LAKEVILLE — Sportsmanship was a key ingredient in the Apponequet girls track and field team’s win against Somerset Berkley Regional High School on Thursday, May 2, according to Head Coach Emilea Lauzon.

The win, which occurred at the Apponequet High school track, was made possible because of the younger members of the team, said Lauzon. “I’m really proud of our young group — a lot of them stepped up when some of our upperclassmen couldn’t run or were injured.” 

Female winners included Bella Sergio who won the 800-meter race and Reagan Flynn who won the 100, as well as Morgan Hayward, Emily Bodwell and Madeline Polochick, who came in first in the 200, the 400 and the mile. 

This win brings the Laker’s 2024 record to 2-1, already a significant improvement from last year’s record of 1-4.

Several athletes achieved personal records during Thursday’s meet, including junior Madeline Polochick and senior Reagan Flynn. 

Even before she was able to get her breath back after the race, Polochick said that shaving a second off her previous time felt “really good.” She finished the mile in 6 minutes and 6 seconds, maintaining a steady lead throughout. 

During the race though, she wasn’t thinking about her place. “I was just going, just counting down each lap that I had done and listening to my pacers to see if I was on pace.” 

Toward the end, she said, “I just kept pushing.”

For Flynn, it was a day of personal bests. She ran her fastest time in both the 100 and 200 meter races, where she came in first and second, respectively. She finished the 100 meter in 12.8 seconds and the 200 meter in 27.2 seconds, where she crossed the line just behind her teammate, senior Morgan Hayward. 

Hayward’s mindset got her through the last fifty meters of the 200, which were tough, she admitted. She had already run two races beforehand and the 200 isn’t her usual event, she noted. To make it to the finish line, she focused on her form. 

“Pick up your knees, pump your arms, on your toes,” she chanted to herself on that last stretch, she said. 

The team’s seniors have also set a strong precedent when it comes to the importance of sportsmanship, said Lauzon. This, in addition to the points they bring in, makes them one of the team’s greatest assets.

“I don’t necessarily see points as the green light to show how good an athlete is, but when you’re doing that and have great sportsmanship and a great attitude, that’s a no-brainer,” she added. 

This is Lauzon’s first year as head coach, though she has been involved with the track and field program at Apponequet for four years. The 2024 season is going better than last year’s in large part because of the team’s improved performance in field events, Lauzon said. Field events are those that do not involve running.

 “That’s where we’re making up a lot of points [in areas that] we struggled in. We’re walking out with a lot of wins in field,” she noted.