This past week, CdM’s track team got their season off to a rocky start as they competed in a dual meet against Fountain Valley High School. Anticipation, as well as a large degree of pre-race anxiety, was running high as the runners received their race numbers and clustered around the team tent to stretch, hydrate, and pepper the coaches with questions.

Unfortunately for the CdM runners, Fountain Valley’s track team, known to be strong, backed up their reputation with a fast performance, and left many CdM runners (quite literally) in the dust as the track meet began.

Notable performances came from varsity girls and boys distance runners as they competed in the 1600 meter and 3200 meter races. The top girls’ runners for CdM were (in order) senior Maya Buchwald, junior Annabelle Boudreau, and sophomore Claire Qiu, and the top boys’ runners for CdM were senior Nico Pence and juniors Ethan Bollman and Jack Newton. Newton also finished as the top CdM boys’ runner in the 800 meter race, closely followed by senior Austin Leehealey and junior Will Little. On the girl’s side, Buchwald, junior Sydney Sharp, and freshman Britta Wolker finished as first, second, and third place; a minor victory for CdM.

The sprinters performed admirably as well. Junior Coco Chinnici led for CdM in the girls’ 400 meter dash; senior Bryce Harper for the boys. Sophomore Caroline Glessing led the girls in the 100 meter dash, and junior Alicia Johnston in the girls’ 100 meter hurdles. CdM was unfortunately unable to produce a relay team for most relay races, which Fountain Valley won by default.

In field events, sophomore Jason Plumb won the high jump and long jump for the varsity boys’; for varsity girls, Glessing won the long jump. (No notable placements were made in the girls’ varsity high jump.) Senior Kelly White, senior Ashley Trester, and junior Ariana Novela placed first, second, and third in the girls’ varsity discus throw, and junior Jesse Wright and senior Sam Hurwitz placed first and third, respectively, for the boys. In varsity shot put, Trester placed third for the girls, and for the boys, Wright and Hurwitz placed second and third, respectively.

Here’s to a more successful rest of the season, CdM!