VARSITY GIRLS: TRACK & FIELD

FRONT ROW (L-R) Mary Cate Kiser, Samora Elam, Sophia Oh, Kelly Budzichowksi, Paige Fletcher, Amelia DiRoma, Isabel Yang, Anisha Chandra, Kira Rice

SECOND ROW (L-R) Toryn Nichols, Ny Green, Moné Cary, Sydney Query, Sophia Smith, Eloise Eirich, Bridget Yu, Annie Smith, Casey Cupps-O’Sullivan, Helen Hurden, Lucy Ratterree

THIRD ROW (L-R) Maggie Klingman, Kathryn Ogbata, Macy Thigpen, Lucy Crutchfield, Olivia Adamczyk, Ellie Chai, Margaret Cotchett, Morgan Smith, Madeline Miles, Sydney Caddell, Zaina Gibrine

BACK ROW (L-R) Asst Coach Natoya Lacy, Head Coach

Malai Moorman, Asst Coach William Yu, Asst Coach Topher

Gee, Claire Mayberry, Liv Eubank, Avery Swartz, Asst Coach

Sintayehu Taye, Asst Coach Shelley Schuster, Asst Coach

Nick Ray, Asst Coach Mike Weiss

NOT PICTURED Joy Boakye, Zoe Bradley, Hannah Hurden, Cassi Ratterree, Nicole Reed

Congratulations! Congratulations!

NOT PICTURED Joy

In the midst of an ordinary training day, I try to remind myself that I am training for the extraordinary

Olivia came onto the scene as a sophomore, and immediately showed talent and self-discipline in her approach to distance/mid distance events, putting together many impressive race performances. She is a great friend and supporter to all of her teammates, and we are grateful for her contributions in cross country and track.

Joy joined the track team as a senior and brought a lot of energy and positivity to the throwing group. She is uplifting to her teammates and adds to the camaraderie of the track team.

Coach Nick Ray describes Sydney as a mentor who galvanizes the group of throwers on the team and approaches her events with focus, determination, and attention to detail. Sydney says her favorite part of track and field is the laughter and fun she shares with her teammates during practice, which cheers her up even on the rough days. If she could leave behind one gift for the team, she would give them a new discus ring. Her advice for younger Hawks is to explore your passions, commit to them, and work hard. Sydney would like to thank Coach Ray for making practice such an enjoyable and encouraging environment, and for helping her uncover the specifics of throwing technique. Next year, Sydney will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study psychology.

Ellie is a new addition to the track team this year, but as an All-Conference field hockey player, she had speed and quickness that made her a natural for the sprint events. She became an integral part of the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays, and her jovial spirit has added a lot of joy to the team. Ellie’s favorite track moment so far was the Ravenscroft Cheeto, and she would like to gift the team with a new pink relay baton – specifically her own relay teammates, who she thanks for the fun times and the support. Next year, Ellie will be attending Wake Forest to study biology.

Lucy is a field hockey player who decided to give track a try in her senior year. She quickly embraced the opportunity to learn to sprint, and she competes with joy, enthusiasm, and a team-first mentality. Her favorite track moment was her first-ever meet, when she experienced the fun environment and incredible helpfulness and encouragement from teammates. Lucy advises younger Hawks to enjoy their time at Latin, even when practicing, because it flies by. She would like to thank her parents for their support and giving her the freedom to try different activities. Lucy will be attending the University of Mississippi next year.

An enthusiastic and competitive athlete, and a compassionate, effective leader, Liv’s contributions to both the track and cross country teams have been many. She advises younger Hawks to try as many things as you can, and to embrace the community wholeheartedly, which wisdom she has embodied in her time at Latin. Liv’s favorite track and field moment is the cheer that she and Avery created and perform at every meet. If she could leave the team a gift, she’d give them really cute, comfortable sweatpants. Liv is grateful for the encouragement she received from both Dr. Gee and Coach Weiss, and she thanks them for always making her smile. Liv will continue her education next year at Wake Forest University.

Helen’s favorite track moment so far is a very memorable 3200 at Myers Park this year. The race was started four times due to a gun malfunction, a fall at the start (hers), and lightning one-lap in. On the fourth try, it began to rain. Helen says the rain felt fantastic and she ended up winning the race with a personal best time. She would like to thank Coach Weiss and Coach Mercer for having faith in her abilities and helping her develop as an athlete, student, and person. A disciplined, patient, and thoughtful athlete, Helen has become a truly elite competitor this year, and she will continue to compete at the next level as she heads to Williams College in the fall.

Described by Coach Weiss as a winner, both in competition and beyond the race, Mary Cate is known for her passion for running, her excellence in the classroom, and her fierce devotion to her teammates. She says running and laughing with her pace group is always the best part of her day –especially that workout when the distance group had to run with their mouths full of water. Mary Cate would like to leave the team a huge student section to cheer them on. She thanks Coach Weiss – for being such a thoughtful and attentive coach, her friends – for making her laugh so hard she can’t run, and her parents – for making all those pre-race pasta meals. Mary Cate will continue her academic and athletic journey at Colorado College.

As a newcomer to the track team last year, Morgan applied the skills she’d honed as a competitive gymnast into a new event – the pole vault. She had an incredible junior season, but has taken her talent to the next level as a senior and has now broken the school record twice. In fact, that’s her favorite track moment so far. Her advice to younger Hawks is to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Morgan is grateful to Coach Shelley for teaching her so much this season and being so supportive, and she thanks Coach Yu and Doc for all of their help – and for the new poles Doc loaned to the team. Morgan is heading south next year to attend Auburn University.

Avery fosters an environment where veterans and novices alike feel welcome, which empowers other athletes to try something new. She encourages everyone, including competitors from other teams. Although her favorite moment was achieving a long-sought personal best goal in high jump this year, Avery advises young Hawks that track and field is about more than results – it’s about the joy of being outdoors with your friends. Avery’s gift to the team would be a pair of Hokas for everyone. She would like to thank Dr. Gee for his patience with the “craziness,” as she calls it, that she and Liv bring to practice. Avery will be studying business next year at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Coach Schuster describes Macy as highly coachable and persistent, which is important in an event like pole vault. Macy never gave up and was always encouraging to others, which will undoubtedly help her as she becomes a counselor at Camp Illahee after a decade of being a camper herself. She is excited to give back and help younger girls have the same great experiences there that she had. Macy will be attending Wofford College.