By John Orrell,Contributing Writer
Photo/submitted
Grafton – The Grafton High girls’ track and field team has not had a recent history of success, but that changed this spring when they achieved a perfect 8-0 record, averaged 100 points per meet, were Southern Worcester County League (SECL) East champions for the first time since 2006 and were overall SWCL champions for the first time since 1996. The squad also took home third place in the 2015 District Class B meet.
“We started to make some strides last season and knew that we had the potential to come together as a team,” said Head Coach Jason Cote, who is assisted by Matt Bazinet. “This year we set goals to just continue to improve. We had amazing captains this year who made it their mission to ensure that this was a total team effort and not one of just individual achievement. This year, everything that was done was done for the benefit of the team.”
The captains Cote referred to are seniors Kate Shannon and Hanna Weaver along with junior Lauren Anderson. They were the catalysts to putting this group together and making sure that team was of utmost priority from start to finish, according to Cote.
“These three girls were such role models,” he said. “On a bus ride back from a meet recently, Kate Shannon commented that she had never seen a more unselfish team and she was right. But our captains set the tone and led by example every day. They laid the foundation for us to move forward.”
In the process, a number of school records were shattered and district champions crowned. Sophomore Lauren Eddy captured first place in the 400-meter hurdles in a freshman/sophomore meet while the combination of Lauren Anderson, Sam Carroll, Liesl Siemen, Erica St. Jean, and Ryann Molinari twice won the 4-by-800 relay. Each accomplishment broke school records.
Junior Molly Dewar became a district champion in the shotput and discus as did Eddy in the 400-meter hurdles. Eddy took home league championships in 400-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and 200-meter dash as did Shannon, Ella Magan, Shannon Cloran and Gigi Lemay in the 4-by-400 relay. Dewar and Eddy became Central/West Division 2 State medalists.
Other highlights of the season included Kenzie Breen, who took second place at districts and ninth at the Central/West Division 2 state meet in the high jump, Alicia Palmer third in the 100-meter dash at the SWCL League championships, Maisy Dauphinais fifth in the 100 and fourth in the 200 at the SWCL championship and Lauren Anderson was second in the mile and fourth in the 800, also at the SWCL championship meet.
Other accomplishments were Sam Carroll second in the two-mile, fifth in the 800; Molly Dewar second in shotput and discus; and Hanna Weaver, Alicia Palmer, Kristen Durand and Maria Minaeva took second place in the 4-by-100 relay. All occurred at the SWCL championship meet.
“I think this team has done a good job setting the foundation for the future,” said Cote. “We’re losing a lot of really good athletes who graduated this year, but we have a lot of talent coming back so I’m optimistic. I think once what we did this season is more recognized, interest will grow. I think we have a program, both boys’ and girls’, that is going to get even stronger.”
