Here are the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Track and Field All-Scholastics

TAUNTON— Another girls high school track and field season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area.

Bridgewater-Raynham went undefeated in the regular season on the way to both the Southeast Conference regular season title and the SEC Championship. One athlete took home an MIAA Division II title while Dighton-Rehoboth had an athlete take home an MIAA Division IV title. Taunton and Bristol-Plymouth also had some strong performances.

With the spring season now in the rearview, here's a final look back at the Greater Taunton area girls track and field athletes who stood out among the crowd to earn their spot as 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Track and Field All-Scholastics.

Athlete of the Year

Nethica Auguste, Bridgewater-Raynham

The senior jumper and sprinter wrapped up a stellar high school track and field career as a state champion, winning the triple jump at the MIAA Meet of Champions with a school record distance of 38'3.25" after winning the triple jump at the MIAA Division II Championship a week prior with a distance of 37'11.5" and qualifying for the New England Interscholastic Outdoor Championship, where she finished 10th with a distance of 35'7.75". Outside of the triple jump, she also won both the 100 meter and 200 meter at the Ron Wayne Invitational with times of 0:13.74 and 0:27.88 respectively, finished second in the 200 meter at the SEC Championship with a time of 0:28.2 and played a key role in the 4x100 meter relay team that finished 11th at the MIAA Division II Championship with a time of 0:51.09.

An SEC All-Star and Enterprise/Patriot Ledger First Team All-Scholastic, Auguste was also the 2022Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and was named a 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Indoor Track All-Scholastic. Her abilities and leadership will surely be missed by the Trojans next year as she continues her academic and track career at UMass Lowell.

ALL-SCHOLASTICS 2023 Boys Track & Field

First Team All-Scholastics

Emersyn DePonte, Taunton

The sophomore middle distance and distance runner added the 800 meter to her repertoire this spring and excelled in it, finishing second at the Hockomock League Championship with a personal time of 2:20.77. She won the two mile in a dual meet against Milford with a time of 12:23 and came in fifth in the mile at the MSTCA Lou Tozzi Freshman Sophomore Meet with a personal best time of 5:24.39. She also was a key part of the 4x400 meter relay team that came in second at the Hockomock Championship with a time of 4:21.21 and ninth at the MIAA Division I Championship with a time of 4:14.34.

A Hockomock All-Star, DePonte was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country All-Scholastic and 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Indoor Track All-Scholastic. Already one of the top Tiger runners, expect her to continue to grow and improve as an athlete over the next two years.

Phylicia Dias, Taunton

The senior distance runner wrapped up her high school track and field career with another strong season, finishing third in the 800 meter at the Hockomock Championship with a time of 2:28.03 and playing a key role on the 4x400 meter relay team that came in second at the Hockomock Championship with a time of 4:21.21 and ninth at the MIAA Division I Championship with a time of 4:14.34. She won the 800 meter during a dual meet against Milford with a time of 2:30.2 and finished 11th at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational with a personal best time of 2:26.44. She also recorded a personal best 400 meter time of 1:05.14 during a dual meet against Franklin.

Also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country All-Scholastic and 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Indoor Track All-Scholastic, Dias will surely be missed by the Tigers next year as she continues her academic career at Northeastern University.

Caelen O'Leary, Taunton

The senior middle distance runner wrapped up her impressive high school track and field career with another strong spring, coming in fourth in the 400 meter at the Hockomock Championship with a time of 1:01.45 and playing a key role on the 4x400 meter relay team that came in second at the Hockomock Championship with a time of 4:21.21 and ninth at the MIAA Division I Championship with a time of 4:14.34. She won the 400 meter in a dual meet against Milford with a time of 1:02.44, the 800 meter in a dual meet against Franklin with a time of 2:31.4 and finished 10th in the 400 meter at the MIAA Division I Championship with a season best time of 1:00.96.

A Hockomock Honorable Mention, O'Leary was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Field Hockey All-Scholastic and a 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Indoor Track All-Scholastic and her leadership and abilities will certainly be missed by the Tigers next year as she continues her academic and track career at Villanova University.

Kayla O'Hara, Bridgewater-Raynham

The senior thrower and middle distance runner wrapped up a strong high school track and field career winning the javelin at the SEC Championship with a top distance of 106'4" and playing a key role on the SEC champion 4x400 meter relay team that won with a time of 4:20.77. She won the javelin at the Ron Wayne Invitational with a top throw of 97'7" and had a personal best throw of 108' to finish third at the MSTCA Twilight Invitational. Running wise, she finished second in the 800 meter at the SEC Championship with a time of 2:32.79, had a personal best 800 meter time of 2:26.93 and as part of the 4x800 meter relay team finished fourth at the MIAA Division II Championship with a time of 9:57.68.

An SEC All-Star, O'Hara was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Volleyball All-Scholastic and will be missed by the Trojans next year.

Camden Strandberg, Bridgewater-Raynham

The freshman distance runner and jumper made quite the impression in her first outdoor track and field season, winning both the mile and two mile at the SEC Championship with times of 5:58.2 and 13:57.23 respectively as well as the high jump with a height of 4'8". She also won the high jump at the MSTCA South Shore Twilight Meet with a personal best height of 5', the mile at the MSTCA Twilight Invitational with a personal best time of 5:33.54 and the two mile at the MSTCA Lou Tozzi Freshman Sophomore Meet with a personal best time of 12:37.42. She also played a key role in the 4x800 meter relay team finished fourth at the MIAA Division II Championship with a time of 9:57.68.

An SEC All-Star and Enterprise/Patriot Ledger Honorable Mention, Strandberg was also named the 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year and is also a member of the basketball team. Expect her to only continue to grow and build on her already impressive athletic resume over the next three years for the Trojans.

Brenna Woodbury, Bridgewater-Raynham

The sophomore middle distance runner had an impressive spring for the Trojans, winning the 800 meter at the SEC Championship with a time of 2:28.4 and was part of the champion 4x400 meter relay team that won with a time of 4:20.77. She also played a key role in the 4x800 meter relay team finished fourth at the MIAA Division II Championship with a time of 9:57.68.

An SEC All-Star, Woodbury was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country All-Scholastic and 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball All-Scholastic and expect her to continue to grow and be a key figure in B-R athletics over the next two years.

Christele Derogene, Bristol-Plymouth

The junior thrower again led the way for the Craftsmen this spring, finishing second in the discus at the Mayflower Athletic Conference Championship with a distance of 75'6" and fourth in the shot put with a throw of 26'11" before finishing 13th in the discus and 18th in the shot put at the MIAA Division IV Championship with distances of 84'8" and 28'3.75". She had a personal best discus throw of 29'4" as she finished ninth at the MSTCA Warrior Invitational and a personal best shot put throw of 91'3" as she finished 15th at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational.

Along with track, Derogene is also a key part of the basketball team and will look to grow and improve in both sports as she heads into her senior year.

Zoey Jestude, Dighton-Rehoboth

The senior middle distance and distance runner wrapped up a solid high school track and field career, finishing fourth in the mile at the South Coast Conference Championship with a time of 5:55.28 and played a key role in the 4x800 meter relay team that finished second at the SCC Championship with a time of 11:20.37 and 12th at the MIAA Division IV Championship with a time of 10:49.46. During a dual meet against Somerset Berkley, she won the two mile with a personal best time of 13:46 and came in second in the 400 meter with a personal best time of 1:06.54.

An SCC All-Star, Jestude was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country All-Scholastic and will surely be missed by the Falcons next year.

Ryann Welzel, Dighton-Rehoboth

The junior thrower established herself as a true leader for the Falcons this spring, winning the discus at the MIAA Division IV Championship with a personal best throw of 113'1" and at the SCC Championship with a distance of 112'5" before moving on to the MIAA Meet of Champions where she finished sixth with a distance of 108'4". In shot put, she finished third at the SCC Championship with a throw of 32'2" and ninth at the MIAA Division IV Championship with a distance of 31'3.5". She also won the shot put during a dual meet against Somerset Berkley with a personal best throw of 33'9".

An SCC All-Star, expect Welzel to continue to grow and improve as an athlete heading into her senior year.

Second Team All-Scholastics

Amaya Cruz, Taunton

Grace Inacio, Taunton

Mahlia Forbes-Smith, Bridgewater-Raynham

Brianna Reid, Bridgewater-Raynham

Nicole Widegren, Bristol-Plymouth

Grace Sullivan, Dighton-Rehoboth

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: The 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Track and Field All-Scholastics