DCL dual meet at BU

NS ran against Waltham at BU on Wednesday 11 Jan.
Click here for full results

Report from Steven:
Newton South Girls vs Waltham

Our team wishes to thank the coaches and athletes of Waltham for showing true class and sportsmanship in our dual meet after having a competitive disadvantage by missing three event through no fault of their own.

The final score was Newton South 64 and Waltham 25, but it would have been closer if Waltham could have run the full events. On paper going into the meet Waltham would have scored 11 points and Newton South 16 in the three events missed. Instead Newton South was awarded all of those points.

With this win Newton South now has 19 seasons in a row without a losing record.

We are 2-1 in the large school division and this is the first year that we only count our record as such. We have Acton-Boxborough remaining.

Each meet during the season we have improved and this was our best meet to date.

As a team we had 34 season bests. That is the 2nd meet in a row that we have had over 30 season bests and that is a very good sign. At the start of the season I noted that we were a very young team with event areas of inexperience in which we returned no varsity athletes.

Now I would say that we have gained valuable experience and we are a much more balanced team to the point of being one of the best teams in the DCL ahead of schedule. We have only 8 juniors and seniors filling varsity positions compared to 22 - 9th and 10th graders competing on varsity and we are about to bring a few more young athletes up from the JV ranks. Our senior leaders have really embraced teaching the new kids the system and in turn the new kids are thriving and giving varsity efforts. This making coaching this team an absolute blast.

Jonee Harrison and Jina An got us off to a great start going 1,2 in the shot put with Jonee setting her PR of 29’8 and Jina nearing hers.

In the 600 - 9th graders Sonya Nair and Julia Lee went 1-2 with 10th grader Sophia Cen completing the sweep and all three ran very solid varsity times. Sonya Nair also ran a PR 65 split on the 4 x 400.

Alekhya Chaparala had another great day tying her PR in the high jump, setting a PR in the 1000 and giving us the lead in the 4 x 400.

Anna Laurence placed 2nd in the 1000 and Yasime Hashemi ran below the D. IV state standard in the event which allows her to be an extra entry into the DCL championship meet. 9th grader Louisa Kimmell scored in 3rd place.

Both Kathleen Garrity and Jennifer Olins set PRs in the 55 hurdles.

Mary Testa made her first race of the season in the 55 meters a great one with a state qualifying win in 7.67 and also ran a huge leg on our 4 x 200 spliting under 27. Our 4 x 200 had great hand offs and ran a great team race, but was DQed for stepping in the inside of the rail. I feel that these girls did a great job passing the baton and learned a lesson in the process. Kyra Visnick came in 2nd in the 55, tied for 1st in the long jump and also gave us a great leg on the 4 x 200.

Anna Rhatigan ran a huge PR in the 2 mile in 11:49.8 and showed that she is once again among the best in the DCL in distance events after racing ill.

Emily Caggiano had one of the most exciting wins of the day because of her determined running style and won her heat from the gun with Naomi Eisenberg 2nd in with a big PR. Emily ran 5:37.7 and Naomi was clocked in 5:47.8.

Kathleen Garrity and Jennifer Olins both set PRs in the 55 hurdles.

Next Up:
Division I Relays next Saturday
JV jamboree on Friday