Senior Rachel Eaglin has been running for the cross country team and both indoor and outdoor track since her freshman year.
Eaglin told said ”[she] actually had plans to play lacrosse and basketball, but [she] was pretty good at cross country and Londino saw that [she] would be good at the 600m or 300m so [she] was convinced to do track both indoor and outdoor and it was the right decision.”
When asked about memorable friendships she has made over her years of running track Eaglin explained that during “ [her] freshman and sophomore years [she] made friends with a lot of the girls older than [her] who were on the team... it was great to have them as role models, people [she] could look up to.” She also talked about how being on a sports team helped her make new friends in different grades and allowed her to try and become a role model herself.
Coach David Londino said “Her confidence has been a great example for others. In addition, she's the team's greatest point contributor, as she scores in the 55 meter hurdles, high jump, and 4x400 every meet. she also qualified for states in all three events”.
One of her favorite memories as a runner was not one of her best but definitely one of the most fun. It was during her sophomore year and the senior girls on the team had never lost a meet in their entire high school careers. “[They] were [competing against] [their] biggest rival Somerville. The meet had come down to the 4 x 400m relay and [she ]was the second leg. [She] was not in shape for the 400 at all, but [she] was what [they] had left, and [she] gave that race everything [she] had.” Eaglin did not want to let them down so she ran as hard as she could. Eaglin said “[She]ran a not so good leg, like 71 seconds, but that was one of the hardest times [she’s] ever run. [She] couldn't walk after. One of the seniors, Deborah, came to help [he] walk over to out bags where people were celebrating because we had won the relay. [She] [remembers] crying to Deborah and another senior Gillian..[she] was just so happy [they] won because [she] didn't want to let them down.”
Eaglin explained that running is something anyone can do it doesn’t matter who you are. the ways it differs from racing is “You have that adrenaline. You have competition. You see the finish line and you put everything you have into getting your body to that line and in front of everyone else.” She also explained how in order to race you “need to have that edge, the edge that makes you want to win”.
During practice Eaglin was mainly focused on working on her form and speed because “for a while [she] didn't consider [herself] [to be] a sprinter because [she] came from cross country. [She] always has to remind [herself] in shorter races to get into gear and run fast.” Coach Londino also said that Eaglin is able to keep calm in high pressure situations and perform to the same caliber that her competitors are at.
On February 4th Eaglin broke the record in the 55m hurdle at the Reggie Lewis Center. The day of the State Coaches Invitational Meet “[she] paid $10 to be in the race that day and it might be the best $10 [she’s] spent, elaborated Eaglin. She explained how “the gun went off and in the middle of the race, [she] felt fast…[she] was reaching to the hurdle less and [she] was pretty smooth over them...when [her] time popped up on the screen, [she] jumped up and spilled [her] water cup.” She said that once she found out she had gone a time of 8.95 and not only broke the record of a 9.06 but had broken 9.0 seconds which she was really proud of. She also mentioned that when she found out how close she was to the record she was hungry for it but just kept doing her workouts and trained hard to hopefully achieve it, which she did.
Eaglin also said how when she went to the State meet on February 11th again at the Reggie Lewis Center she broke her own record again this time with a 8.92. She also told us how she was proud, but it wasn’t as big as the first time so she was more excited about getting a new personal record. Eaglin explained her main motivation is herself, her team, and the numbers. “Personally, a PR feels amazing, especially if you get points for your team doing it. For my team, my best and my improvement helps us win and it makes me proud and happy to see our team prosper.” She also spoke about when she figured out she was in reach of the record “when [she] ran 9.16 at a meet, Londino told [her] that the school record was 9.06. And that was all [she] could think about. [She] wanted to beat that record so bad…[she] wanted it to be [her] name as #1.”
When asking her coach if he expected it from her Londino replied by saying “[He] always [expected] big things from Rachel, but it wasn't until [their] meet [against] Peabody when [he] noticed something dramatically different. That day there was a noticeable difference in her hurdling. She looked very fast, very smooth, over every hurdle. She produced her first sub-9 second time at that meet and that's when [he] knew there would be some big opportunities for her this season” Eaglin also managed to place 8th at the State tournament and made it to All-States. When asked about that she replied by saying how it was “super exciting..[she’s] pretty sure [she] jumped on the bed when [she]found out.
She includes a “big shoutout to Londino because he's been [her] coach for 4 years now and each season [she is] getting better and stronger so there must be some method to his madness.” She also wants to thanks [her] mom for literally attending every meet of [her’s] except maybe 2 or 3 over [her] entire high school career.”
Eaglin also revealed that she will be attending Bryn Mawr on a Posse scholarship, “[she’s] been emailing the coach and he seems thrilled to have [her]. [She] [didn’t] know what [she’d] do with [herself] if [she] didn't have track in college.” Coach Londino had informed us that she has had a great season and “the hurdle field at this year's Division 1 State Meet was the best since 2010, so running 8.92 and making the medal stand was a big deal.
The school's outdoor record for 100 meter hurdles is 15.84 set by Annie Woolley who's now a Division 3 All-American and ranked 3rd nationally. [They’re] aiming to break that record and hopefully go under 15.50 seconds”
