Emanuelle Oliveira also contributed to this article.
Malden High School’s outdoor track team has finally made it to the finish line.
But despite the triumph of doing so, it has also proved emotional for team members. “I have mixed feelings about the season coming to an end,” said junior captain Emma Spignese-Smolinsky. “It’s nice because track is a big commitment, but it’s also sad because this was a good season.”
Similarly, junior captain Damien Josephat expressed that “this time is the saddest, being that it’s near the end of the year and the seniors are leaving.”
Head Coach Michel-Le Meranda commented that it was “definitely a bittersweet feeling” with most of the athletes no longer practicing, but she remains “really proud of everyone who competed and made it through the season! The girls were undefeated GBL Champions and I couldn’t be happier—this is what we’ve worked for.”
Junior captain Makeila Scott also mentioned that the girls team ended the season as Greater Boston League (GBL) champions. “We gave it our all this season and I believe the GBL champ title reflects that dedication. I end this season with zero regrets.”
Reflecting on her experience this season, Head Coach Meranda expressed that “the best feeling for me is having athletes eager to put in the work, get better, and want to try new events, as well as athletes who know exactly what it is they did wrong, but know how to fix it because they’ve been coached well.”
The track team also made some fond memories throughout the season. Spignese-Smolinsky enjoyed captaining the team alongside her friends, and Josephat looked forward to competing on meet days and hanging out with his friends from other schools.
For Scott, she enjoyed “coaching the first-year throwers; they were so eager to throw and so eager to learn, which brought much joy to the sport working with team members that were so enthusiastic to throw and being able to share my passion for the sport with them.”
Josephat also shared his personal track successes: “My main goal for this season was to get first in the Greater Boston League (GBL), and I not only accomplished that, but even made it to states.”
For Scott, she found it “completely unexpected when I shattered and raised my 86ft personal record to 99’1 ft” in the throwing event of javelin, which led her to also qualify for States and she won the league champion title.
Overall, with the 2023 track season at its end, the team looks forward to further succeeding with their highs and progressing from their lows for next year. “I’m so proud of my team and all the accomplishments we have made,” Scott concluded.
