Williston’s Girls Track and Field team is on their mark and set to break some records this season.
This year there are 43 girls on this year’s track team, including middle schoolers. The program started in the early 1900s and competes at the NEPSAC Division II level. The entire team, which includes more than 100 students total for the boys and girls teams, practices every day, and has meets most Wednesdays or Saturdays on the turf at Galbraith or away.
Olivia Ferebee, a four-year senior and captain from Lake Placid, N.Y, believes track is a very welcoming sport.
“I joined my junior year, and I was automatically welcomed by everybody,” Liv said. “You can always have your individual moments but overall, you are always a part of a team.”
Liv, who is a sprinter, enjoys how diverse the track team is and how she gets to be on a team with people who she normally wouldn’t be with.
“I think one thing that is really special about the team is the size of the team and how there’s a lot of kids that I get to see that I don’t get to see throughout the rest of the year,” she said.
Daryn Fox, a junior from Bermuda who has been on the track team for two years, told The Willistonian that her love for the sport of track has grown as a result of being on such a supporting team.
“Being a part of this team has helped my love for track grow,” Daryn, a sprinter, said. “If you’re not feeling good one day the coaches are super understanding, and they don’t really want to throw you in a workout where they know it could do more harm than good. They always make sure your health and wellbeing comes first.”
Led by Head Coach Chris Pelliccia, the Track and Field coaching crew includes Mike Mailloux, Jane Lucia, PJ Andrews, Taylor Russ, Matt Liebowitz, Joe Manley, and Laura Vachet.
Addie Eakin, a two-year sophomore from Williamstown, Mass., loves how inclusive the girls team is, and said that, after an ACL injury last year, “the team welcomed me with open arms and I feel very included.”
Addie believes that anyone can pick up track, especially with the support from the team captains.
“I feel like it’s a very great environment for athletes of all different types, whether its your first year or last year,” she said. “The captains do a really good job of including us and its really awesome to be apart of a fun group of girls.”
