With strong senior leadership spread among seven female athletes, the veteran girls outdoor track team is expected to be a powerhouse in the Eastern Athletic Conference (EAC).
Seniors Olivia Smith and Pearl Vercruysse are coming in hot from impressive indoor track seasons. Olivia will shoot to build from a school-history-making performance at the Division 5 State Championship, where she qualified for the all-state meet in the 55-meter hurdles and the long jump. Pearl will look to continue dominating the distance events alongside standout junior Rose Engler and fabulous frosh Catherine Cherry.
“This senior-laden team not only has leadership, but also has athletes who contribute in multiple events. That will be a big piece to how we settle against other teams,” said Head Coach Joe Schroeder.
Senior Natalija Lakis will aim to set the bar for the sprinters. Junior Ashlee Moreis will look to defend her EAC championship title in the discus, while senior Whitney Schroeder will return after a second-place EAC finish in the javelin. Senior Julia Hart will compete in the jumping events and in both the 100 and 400 hurdles, along with senior Danielle Hopkins. Senior Madison Moreis will also be returning after last year’s outdoor season, in which her consistency in the high jump led her to the all-state meet last year.
On the boys side, the loss of standout hurdler and high jumper Chase Silvia to graduation will be a challenge to overcome. Coach Schroeder believes that this year the team will get their power mostly from the throwing and jumping events. Senior long jump New Balance National Championship qualifier Ennis Foster will be a force to be reckoned with in the jumping events. Senior Andrei Bernier will serve a leadership role in the javelin and discus events. Sophomore Nathaniel Packer, the reigning EAC indoor shot put champion, will also add depth to the boys throwing squad.
Strong performances in the distance events will also be a fortifying piece to the male team’s success. Senior Aivaras Gedvillas will lead the group alongside juniors Otto Osmers and Charlie Whalen, all fresh off the indoor season.
Both the girls and boys teams will open their competitive season on April 4 in a meet against Barnstable and Nauset.
