys’ and girls’ indoor track was led by many talented members of the Class of 2024; however, this year’s teams plan to make the best of the season, using their strengths in hopes of matching last year’s historic performances.
Many returning athletes look forward to building on last year’s individual and team successes.
“One of our biggest strengths this year is our sprinter [senior] Max Eigen,” senior sprinter Spencer Romm said. “He broke the school record for the 55-meter dash last year and is looking forward to setting more school records and representing the track team. We also have a lot of talented distance runners like [senior] Jonah Gould.”
Romm, one of the team’s senior leaders, realizes the impacts of losing experienced athletes but emphasizes the importance of stepping up to fill the gap. He strives to help the team succeed by continuing to beat personal records in sprinting and relay events.
“We have a decent team this year, and it is our job as seniors to represent the team and carry us to a successful season,” Romm said.
The loss of seniors in the transition into the new season has been a concern to others. However, Romm and others believe the program has a solid foundation for success.
“We lost a lot of good seniors, but we are still looking to have a strong season,” Romm added.
Senior sprinter Zach Kesselman is also motivated to rebuild and match last year’s records despite challenges.
“One of our strengths is our 4×200 team, and our weakness is probably the lack of depth we have on the team,” Kesselman said.
Kesselman believes all team members must put in effort, regardless of their grade and role on the team.
“Working hard every day at practice, [with] confidence and team chemistry [are keys to success],” Kessleman said. “Last year was much better. We had a lot more distance kids, more kids in general and this year we pretty much have a whole new team with all the freshmen.”
Eigen is looking forward to continuing to break records as he prepares to compete at the collegiate level next year.
“I’m excited,” Eigen said. “I did a lot of stuff to improve and get ready for better times and better placements at important meets.”
Eigen shows a balance between his own personal records and helping lead the team to a successful season. He thinks that he has improved a significant amount over the off-season.
“I feel I’ve gotten faster, and the training I do during practice and the measurements show I’ve been getting faster, so that will translate to the track,” Eigen said.
Eigen is optimistic about this season. He believes that there is a lot more depth this year and that the chemistry is almost as good.
“I think it’s going to be really good again because this year we have more depth in all areas,” Eiegen said. “Better sprints, better distance, [a] better team.”
Eigen is aware of areas where he can improve. Specifically, he believes he needs to work on pushing through at the end of his sprints as he approaches the finish line.
“I want to work on my top speed,” Eigen said. “My acceleration has and will be very good this season, but I feel people catch me at the end of the race, so I want to hold that speed with the acceleration.”
The girls’ team has also entered a season of transition but holds promise with their mix of new talent and experienced athletes. Senior Amelia Bhistikul acknowledges that this is a season of change.
“We lost a lot of seniors like [postgraduate] Olivia Labelle, but we gained a lot of talented freshmen who are going to develop through the season,” Bhiskitul said.
Bhisitkul considers team chemistry a big plus but realizes how hard it will be to replace record-breakers.
“A strength is that we are all very connected, and there is a lot of team chemistry,” Bhistikul said. “A weakness is that we lost a lot of record breakers.”
For sophomore distance runner Tanvi Mehta, the season has already shown promising progress. She is off to an extremely impressive start, setting a new record in the 600-meter event.
“It’s good. I broke the 600m record,” Mehta said. “The old record was 1:41.40 and I ran a 1:39.57. This is my first time doing indoor track and I am feeling good about it.”
For sophomore Sabrina Devine, she is feeling optimistic about the team’s progress so far. She did track last year as well, so she is able to make comparisons.
“The team has done very well and the upperclassmen are impressive,” Devine said. “[Senior] Ari Gentile is very good at sprinting, Jill Belniak has been performing well in hurdles and mid-distance and Maggie Haven is doing well as a distance runner. Another standout runner is Josephine Cesar, who does sprints.”
Both athletes are optimistic about the team’s potential this season, and appreciate the strong performances they’ve already seen.
According to the girls’ head coach Patrick Galvin, leadership from experienced athletes and commitment from younger members will be key to navigating through the ups and downs of this transitional season.
“We were unfortunate to have lost a lot of talented athletes last season, but we are looking to do the best we can this season,” Galvin said.
Galvin appreciates the hard work many runners have put in and the experience they bring to the track.
“A strength is that we have a lot of experience on the team. Some of the girls worked very hard over the off season,” Galvin said. “A weakness is that we don’t have a lot of depth on the team.”
With the season on its way, the team is prepared to break records and continue the legacy last year’s seniors left behind.