Sarah Etienne, Kevin Prum, Michael Chacon, Rin Clough, and Afif Alakoum also contributed to this article.
Ready, set, boom! The gun went off, and everyone dashed down their lanes to be the first past the line. Held at Tufts University’s Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center in Medford, on January 7th, this track meet displayed the talent of the team’s underclassmen and highlighted the improvement they have made throughout the season.
Each person had a different talent, whether it was shot put, long jump, or a race to see who finishes first. These events had different heats, which are levels that typically match competitors with others with a similar ability.
The bus ride there consisted of nothing but motivation as members hyped each other up. As the coaches handed out numbers and jerseys, everyone got ready and prepared for the meet. The people going into their first meet were shaking off the first-time nerves and enjoying the bus ride with their friends.
The first event to set off the meet was the Boys’ 55-meter dash. There were many participants, but a few stood out, placing first, second, and even third. Freshman Francis Chang placed third in his heat but first for Malden, reaching a time of 7.3 seconds.
“This was my first time running the 55-meter, and after finishing, I felt really good,” said Chang. For him, this was a fun and exciting experience.
Not only was Chang upstanding, but so were the other athletes representing Malden, such as sophomore Jackie He, who placed first in his heat. Beside them were sophomores Tenzin Thamchoe and William Yu, who is also a reporter for the Blue and Gold, who both placed second in their heat. Both Yu and Thamchoe scored a time of 7.6 seconds.
Next was the Girls’ 55-meter, where sophomore Vanessa Pham placed first in her heat, leaving the other girls in her dust. Alongside Pham was Ruby Neicth Forbes who secured second place. This was considered “a way for the freshman and sophomore to try new things” and “put themselves out there,” expressed Coach Meghan McCormick.
As the race continued the team took into account what they could work on going forward into their next race, as this meet gave the underclassmen a chance to gain experience and see the enjoyment that track gives.
Sophomore Alexis Lee, who also participated in the Girls’ 55-meter dash and shot put, reflected on how this experience has enlightened her and helped her discover areas that she wishes to improve. “I just feel like I need to be more focused and driven to start on time and quickly.”
While the races continued, the Malden girls dominated the competition at shot put. Sophomore Neitsy Philome quickly spun, moving her feet swiftly, powering energy in her arm to dash the ball as far as she could. She successfully took top scores through all 3 times, scoring 24 feet 11 inches as her furthest distance at the meet. “I could have been more aggressive,” said Philome about her experience. Coach Shataeya Smith agreed but also emphasized “they did really well and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Next was the long jump. The long jump event is where someone runs as fast as they can to get the momentum to leap a great distance. Chang prevailed and placed first with an impressive distance of 5.09 meters, jumping ahead of the competition.
Finally, came the 4×400 meter relay, where a team of four participants raced to get the baton to their partners. The boys placed third, facing a fierce competition. In this lineup was freshman Tyler Ho and sophomores Thamchoe, Mokhtar Goucem, and Antoine Alce, who is also a reporter for the Blue and Gold.
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