Varsity Track Races at Boston University Terrier Classic Invitational
By Ethan Ding and Amy Lin
Over the weekend of Friday, Jan. 27 to Saturday, Jan. 28, numerous varsity track and field athletes competed at Boston University’s John Thomas Terrier Classic meet.
The meet took place over two days, with the men’s events held on Friday, and the women’s on Saturday. The Terrier Classic is a collegiate-level meet that is available for high schools to compete in. Seniors Willa Hock, Kaylee Bennett, Sophia Green, Owen Dudley, Oliver Brandes, Jackson Giampa, Maxwell Li; uppers Annika Finelli, Tenley Nelson, Solu Ajene, Anna Kim, Cordel Epale, Jack Hutchins, Max Lacombe, Byron Grevious; lowers Jannah Maguire, Sam Benochi, and Jaylen Bennett travelled to compete. Multiple school records were set during the meet and many personal bests.
J. Bennett broke the school record for the 200 meters and 400 meters, achieving the fastest time in the 400 meters for a high school sophomore in the country, and the second-best time in the 200 meters. Brandes broke the record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:53 and broke the school indoor record, and is currently ranked fifth in the nation. Grievous broke his personal record in the 3K, and is ranked first among high school juniors nationally and second in all grades. J. Bennett, Brandes, Lacombe, and Grevious constituted the team for the boys’ Distance Medley Relay (DMR) and broke the school record, now ranking first nationally. Many students also qualified for Nationals as a result of their success during the meet.
Great effort went into the preparation for the meet. Students described meticulous training prescribed by coaches, a pre-meet, and close attention to sleep and diet.
“A few days before, we were doing a bit of practice, like 300s, 400s, things like that. The day before, we did a pre-meet which basically consists of running a little 800-meter jog, and starting out in blocks,” Benochi said.
“For me personally, I usually prepare two days in advance with hydration, stretching, staying loose, rolling out, and other things of the like,” J. Bennett said. “For everyone, [the preparation] is definitely taken seriously, and some of the priorities we have are sleep and nutrition. I know all the athletes on the team really prioritize those when the big meets are coming up.”
The Terrier Classic is one of the larger meets that students have attended, and it was different from other meets that they have competed in. Overall, the athletes agree that it was a great experience for them.
“There were 30 heats per event, so timing the warmups was a bit strange since most of the meets that I’ve been to have around six heats per event. It was definitely a lot longer than what I’m used to,” Benochi said. “There were two check-ins, which is not normal, but the coaches did a good job dealing with things like that. We didn’t really have to worry about it.”
“I got to run against people who were in college since it wasn’t separated between high school and college. So I got a chance to have better competition,” Hock said. “The previous meet at Harvard wasn’t the best meet for me and I wanted to prove myself or show myself up. At the BU meet I was able to do that and I also got to run the 60 meter, which I had never run before and I actually ended up doing pretty well.”
“This wasn’t my first time at Boston University, so I was really familiar with the track, and it felt really good. I ended up setting a personal record in one of my events for the season and I did pretty well in my other event,” K. Bennett said. “I definitely got exposure. Personally, I wasn’t able to run that much in the winter or spring last year, and it was really nice to compete in a really good quality meet with good competition. It helps me believe in myself and understand that I have experience and that I’ve done this before. I felt like it was really good competition for me mentally and to get back into the waters of track and field at a high level again.”
Students describe how the meet was a bonding experience for them, and that it contributed to their great team dynamic.
“For the sprinting girls, Kaylee is the captain and I think she’s done a really good job in managing the team and keeping us all on track. I think it’s hard with track because it’s such a big team to actually have everybody on the same page. Even though everybody’s not as involved, I think that the team has done a great job in welcoming other people for whom it might not be their main sport,” Hock said.
“I was initially really nervous. The day before I was actually terrified, but then we had a team breakfast, which was really fun. Then the car ride there was the best environment ever. I guess my nerves just went away. So at the actual meet it wasn’t that bad,” Benochi said.
Students credit the effort and support of their coaches for their success.
“This has been my first year here, and Coach Hall has really helped me individualize my training while helping others similarly as well. At the beginning of the year, the coaches really tried to build up our endurance and strength and now we’re building our speed. As a result, we’re seeing more results now speed-wise than we were before because of the training process,” Hock said. “They’ve also been really supportive about injuries and mental health and things like that. I think that they’ve been great.”
“Coach Hall really decides what we do. She times us sometimes when we’re doing 300-meter runs, for example, and checks that we’re doing technical things correctly. Coach Bennett is also there for support. I know one thing that I personally struggle with is keeping my arms wide and Coach Bennett is really on me. I think the coaches are always there for support,” Benochi said.
“I want to give thanks to the coaches, Coach Hall, Coach Newport, and Coach Bennett for the work that they’ve been putting in. It’s definitely laid out properly and I feel like this season, they know what they’re doing and they want the best for us,” J. Bennett said.
“It’s good to have a team to surround you and lift you up whether you do good or bad. I feel that [this meet] has shown us the levels that are out there and some of the competition, especially for kids who want to run at the collegiate level,” he continued. “I guess this meet has been good for self-confidence and being able to run under Exeter. It lets you feel school pride and run with your teammates.”
