By Meredith Farrington, Assistant Features Editor

As expected, the track team continued its success from the winter season. Head coach Tony Avallone and assistant coaches Hillary Billington and Charles Rooney guided the team throughout the spring, and seniors Kelsey O’Kelly and Hannah Reynolds and juniors Olivia Almeida and Caroline Meany continued to provide leadership from the winter season. Winning State Sectionals and competing at the Penn Relays were the team’s top accomplishments.

On April 25, select members of the team participated in the Penn Relays, the country’s largest track meet, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field. The Monarchs competed in several races and broke the school record for the 4×100 meter relay. Almeida, junior Morgan Feiler, junior Ryen Miller, Reynolds, sophomore Gabriella Sorrentino and sophomore Charlotte Walsh represented Trinity Hall at the event.

Members of the spring track team celebrate their first Non-Public B South State Sectional Championship on May 22. (Photo courtesy of Ken Santos)

“Penn Relays is an amazing experience that we are so lucky to have. We get to race inside UPenn’s stadium in front of thousands of people and get to race against some of the best runners in not only the country but also the world,” Reynolds said. “With all the impressive competition we never expect to win but we really just embrace the opportunity and try to have a fun time. The fun is a large part of the races, and each student seemed ecstatic with how the day went.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in such an exciting and energized atmosphere,” Walsh said. “Running at Penn was like running in an Olympic stadium with thousands of people cheering you on.” She and her teammates ran in honor of indoor track coach Jonathan Salamon, who is currently deployed in Djibouti. “We all dedicated our race to Coach Salamon, and we can’t wait to see him again this fall,” she said.

On May 22, the team won the NJSIAA sectional championship in the Non-Public B South division for the first time. On the first day, sophomore Isabel Garcia placed first in the 400 and Reynolds placed first in the 100. The 4×800 meter relay of freshman Grace Child, sophomore Anna Ferrigine, sophomore Cecilia Peters and Feiler also won. On the second day, Reynolds won the 200, where Miller placed fifth and Sorrentino placed seventh. In the 3200, junior Caroline Meaney came in fourth, freshman Madeline Barber placed fifth and sophomore Ally Lawson placed sixth. In the 800, Garcia placed third, Child fourth and Feiler seventh. The 4×100 of Miller, Reynolds, Sorrentino and Walsh, and the 4×400 of Almeida, Feiler, Ferrigine and Garcia both placed in first. Junior Riley Francese represented the team in the high jump, where she placed seventh. The team swept the relays, and 15 runners advanced to the group championship for Non-Public B on June 1 and 2.