a note from Steven M. - Andover Invitational

(See previous post for links to photos and story by John Huth)
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(from Steven McChesney; 11 May 2008)

Hi everyone,

First of all thanks for all that you do. We have
the greatest parents and fans anywhere.

I normally just do the coaching thing and leave the
writing to others that are better than I am. John is
the king and the John Huth javelin does have a nice
ring to it. But this meet was too special for me not
to add my thoughts.

In name I am the girls coach, but we all know that
I am very involved with both teams. We won the co-ed
title and that is huge against this collection of
teams. It took a total team effort and I am very
proud of the huge trophy we received for the being the
best combined team. I felt that the boys had a good
meet considering that we were missing one of our big
point guys in Yong. I am sure that he would have won
the 110 hurdles and that we would have scored well in
the 4 x 100 with him completely healthy. We held him
out so that he can have that kind of an impact later
in the season when he feel more up to it. We had so
many kids give so many great efforts that were just
off of scoring. Both boys and girls teams really came
to compete and we had a great team effort.

As a girls coach I sent the following to the
Tribune. There were far too many great efforts for me
to single out in the text. We had a jaw dropping
great day that I will remember as a highlight of my
career as the South girls coach.

My take sent to the Tribune:

Andover Invitational
1. Newton South 120 #2 All State Indoor Season
2. Reading 54 4th D. II Indoor Season
3. Tewksbury 52
4. Central Catholic 49 3rd D. II Indoor Season
5. Andover 48 2008 Indoor All State Champions

Also competing Acton-Boxboro, Westford

The Andover Boosters Meet is the most competitive
invitational run in our state. This year it featured
the #1, #2, #4 and #9 teams from the indoor all state
meet.
We came into the Andover Invitational as a hopeful
team. In the indoor season we led the All State meet
from the first scored event until the last event.
Andover overtook us in the 4 x 400 to become State
champions and we took 2nd.
We came to Andover as a very motivated team after
a very hard earned win against Westford on the 7th.

This is certainly the best total team performance
in my 19 years as a head girls coach at Newton South.
I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THIS EFFORT AND PUT IT IN A
BOTTLE FOR USE AT THE STATE MEETS. You know you are
having a great meet when you score in bunches in a
number of events. We had two or more girls score in
the 2 Mile, Long Jump, 400, 800, 100, Mile and
shot put.
I LOVE THE BALANCE OF OUR PRODUCTION. EVERY EVENT
GROUP CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WIN. Brookline coach Mike
Glennon remarked on how impressed he was with our
total team.

We didn’t just win. We completely dominated the best
teams in the state in such a convincing fashion that
the meet was never in doubt. I don’t know which was
more impressive, the huge amount of points we scored
or the number of kids that had their season best or
personal best that are now at a state scoring level.
Almost every girl not only had their best day of the
season or their best day ever, but the marks we
achieved are huge going into the state meets. This
was truly a great team across the board on display.
We had three other possible scorers missing from the
line up. Ellie Ellis (5'3 High Jump) and Cora
Visnick, (9’0” pole vault) are just coming back from
ankle sprains. Both of their PRs would have placed
2nd. Kyle Remy had a prior commitment that was
approved by the coaching stafff and her PR would have
been 6th and would have helped our relays score. We
could have raked up over 130 points.

In the first two events scored we jumped to a
huge lead and never looked back. The 2 Mile was the
first and we went 1,2, 3 against a field far superior
to that of the larger MSTCA coaches meet. In all of
my years at South I have only had three girls ever
break 11:00 in this event (Bridget and Kelsey are the
only two to ever do it in the spring season). We had
two girls in the same meet break 11:00 and I never
thought I would ever see that. Bridget broke her 2nd
Invitational record (also Weston Twilight Mile) in a
row and brought our school record down to 10:46.72.
Kelsey has done it in each of her three 2 miles this
season which is in my mind as remarkable as Bridget’s
time. As far as I can find both of these times rank
in the top 10 in the nation.
Madeleine Reed took 3rd in a 25 second PR in 11:17.2.
At about the mile of this race an opposing coach
thanked me for putting on a clinic. That was nice.
We had 24 points in our first event.

The next event is also a great story. We did not
jump well against Westford and allowed them a 1,2
finish in our dual at only 15’0” We had a talk with
our jumpers after that and boy did they respond.
Candace won in 17’0, a jump over 2 feet better in
three days. Christie Lee jumped a 10 inch PR of
16’7.75 to take third. Candace also ran an anchor
leg on the 4 x 100 that was very impressive.
By our 2nd event we had 40 points.

Our other big winner was Nalis Mbianda who won both
the shot put and Javelin. She set a big PR in the
javelin winning with 116’9”. She won the shot put in
34’8.5”

I was able to give the meet director two names for
the outstanding performer of the meet in Bridget and
Nalis.

Ezra Banks also had a huge day. She jumped a
triple jump that can win meets like this many years in
a PR of 35’6.75” and ran a strong 2nd place in the 100
in 12.96. Her time was slowed by a strong head wind
as was all of the running events. She also got us off
to a great start in a 4 x 100 relay that challenged
the defending state champs.

The thing that makes me feel that we are heading to
a fun post season is the relays. In the indoor
season we were able to field a very competitive 4 x
200 and 4 x 800. Andover overtook us in the last
event the 4 x 400. We have been determined to be able
to field 3 relays that could help at state time.
Our 4 x 800 did not run a remarkable time at
Andover and that is not unusual for this time of the
season when I am working them hard towards the post
season. I will be more selectful with the races they
run later and they will all be more rested. In that
event our season bests are Juliet 2:19, Bridget 2:20,
Diana 2:21, Kathy 2:23 and Julia 2:24 and that
roughly is a 9:25 4 x 800 so we are actually ahead of
where we were in indoor at this point. We will get
big points out of this event. In fact I am thrilled
that Kathy was able to run 2:23 giving us more options
in the relays.

Our 4 x 100 of Ezra, Katie, Azeezah and Candace
broke 50.0 last year and was 5th at All State. We are
well ahead of where we were last year at 50.13. What
really pleases me is that we had a go mark mix up on
the 2nd hand off that really slowed us and we still
ran very close to the defending state champs of
Andover. We looked like a team that could challenge
Andover.

But our 4 x 400 developement has me thrilled. I
may double some kids in the 4 x 800 and the 4 x 400 at
the state meets. But I am not sure that I will have
to. Our 400 has developed into one of our deepest
events. In the Andover meet I only moved Diana into
the 4 x 400 in this meet and we looked very good. I
believe this event has growth potential that may be a
real surprise to opposing teams. I believe we can
have a 4 x 400 that break 4:06 or so by the D. I meet
and that is without any changes to our other two
relays. At All State I will mix and match in a way
that gives us a chance to score here.

Once in a while in my career I leave a meet feeling
like, wow, I can't believe we are really this strong.
I am still saying that to myself as I write this the
next day. The 2008 Andover Boosters meet was one of
the great meets in our history and I am thrilled
beyond belief with this performance. Did I mention,
WOW!

Marks by Event
100 2. Ezra Banks 12.96 PR
5. Katie Sandson 13.60

200 7. Candace Bailey 27.13

400 4. Andrea Braver 61.46 Ties PR
6. Dani Pensack 62.56

800 2. Diana Braver 2:21.34 SB
5. Julia Frieze 2:24.8

Mile 2. Kathy O’ Keefe 5:13.61 PR
5. Melanie Fineman 5:21.75 PR
Sonya Freeman 5:37.69 SB
Juliet Ryan-Davis 5:40.46

2 Mile 1. Bridget Dahlberg 10:46..72
Meet and School records 6 sec. PR
2. Kelsey Karys 10:53.34
3. Madeleine Reed 11:17.2 25 second PR
Sara Chari 11:55.55

100 Hurdles 7th Azeezah Gray 17.36
Rachel Rubinstein 18.69

300 Hurdles Mary Kate Cronin 53.17 SB
Emily Epstein 54.81 SB

4 x 100 2. Ezra, Katie, Azeezah, Candace 50.13 SB

4 x 400 5. Dani, Andrea, Emily, Diana 4:12.51

4 x 800 2. Juliet, Jullia, Kathy, Bridget 8:51.65 SB

Long Jump 1. Candace 17’0” SB
3. Christie Lee 16’7.75” 10 in PR

Javelin 1. Nalis Mbianda 116’9” PR
Kayla Jackson 89’2 a few inches off of PR

Triple Jump 3. Ezra Banks 35’6.75” 7 inch PR
Zoe Demple 31’11.25 PR by a foot

Shot Put 1. Nalis Mbianda 34’8.5”
6. Elisabeth Jeyaraj 32’9

Discus Elisabeth Jeyaraj 79’7
Hillary Bloom 78’11

Steven