Following a successful start, the Girls' Varsity Winter Track and Field Team is not resting on its laurels as the season winds down. Records continue to fall; in some cases, plummet.
Nicole Vanasse '20 celebrating after her win in the 3200.
After a third-place finish at the Non-Public "B" Relay Championships in January, and tying for first with Lawrenceville at Preps, the team—which was recently bumped up to the competitive Non-Public "A" bracket—placed second to powerhouse Union Catholic at the State Championships on February 18. It was an impressive accomplishment given the talent they were up against; they even managed to break four new school records:
• Ryan Davi '21—400-meter run, third place, 59.25 (she won the 800 meters in 2:17)
• Nicole Vanasse '20—1600, 5:07; 3200, 11:05, finished first in both events
• Nicolette Brigante '20—shot put, 21'11"
Ryan Davi '21 anchoring the record-breaking 4x400 team at MOCs.
Two days later, at Eastern States Championships, Nicole, Ryan, Avery Schiffman '18, and Cathleen Parker '19 broke the 4x800-meter relay school record in 9:20, placing second and earning entry to the prestigious New Balance Nationals Indoor. Also at this meet, Ben Vasquez '18, who has had a strong season, setting a school record in the 600-meter run earlier in the season, broke the school record for the indoor 800 in 1:58. (Note, also on the boys' side, another school record fell when Joe Shilts '19 ran 40.1 seconds in the open 300 meters at the Bishop Laughlin Games.)
At the Meet of Champions on February 25, Nicole won the 3200 meters with a PR and school record of 10:34, smashing her former PR of 11:05 set at the state championships a week earlier and securing a #3 national ranking in the event. Ryan lowered her school record in the 800-meter run for the third time, taking second in a blazing 2:12, giving her the 10th fastest time of any high schooler in the nation, and the best time for a freshman. And, for the third time this season, the 4x400-meter relay team of Cathleen, Kierstyn Brown '20, Avery, and Ryan broke the school record in the 4x400, running 4:04 to finish ninth in the state.
What's next? A whopping six Pingry girls—and one boy—head to Indoor Nationals, which takes place from March 9 to 11 at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York:
• Caroline Dannenbaum '20 qualified for the championship pole vault
• Carol Ann Perry '20 qualified for the emerging elite division in pole vault
• Avery, Caroline, Nicole, and Ryan will compete in the 4x800
• Nicole will compete in the 3200 championship race
• Ryan will compete in the 800 championship race
• Henry Wood '21 will compete in the freshman 1600 meters
Congratulations, Big Blue, and best of luck at Nationals!
Contact: Andrea Dawson, Senior Writer, adawson@pingry.org