MARLBOROUGH – As the Marlborough High School boys varsity track team races around the indoor track, they keep one goal in mind – to beat their own personal records.
“Every day, throughout the season, if they throw further, run faster and jump higher, that is my goal for them – to self improve,” Head Coach Emily Welton-Reis said.
Since COVID-19 struck, Welton-Reis said the team has been “wicked low in numbers,” making it difficult for them to compete against larger teams within their division.
She wanted more students to join the team, arguing that track allows the athletes to improve on a personal level.
Though there are only 10 athletes on the team and about one athlete competing in each event, Welton-Reis said she believes her team could qualify for district meets.
“They are going to hold their own with competition … their focus at practice is amazing and they want to do great,” she said.
The athletes enjoy warming up together before practice despite participating in different events.
“They all are supportive of each other and listen and help each other out and they get along,” Welton-Reis said.
She added, “They are a really great group of kids, that’s for sure.”
The small team does not have captains, but Welton-Reis said senior JT Horn serves as a leader.
Horn is the only distance runner on the team. Since there are not many seniors on the team this season, Horn said he welcomes the new athletes to the team by introducing them to different events.
“Whenever a new kid comes to try it out, we are always supportive. We usually become friends pretty quickly,” he said.
There are a few new faces joining the team this season, who have been “working their butts off” during practice, according to Welton-Reis.
Specifically, Welton-Reis said one senior, thrower Emerson Teixeira Ramos, is “wicked fast,” and she is encouraging him to also participate in sprinting events.
“He’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well he does in the dash,” she said.
Athletic Director Jeff Rudzinsky sometimes stops by the indoor track to cheer on the team during practice.
“Although they are a younger team, I am really excited [and] they seem really excited about it,” Rudzinsky said.
He added, “It’s quality, not quantity.”
The Marlborough boys track team held their first competition against Groton-Dunstable on Wednesday after the Community Advocate went to press.
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