By Gabriella Onessimo and Tatum Skiffington
Since the start of the winter season, Malden High School’s boys indoor track team has tenaciously applied their adept athleticism and complete concentration to achieve shared and personal victories.
For the first half of the season the team has encountered both wins and losses. With a current record of 1-1, the team has had an overall excellent performance streak, but they still have a common objective to continue improving. Additionally, girls indoor track has been performing exceptionally well with state-qualifying scores. The boys recent loss to Somerville has not hindered their abilities. To the track team, there are always more opportunities to succeed.
Coach David Londino is satisfied with the consistent success and the progress of the team. Reflecting on the season thus far, he said that “the season is going well.” “[They] opened with a strong win over Everett and had a number of athletes qualify for states at the GBL open.”
Junior runner Sam Pettigrew and senior shot putter Allen Liang have displayed great skill this season. Pettigrew has placed first at meets to propel the team forward and Liang’s throw of 48′ 3.25″ is one of the best throws in shot put this season.
Londino also expressed the fact that when the team had their first loss in three years, the team demonstrated “great maturity in defeat.” He added that “the boys look to improve, reach personal bests, and qualify for the Division 1 state meet on Feb. 14.”
Junior Gus Brookes is one of the many track members who demonstrated perseverance that will help the team reach their goals. Brookes is fueled with optimism and purposefulness to follow up with last year’s undefeated season. Brookes described the great effort invested in enhancing the team’s performance. “[They] only want to be the best [they] can be, which means never giving up,” he stated. He believes that if one has already established themselves as a great athlete, there is still room to train and improve. With this philosophy, Brookes believes that there is no limit to the team’s capabilities.
This season, junior Pedro Lugo has faced physical obstacles that have hindered his full performance, but he hopes he will reach his goals due to his steadfast determination to recover. Regardless of the setbacks he has faced with his injury, Lugo is “very pleased with the team’s performance” as everyone is “giving all they got in every race”. He believes there is always room for improvement and thinks the team can improve the way the team starts and finishes a meet as it often determines the outcome of the race. Lugo’s goals for the rest of the season include getting healthy and “coming back with a fire to really improve [himself], and start to build a momentum for the team to win more.” Although Lugo finds areas where boys track can improve, he and the team have confidence in their abilities.
The team has demonstrated their talent and skill since the start of the winter season. With the combination of teamwork, devotion, and focus, the team is sure to go far. They have managed to stick together, continuing to persevere through the ongoing season.
