Bromfield’s girls and boys track and field teams began the indoor season Dec. 15 in a faceoff against Clinton High School. Competing at Shrewsbury High School, the girls found themselves well matched by the Gaels, ultimately tying the meet 37-37. The boys began the season with a loss, falling 80-11.
This year’s teams are smaller than usual, with only six girls and 11 boys on the roster. Coach Ellis Toll said the number is about what he expected, given that 15 of last year’s approximately 30 athletes graduated last spring. He said COVID-19 policies that require runners to compete in masks deterred a few others, but that the remaining students started the year strong. Of the 16 who have competed so far, all have set personal records.
Despite taking first in every event, the Trojan girls were unable to edge out Clinton in their first dual meet of the season. On the track, senior Pariss Eang Lee won the 55-meter dash in 8.3 seconds, followed by seventh-grader Violet Thomas who placed third in a time of 9.1 seconds. Sophomore Gretchen Day took first in the 300-meter dash in 51.5 seconds, and seventh-grader Gabriella Temps’ time of 2 minutes, 10 seconds was the best in the 600-meter dash. Anoushka Kolli, an eighth-grader, won the 1000-meter in 4:22.
Bromfield’s 4×200-meter relay team of Day, Temps, Thomas, and Eang Lee bested Clinton and finished in 2:16.
The girls put up a similar fight on the field, where Eang Lee won both the high jump (4 feet, 4 inches) and the shot put (18-9½). Sophomore Marissa Flynn was third in the shot put with a throw of 15-8½.
The boys had one event winner on the 15th, with sophomore Colin Harte winning the 55-meter dash in 7 seconds. Senior Jacob Pulido crossed in 7.5 seconds to clinch third. Harte also contributed to the team score in the shot put, where his throw of 26-1 put him third.
In the 300-meter dash, seventh-grader Liam Liang put a point on the board with his third-place finish with a time of 48.9 seconds, and eighth-grader Liam Kemeza placed second in the 1000-meter in a time of 3:13.
Clinton swept the 600-meter dash and the high jump and bested Bromfield’s 4×200-meter relay team of freshman Adrian Erdogus-Brady, seventh-grader Ayden Hill, eighth-grader Parker Kimball, and Liang.
Toll said most of this year’s runners are competing in their first indoor season, so he is focusing on having athletes set personal goals, many of which are based on qualifying for postseason competition including the district, state, and all-state meets.
The varsity teams will race again Jan. 12, facing Ayer Shirley Regional High School for their second dual meet of the season at Fitchburg High School. Select athletes will also compete on Jan. 8 in the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Auerback Freshman-Sophomore meet, which will be held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
