Seth Twarog and Quabbin track teams want to make noise in postseason
Quabbin track and field's meet this week against Lunenburg reflected the energy of their season as a whole and what they look to bring into the last few weeks of the season.
Although the girls lost, the little things like teamwork and effort were evident and helped to bring everyone together. The boys won and proved their talent and hard work that they have put in throughout the season. Check out some of the key moments from the meet and how the Panthers are feeling just a few weeks out from the state meet.
Seth Twarog puts on a show
The boys defeated Lunenburg, 84-61. Senior Seth Twarog took first in four different events. He has qualified for states in the 400, 200, 4x400 relay and pole vault already.
“I try to win every event I do here but pretty much these meets are trying to get better for states,” Twarog said.
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With the league meet, district meet and states all coming up, Quabbin is eager to see what its athletes can do against some of the best competition.
“Today I think was the first meet where everything really clicked for us, we lost a couple tough ones but today everything clicked,” Quabbin boys track and field coach Matt Castriotta said. “It’s been a very respectable season, we got the district meet left, the league meet left and we got kids going to states so there’s a lot of season left.”
Focusing on the positives
The girls team fell to Lunenburg 92-43, but was proud of its efforts against what they recognized as one of, if not the, best team in the district.
“Today I am as proud as I’ve been all season because Lunenburg is a powerhouse every single year and the fact that we scored 43 points, we had a number of placements, that makes me very proud,” Quabbin girls track and field coach Jesse Twarong said. “Our team overall is just getting stronger every week.”
Senior Natalia Marchand, a consistent competitor for the Panthers, helped to earn the team’s 43 points. She won the high jump and 400 meter and placed second in long jump.
She has already qualified in five events for states – long jump, high jump, 100 meters, 200 and 400 – and is using these last few meets before that to focus on pushing herself while staying healthy.
“This season I’ve been focusing on PRs. I'm hoping to get the high jump school record but I don’t know yet, I’ve just been trying to push myself in all my events,” Marchand said. “The last few seasons I’ve been injured a lot, so this season I’ve been healthy which has definitely led to success and I also came off a successful indoor season and I was pushing myself a lot in indoor so that definitely helped.”
Another member of the girls team that competed well was junior Brooke Austin, a junior thrower and jumper. Against Lunenburg, she threw shot put and discus - plaing first in both - and took the day off from her jumping to rest a sore ankle.
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It was Austin’s first ever time competing in discus, an event she says she definitely needs to still get the hang of – which is a humble reaction after winning the event.
“Shot put, my goal is the state qualification for D5, that’s 31-6 I believe, I haven’t hit it yet, I’m really close. I'm hoping our league meet on Wednesday is when I’ll hit it,” Austin said.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Quabbin track and field locked in for upcoming district, state meets
