Girls’ track and field looking forward to an exciting season

Published in the March 11, 2018 edition

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

LYNNFIELD — The LHS girls’ track team continues to fight through the tough early season conditions as they prepare for their first meet of the season against Pentucket and Hamilton-Wenham at Pentucket Regional on Wednesday.

“Hopefully the weather will improve and we will get a bunch of practices in at the track before our first meet,” said Lynnfield head coach Christine Smith.

The Pioneers, with a team of about 65 student-athletes, will look to improve on a 2-6 season by following the lead of four senior captains: Kate Mitchell, Aja Parker, Juliana Passatempo and Emory Caswell.

JUNIOR Sabrina Al-Mayahi returns to the 2018 LHS girls’ track team as one of the best javelin throwers. (Dan Tomasello File Photo)

Coming off a trip to New York City for the New Balance Indoor Nationals Track Championships where Mitchell, Passatempo and Mitchell’s younger twin sisters, freshmen Ashley and Lauren Mitchell got a bronze medal in the Girls’ Emerging Elites 1600 sprint medley relay, the four are looking to stay sharp during the spring season.

Kate Mitchell, a Boston College track commit, is the returning team MVP and expected to score a lot of points for the Pioneers in the distance and as a member of the 4×400 relay team that won gold at indoor Div. 5 states.

“She wants to finish her high school track career on a solid note,” said Smith.

Passatempo is also a member of that 4×400 championship team, and she will also contribute major points in the 400 meter hurdles.

Caswell will be counted on in both the shot put and discus.

“She has been working really hard at improving in both events,” said Smith.

Parker returns as Lynnfield’s number one triple jumper. She is also a 110 hurdler and is attempting the long and high jump this year. Smith expects Paker to consistently score points in multiple events.

Junior Sarah Crockett was injured during the second half of the indoor season but is expected to return as the team’s top high jumper.

“She is also going to be long jumping, sprinting and throwing shot,” said Smith.

Junior Sabrina Al-Mayahi is returning as the Pioneers’ top javelin thrower.

Smith is also expecting many of last year’s returning athletes to step up, including senior Maggie Weaver (javelin), juniors Mia DeGeorge (shot put and discus), Brie Passatempo (distance), Emily Dickey (shot put and discus) and Barbara Dickey (shot put and discus), sophomores Danielle Percoskie (sprints, long jump), Megan Battaglia (high jump, hurdles), Elizabeth St. Andre (distance), Paige O’Neill (pole vault) and Emma Ricciardi (distance).

Some newcomers expected to contribute right away include freshmen Ashley and Lauren Mitchell (mid-distance) and April Luders (sprints, long jump), sophomores Carolyn Garofoli (jumps/hurdles), Melissa Morelli (throws) and freshmen Megan Chan (sprints) and Lauren Braconnier (distance).

“The senior class is doing a great job of leading the newcomers and setting the tone for the rest of the team,” said Smith. “We are looking forward to an exciting and successful season.”