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07/23/2017 12:00 AMThe Guilford girls’ outdoor track team was focused on performing well on the big stage of the postseason during the 2017 campaign. The Indians proved true to the task and were well represented across the board at its conference and state meets.
Head Coach Jon Rivera’s squad finished 7-5-1 for their dual-meet campaign and then earned runner-up status at the SCC East Sectional Championship. After that, Guilford came in fourth place at both the SCC Championship and the Class MM State Championship. Then Indians later saw a handful of athletes compete at the State Open Championship, as well as the New England Championship.
Based on his team’s postseason achievements, Coach Rivera said that it very successful campaign for the Indians.
“The big thing for us this year was how we finished last year and to try to improve upon it. We didn’t send anyone to the State Open last year. But we did well with that this season in the states meet with scoring points and sending people to the Open,” said Rivera. “We also wanted to improve our dual-meet record and increase the number of people scoring points at these meets. We were second at sectionals and fourth at SCCs, so we’re happy there. We met our goals and took a positive step forward.”
The Indians featured a dynamic duo of upper class captains with senior Rachael Lauzier, who was in her second year in that role, and junior Jacqui Guerra. Coach Rivera said that both athletes used their previous experience from beyond the outdoor track circuit to set a perfect example of how to guide a group.
“Rachel did very well with gathering the team together and being positive. She did everything I asked as captain, and I relied on her a lot,” Rivera said. “Jacqui was a captain during the indoor season, and she did an excellent job in merging the groups with the sprinters and the jumpers. She was a great team player and willing to work with everyone.”
One of Guilford’s biggest success stories this spring was the performance of Meredith Bloss, who qualified for New Englands in the 3,200 to cap off a sophomore year in which she was a regional qualifier during the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track seasons.
“It’s amazing how good Meredith has gotten,” said Rivera. “She’s done well here, but to make New Englands three straight seasons in a year is amazing. She also broke 11 minutes in the 3,200 and shattered the school record.”
Bloss made the All-SCC First Team by winning the 3,200 at SCCs, while Guerra made the Second Team by way of finishing as the runner-up in the 1,600. The Indians’ 4x800 relay team of Andrea Basilicato, Chloe Shaw, Elissa Strand, and Julia Esposito also collected All-SCC First Team accolades.
For team honors, Bloss and Guerra shared Guilford’s Most Valuable Player Award on the track, with Mallory Peters earning MVP for the field events. Esposito was named the Indians’ Most Improved Player, while Ellie Wiesler was selected as their Top Freshman.
Guilford will return many familiar faces next year after turning the corner this season. Consequently, Coach Rivera and company will set their sights on even bigger prizes in 2018. As he reflects upon the 2017 season, Rivera feels proud about what his squad accomplished.
“We lose few seniors, but a majority of our talent is in our junior and sophomore classes, so many of our top scorers will be back. We also have really good freshmen coming back. We can improve and do even better. We can maybe win sectionals and get closer to the top in states. We return a lot of experience, but we are also looking to add pieces,” said Coach Rivera. “It was fun to watch and see the improvements in the girls. We had exciting performances at the bigger meets and just reading the scores built up excitement. Coaching track, the No. 1 goal is to see the excitement on their faces when they reach a personal-best time.”
From the Sidelines
The Indians’ State Open qualifiers were Meredith Bloss and Jacqui Guerra in the 1,600 and 3,200; the 4x800 of Chloe Shaw, Elissa Strand, Kelsi Putnam, and Julia Esposito; and Strand and Shaw in the 800.
At the New England Championship, Meredith Bloss finished seventh in the 3,200 by running a time of 11:05, while the Indians’ 4x800 relay placed 10th with a mark of 9:39.
Sofia Migani and Julia Hyman represented the Guilford at the CIAC Heptathlon. Migani finished in 38th place with 1,666 points for the competition, and Hyman tallied 1,084 points to come in 58th place overall.