The Kingswood Oxford track and field team has begun their busy and intense season. Head Coaches Tricia Watson and Alex Kraus, Assistant Coaches Fritz Goodman, David Baker, and Alexander Hoerman, and the team are looking forward to the season ahead.
The team started out their season on April 6 with a meet at Wilbraham and Monson Academy. The boys team was able to finish in a respectable second place. The girls also put up a valiant effort with a short-handed roster that day.
Wilbraham and Monson is typically where the team starts out their season. “It was a cold early April meet, so maybe not the best conditions for the first meet, but the team did their best to make the best out of it,” Coach Watson said. “It was a great opportunity for the players to try out new things.”
Throwing events started early in the afternoon, with the 4×100-meter relay beginning the running events later in the day. The boys relay beat out WMA’s team with a time of 43.91 seconds. Sophomore Tyler Brown won the boys 800-meter race, gapping his competitors with a time of 56.23. On the girls side, junior Captain Claire Palmer finished the 1500 more than one minute ahead of the second-place finisher. Palmer not only dominated the race, but also set a new personal record and school record, running the event in 4:47.07.
Throughout the day, KO jumpers and throwers also performed well. Brown competed strongly and won the boys Long Jump, marking 19’ 2.50’’. Sophomore Cameron Thomas shone in the boys Triple Jump, marking 35’ 2.75’’. Freshman Selma Knutson performed well in the girls’ Long Jump, marking 14’. Notable throws from the day include sophomore Nicklas Chomko’s 125’ 1.0’’ discus and seventh-grader Lizzie Raccio’s 18’ 1.75’’ shot put.
Due to the fact that KO does not have a track on campus, the team uses early season meets to try out different aspects of track that they may not usually take a part in.
Given the size of track and field teams, the sport allows athletes to forge new connections with teammates as well as athletes on other teams they face. “We get the chance to meet so many people and create new bonds that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to before,” senior Ella Sokale said.
As a relay runner, Sokale noted that her strongest connections have been with her fellow relay runners. “I enjoy training with everyone, but I really love training with my 4×4 and 4×1 team,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive and enthusiastic.”
Sophomore Tadhg Dillow also explained how track has helped him make many friendships. “I am most excited to compete with Nihkil and Johnny,” he explained, referring to juniors Nikhil Joaquín Rollán and Johnny Troian. “I have worked with the two of them in the throwers group for almost two years. They are just very fun to be around, and I love seeing them grow as throwers.”
The team would not be able to compete as hard as they do without the tremendous preparation that they go through. Practices usually last two hours, during which they will usually start with a warm-up on KO’s campus. Then they go to Sterling Park, where they run a workout and sometimes throw. Finally, on some days, the team goes to Conard to work on their technique. The practices are long and tiring, but they translate very well into the meets, and the hard work will hopefully pay off for many of the team members this season.
As a result of their hard work early in the season, the team also saw success at their meet on Wednesday, April 17 at Taft School. Brown won the 200-meter race, with juniors Sandy Cloud and Captain Joey Kalinowski placing third and fourth in the same race. Sophomore Justin Morle had the top discus (114’ 10’’) and shot put (44’ 11.5’’) distances. In the 1500, Palmer again dominated, matching her 4:47 PR from the weekend prior. Sophomore Ella Golino won the girls 400-meter race with a time of 1:04.33, then went on to place second in the 200. Senior Captain Anissa Lewis, freshman Chloe Delaire, and Knutson all competed well in the girls jumping events, often placing within the top three.
The team looks forward to having the opportunity to continue seeing the amazing work from Palmer and Brown, whose performances at both the WMA and Taft meets showed their dedication to the sport. Along with these strong competitors, there are new faces on the team such as Morle and Knutson, who look to find their place at the top of the throwing and jumping sheets.
The team will end the season with the Founders League and New England championship which is what the coaching staff and the team are looking forward to. The 2024 KO Track and Field team has high expectations for this season, and they look to improve as the year continues in order to compete in both Founders League and New England Championships this spring.
