With the cheers of Dominifans encouraging them, the DHS Track and Field Team raced through the 2018-2019 season.
Preparing since January, the team participated in meets and qualified for the District and Regional Meets. The Track and Field Team season culminated with six girls headed to the State Meet on May 4 at LSU.
At State, freshman Catherine Kernion placed seventh in the Girls 3200 Meter Run. Additionally, senior Lizzy Bourg competed in the Girls 1600 Meter Run. Kernion – along with juniors Molly Alexander, Erin Sequeira and sophomore Izzy Dischner – also participated in the 4×800 Meter Relay.
Mr. Paul Garvey, coach, said that the State Meet was interesting this year because of the inclement weather conditions and racing format. “The stormy weather created a situation we had to run the boys and girls events together, said Mr. Garvey. This challenge was even further complicated by all school divisions running simultaneously. Although the teams ran together, they were still scored separately, according to Mr. Garvey.
Earlier in the season, the team participated in the Regional Meet held in Thibodaux on April 25. Bourg placed second in the Girls 1600 Meter Run with a time of 5:47.21, earing a state meet qualification. In the Girls 3200 Meter Run, Kernion came in third with a finishing time of 12:30.43. Placing second with a time of 10:59.73 in the Girls 4×800 Meter Relay, yhe team of Kernion, Alexander, Sequeira and Dischner earned their qualification for the State Meet along with Bourg.
Previously at April’s District Meet in City Park, the team ran well in the Girls 4×100 Meter Relay, coming in second. Junior Mia Taylor finished second in the 100 Meter Dash and third in the 200 Meter Dash with the times of 12.67 and 26.91. “The team gave me the determination to try to do well in every meet,” said Taylor. “We always support each other no matter the obstacle.”
The 2019 Track and Field Team was large and young, according to Ms. Ashlyn Ciolino (’07), track coach. “We had a lot of eighth graders and to see them progress and get better was exciting,” said Ms. Ashlyn Ciolino, track coach.
With young members, “this season was a season where we had a lot of rebuilding to do,” said Mr. Garvey. “We had younger athletes who did a good job by stepping up to the challenge.”
As a veteran of the team, Bourg is nostalgic about her final Dominican Track and Field season. “They’ve become my support system and what I look forward to each day,” she said. “It’s sad to think about not seeing my teammates after school every day.
“No matter what, I’m proud of what the team has done this season.”
- Jennifer Yrle